CELEBRITY
JUVENTUS DUO DANIELE RUGANI & BLAISE MATUIDI RECOVER FROM CORONAVIRUS
Juventus have confirmed that defender Daniele Rugani and midfielder Blaise Matuidi have recovered from the coronavirus.
Rugani became one of the first high-profile footballers to contract the virus, after testing positive in early March. The following week, news broke that his teammate Matuidi had also contracted COVID-19, while Paulo Dybala later tested positive.
The coronavirus has forced governments from around the world to announce a formal lockdown, as they look to combat the disease. Italy has been one of the worst affected countries in the world, though there have been signs of slight improvements in recent days.
Juventus have now provided a positive health update on both Rugani and Matuidi, confirming that both players have taken another test for the coronavirus, and both came back negative. As a result, they are no longer subjected to the home isolation regime.
In a short statement on the club’s official website, they announced: “Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matuidi underwent, as per protocol, a double check with diagnostic tests (swabs) for the Coronavirus. The tests came back with negative results. The players have, therefore, recovered and are no longer subjected to the home isolation regime.”
As he began his recovery, Rugani explained that he felt ‘lucky’, but also added that he was missing those closest to him as he was staying away from them in a hotel.
The Italian has struggled for minutes this season, making just seven appearances in all competitions before football was suspended indefinitely. Out of these seven appearances, only three of them came in Serie A, leading to suggestions that he is ‘considering leaving’ Juventus.
As for Matuidi, he has been far more heavily involved than the defender, making 31 appearances in all competitions in 2019/20. The Frenchman’s contract was due to expire at the end of the season, but the club opted to exercise a one-year extension clause written into his current deal.
-90min
Portugal forward Cristiano Ronaldo crossed one billion followers across his social media accounts, aided by his newly-launched YouTube channel that has attracted more than 60 million subscribers in just over three weeks.
Ronaldo, who scored his 900th career goal last week to help Portugal beat Croatia 2-1 in the Nations League, is the first human being to reach a billion followers on social media, global media reports said.
“We’ve made history, one billion followers! This is more than just a number, it’s a testament to our shared passion, drive, and love for the game and beyond,” Ronaldo posted on X.
“You’ve been with me every step of the way, through all the highs and the lows. This journey is our journey… thank you for believing in me, for your support, and for being part of my life.”
The former Manchester United and Real Madrid player reached the milestone with over 639 million followers on Instagram, 170 million on Facebook and 113 million on X.
The 39-year-old topped Forbes’ list of highest-paid athletes this year, with off-field earnings of $60 million, boosted by his large social media following.
Ronaldo’s club Al-Nassr will host Al-Ahli in the Saudi Pro League on Friday.
-Reuters
Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo launched his YouTube channel on Wednesday and hundreds of thousands of subscribers signed up within a couple of hours.
The 39-year-old five-times Ballon D’Or winner plays for Saudi Arabian club Al Nassr.
“The wait is over. My @YouTube channel is finally here! SIUUUbscribe and join me on this new journey,” Ronaldo posted on his social media accounts.
A couple of hours after posting his first video, 1.69M subscribers had joined he channel.
Ronaldo has 112.5 million followers on the X platform, 170 million on Facebook and 636 million on Instagram.
The former Real Madrid and Manchester United player is preparing for his team’s Saudi Pro League opener against Al-Raed on Thursday.
-Reuters
Inter Miami will be the last club Argentina captain Lionel Messi plays for, the 36-year-old forward said on Wednesday, adding he feels “a little bit scared” at the thought of the day he decides to retire.
Messi, a World Cup winner with Argentina in 2022, has a contract with the Major League Soccer side until 2025 following his arrival last summer after a spell with French champions Paris St Germain.
“Inter Miami will be my last club. I love playing football. I enjoy everything even more because I am aware that there is less and less left,” Messi told ESPN.
“I’m not ready to leave football. I’ve done this all my life, I love playing football, I enjoy training, the day-to-day, the matches… And yes, there’s always a little bit of fear that it’s all over.”
The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Messi is preparing with his national team to defend their Copa America title, with the tournament kicking off on June 20 in the United States.
Argentina will take on Canada in the opening match before facing Group A rivals Chile on June 25 and Peru four days later.
-Reuters
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