Before Paris SG-Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, Valence receives Atalanta Bergamo (9 p.m.) after their defeat to go to Italy (4-1), all in conditions of heightened caution, epidemic of coronavirus requires. The announcement of the closed session at the Mestalla stadium dates from a week ago: Bergamo and Lombardy were already badly affected by the coronavirus, but the region was not yet subject to the draconian measures taken on Sunday by the Italian government.
While entry and exit from this region of northern Italy are now tightly restricted, Atalanta was still able to leave on Monday morning by plane for Spain, with a small delegation. UEFA meanwhile said that there would be no media activity around the match, neither on Monday nor Tuesday after the match. The day before training sessions are also closed to the press, and only journalists from television stations holding broadcasting rights will be allowed at the stadium.
"Valencia-Atalanta: the adversary is the coronavirus."
The front page of MarcaWhile Atalanta has only played once since the first leg (7-2 victory in Lecce), Gian Piero Gasperini's players have trained at the Bortolotti sports center in Zingonia, also in special conditions. Only team A and the Primavera (under 23) were able to work on site and all the offices were closed. No marketing or media activity has taken place at the training center in recent weeks.
The wrath of Parejo, captain of Valencia
The Italian club also announced that the approximately 2,300 tifosi who had taken a ticket for the match would be reimbursed. "We keep smiling but of course there is disappointment with this forced absence from the most important match in our history", testified Marino Lazzarini, president of the club "Friends of Atalanta" in the Gazzetta dello Sport . In Spain, however, the affair does not smile at all. "Valencia-Atalanta: the adversary is the coronavirus," said Marca , the country's main sports daily.
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And while his team is in bad shape after the 4-1 defeat of the first leg, captain Dani Parejo for his part posted a long message tinged with anger and misunderstanding on Sunday on Instagram. "I wish it was just a bad dream," wrote Parejo. But this is not the case. And that is also why I am the first to be outraged when I see that the measures adopted have no coherence. ”
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My number is Dani Parejo. Soy futbolista, juego en el Valencia CF y soy el capitán del equipo. Pero también soy el marido by Isa y el padre by Dani y Diego. Muchos conocéis en mi faceta de deportista, pero no tantos en la personal. Sin embargo, una y otra no pueden separarse y mucho menos en días tan complicados como los que vivimos ahora con el coronavirus, algo de lo que no puedes prote à tus seres queridos de otra forma que no sea haciendo caso a los expertos. Soy el primero que está preocupado por esta crisis, el primero que no quiere que haya un solo contagio más y mucho menos una víctima. Ojalá todo will flee a bad sueño. Pero no lo es. Y por eso también soy el primero que indigna cuando ve que las medidas que adopt adopt no tienen coherencia. No entiendo cómo una crisis mundial puede gestionarse en España en función de la comunidad en la que vivas. No soy un experto ni mucho menos, pero por puro sentido común no entiendo cómo puedo pasear por Valencia con miles de personas por la calle celebrando unas Fallas que tanto a mi familia como a mí nos encantan, cómo puedo ir a recoger a un familiar al aeropuerto al que llegan cientos de vuelos procedentes de medio mundo, cómo puedo ver por televisión docenas de acontecimientos deportivos, solidarios o culturales en los congregan miles de aficionados… y, sin embargo, nosotros, el Valencia CF, no vamos a poder jugar delante de nuestra gente el partido más important de la temporada. No tiene sentido. No podemos dejar que los intereses políticos o económicos primen sobre la salud de la población. If you are in the middle and at the bottom of Atalanta, much more, its great agglomerations that come alive in the call for various reasons. If it is peligroso that the gente meets in Mestalla, también lo es in el Parque de los Príncipes, in Anfield, in el Red Bull Arena, in el Etihad, in el Camp Nou, in el Allianz de Turín y in el de Múnich. Cada vez que saltamos al césped nos dejamos la piel por el escudo y ahora no nos vamos a quedar de brazos cruzados mientras otros lo pisotean.
A publication shared by Daniel Parejo (@ dani_parejo10) on March 8, 2020 at 6:36 am PDT
"I am not an expert, far from it, but by common sense, I do not understand how you can walk in Valencia with thousands of people on the street to celebrate the Fallas (popular festival very famous in Valencia, editor's note) , how I can pick up a loved one at the airport where hundreds of flights arrive every day from around the world, how I can see on TV dozens of sporting or cultural events that bring together thousands of people ... but we, Valence CF, on the other hand, we will not be able to play the most important match of our season in front of our supporters. It doesn't make sense, ”said Parejo. It's up to him to release his frustration on the ground this Wednesday. Beaten 4-1 in the first leg, Valence would qualify in the event of a 3-0 victory thanks to the away goal rule.
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