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Ronaldo back training at Juventus after two months
TURIN, Italy, May 19, 2020 (BSS/AFP) – Cristiano Ronaldo returned to
training with Juventus in Turin on Tuesday after an absence of over
two months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The 35-year-old arrived at the Juventus Training Centre in a Jeep
with tinted windows around 09:20 (0720 GMT), leaving three hours later
with a smile and thumbs up for waiting photographers.
Ronaldo underwent medical and physical tests before joining up with
his teammates for the first time in 72 days for individual training,
according to media reports.
Coach Maurizio Sarri has been conducting training in small groups
since Monday, pending the final health protocol to be agreed with the
Italian government.
Juventus players got back to individual training on May 4, the day
Ronaldo returned to Italy after spending lockdown in his native
Portugal.
For the past two weeks, he has been in quarantine in his villa in Turin.
Ronaldo played in Juventus’ last Serie A game before the season was
suspended, a 2-0 win over Inter Milan behind closed doors at the
Allianz Stadium on March 8.
The five-time Ballon d’Or winner is the first Juventus foreign
player, among those who left Italy during the lockdown, to return to
the team’s Continassa training centre.
Italy has been one of the countries hardest hit by the COVID-19
pandemic with more than 32,000 deaths.
League leaders Juventus are leading Lazio by one point as they
target a ninth consecutive ‘Scudetto’.
The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) announced on Monday that all
its competitions, including Serie A, will remain suspended until June
14.
Serie A had hoped to return on June 13 but the FIGC has pushed back
the date in line with a government decree that all sports competitions
be suspended until next month.
The FIGC said the choice was made “pending any further… decision
by the authorities”, suggesting the possibility of a restart on June
13 might still exist.
But Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Saturday he
needed “more guarantees” before the green light could finally be given
for football to resume.
A meeting is planned in the near future between Conte and Italian
football bosses.
The government’s technical and scientific committee will decide in
the coming days if it accepts the new health protocols proposed for a
return to group training and competition.
BSS/AFP/MRU/1900hrs