MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
Cristiano Ronaldo and other top Juventus players could face legal action for rejoining their national teams despite coronavirus rules after two positive cases at the Italian champions, local health authorities in Turin said on Wednesday.
As well as the Portuguese star, several South Americans including Paulo Dybala, Juan Cuadrado, Danilo and Rodrigo Bentancur also left the Juventus team hotel before the isolation ended on Wednesday evening.
“The club itself told us that some players had left the place of isolation and therefore we will notify the competent authority, that is the prosecutor, of what happened,” said Roberto Testi, a director of the health authority in the Piedmont region, quoted by the Ansa news agency.
“All my tests were negative. It was a personal choice,” said midfielder Danilo from the Brazil training camp at Teresopolis, near Rio de Janeiro.
“For me it’s an honour to play for the national side. As soon as my tests were negative and I felt safe, I didn’t hesitate.
“There have been a lot of questions, we have to discuss it again when I return to Italy.”
Both virus cases at the club were among the team’s non-playing staff.
The entire Juventus team and staff had been isolating from Saturday, a procedure that did not prevent them from training or playing, but prohibits contact with the outside.
Players were finally allowed to leave the hotel on Wednesday evening “following checks provided for by the health protocol with the obligation to continue the isolation at home,” Juventus said.
“Players and staff will be able to go to the training centre for normal activities,” the team added.
Several other internationals called up are now clear to join their national sides, including France’s Adrien Rabiot, Italians Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci, Wales’ Aaron Ramsey and Poland’s Wojciech Szczesny.
Italian football has been hit by multiple coronavirus cases in the past week after a cluster of 22 in Genoa whose Serie A match against Torino was postponed to November 4.
Napoli failed to turn up for their match against Juventus on Sunday night on the instructions of local health authorities after two positive cases, and could forfeit the game 3-0.
Two Italy Under-21 players tested positive midweek sending the team into isolation before their European Championship qualifier against Iceland on Friday.
-AFP
