Juventus Defender Daniele Rugani Tests Positive For Coronavirus THREE DAYS After Being With Cristiano Ronaldo

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Busybuddies
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Juventus have confirmed that defender Daniele Rugani has tested positive for the Coronavirus.

A brief statement on the clubs website confirmed the news:

“The footballer Daniele Rugani has tested positive for Coronavirus-COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic.”

Juventus Football Club is currently activating all the isolation procedures required by law, including the census of those who have had contact with him.”

Rugani who has won four Serie A titles with Juve and played for Italy seven times becomes the first star from the Italian top flight to have contracted the virus.

The 25-year-old has featured just seven times for Juventus this season and was an unused substitute in his side’s last match – a 2-0 win over Inter Milan held behind closed doors on Sunday.

The centre-back most-recently played in the win over Spal on February 22.

On Sunday, he posted a picture from the team’s dressing room as he celebrated the victory in the Derby d’Italia with his teammates including Cristiano Ronaldo.

Following Wednesday’s shock news, Inter themselves confirmed they have suspended all competitive activities until further notice.

The impact of the news remains unclear, although it is likely to hold substantial consequences for both Serie A and the Champions League.

Rugani is the second professional football to test positive, with Hannover 96 defender Timo Hubers currently in quarantine.

Football Italia report that the club held a training session on Wednesday, and according to further reports, both Juventus and Inter are now in quarantine following the news.

UEFA are now reportedly set to postpone Juventus’ March 17 Champions League clash with Lyon in Turin.

Cristiano Ronaldo is currently spending time in Madeira to avoid coronavirus after the suspension of the top division, with the talisman staying away from training at the club’s facilities in Turin to avoid any risk of infection.

Italy is grappling with a monumental coronavirus epidemic with over 12,000 confirmed cases and a death toll of 827.

Prime Minister Guisseppe Conte ordered a lockdown of the entire country which is the worst-hit outside China where the coronavirus originated from.

All movement has been banned saved for emergency or health-related situations

Serie A has been suspended until 3 April and every other sporting event has been shutdown.

On Wednesday, the Italian government announced more measures, including the closure of all shops except food stores and pharmacies.

The Italian football federation has said that the Serie A season may not finish because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Alternative options discussed at a meeting on Tuesday include staging play-offs, not having a champion for 2019-20 or declaring the current standings final.

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