Madrid stadium to store supplies
Madrid, March 26: Real Madrid and Spanish sports authorities say the Santiago Bernabeu Stadium will be used to store donations of medical supplies to help combat the coronavirus outbreak. The football club says it will use the stadium to store private donations. They will then be distributed by government authorities to hospitals. Spain has 56,188 infections and more than 4,000 fatalities from the Covid-19 virus. Civic groups, businesses and individuals are donating much-needed masks and any material that can used to make protective gear for doctors and nurses.
ITALY OPENS UP TRAINING CENTRE FOR PATIENTS
Italian football bosses confirmed on Thursday the national team’s training centre at Coverciano in Tuscany will be made available to local authorities for the treatment of coronavirus patients.
Italy is now the global epicentre for the disease which now killed 7,503 in the country and infected almost 75,000.
“Health is of the utmost importance and needs to be protected, which is why the FIGC (Italian Football Federation) is opening the centre in Coverciano to Italians in difficulty,” FIGC president Gabriele Gravina said.
All sport in Italy has been suspended until April 3, and the FIGC chief said he had told the Mayor of Florence Dario Nardella that local authorities could use the facility just outside the city.
“We’re not playing football now, to get back to it we need to win the most important match against coronavirus together,” added Gravina.
GERMAN FOOTBALL CLUBS PLEDGE $22M
Four German football clubs have pledged 20 million euros ($21.9 million) to support other teams struggling to stay afloat after games in the country were suspended because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen will forgo 12.5 million euros ($13.7 million) in as-yet undistributed TV money and add another 7.5 million euros ($8.2 million) from their own funds. All four clubs played in the Champions League this season, giving them extra income.
UNION BERLIN PLAYERS GIVE UP ON SALARIES
Union Berlin players said they will forego their wages in an effort to help the German League club ride out the coronavirus storm. Six days after fellow top-flight side Borussia Moenchenglandbach waived their salaries, Union followed suit. Club management and other employees have agreed to shorttime working arrangements, which will also result in salary cuts, said a statement.
“These are exceptional circumstances we have to deal with. Our club’s purpose is football. If it ceases to exist, then it will touch the core of our existence. Now they are giving up money to get through this crisis together,” said club president Dirk Zingler.
— Agencies