Ronaldo criticised for pool pictures during COVID-19 pandemic

Ex-Juve chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli has criticised Cristiano Ronaldo for "taking pictures by the pool" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Ronaldo is currently in Madeira, having initially travelled back to his home island at the start of the month when his mother was taken ill with a reported stroke.

Cristiano Ronaldo should not be "taking pictures by the pool" and should have been quarantined in Italy during the coronavirus crisis, according to former Juventus chairman Giovanni Cobolli Gigli.

Ronaldo is currently in Madeira, having initially travelled back to his home island at the start of the month when his mother was taken ill with a reported stroke.

He returned for Juve's behind-closed-doors win over Serie A rival Inter on March 8 before heading back prior to Italy being placed into lockdown.

View this post on Instagram

The world is going through a very difficult moment which demands the utmost care and attention from all of us. I speak to you today not as a football player, but as a son, father, a human being concerned with the latest developments that is affecting the whole world. It is important we all follow the advice of WHO (World Health Organization) and the governing bodies on how we handle this current situation. Protecting human life must come above any other interests. I would like to send my thoughts to everyone who has lost someone close to them, my solidarity to those who are fighting the virus, like my teammate Daniele Rugani, and my continued support to the amazing health professionals putting their own lives at risk to help save others.

A post shared by Cristiano Ronaldo (@cristiano) on Mar 13, 2020 at 9:15am PDT

 

Football across Europe has since been postponed as governments continue to battle against the coronavirus pandemic, which has accounted for more than 23,000 deaths worldwide.

To help fight the virus, Ronaldo has reportedly donated a large sum to three intensive care units for coronavirus patients at hospitals in Portugal.

However, Gigli – who was in charge of Juve in the wake of the Calciopoli scandal – believes the Serie A champion has not handled the situation well.

"Things at Juventus got complicated when Cristiano Ronaldo left," Gigli told  Radio Punto .

"He said he was going to Portugal because of his mother, but now he only appears to be taking pictures by the pool.

"When the exception was made for him, things fell apart and others wanted to leave – but it shouldn't have been like this.

"They all should have been quarantined."

Ronaldo's team-mates Daniele Rugani, Blaise Matuidi and Paulo Dybala have all tested positive for the virus.