Lazio Complain As Ronaldo Trains Despite Covid-19 Lockdown
Lazio’s Director of Communications, Arturo Diaconale, believes Juventus are gaining an unfair advantage in the Serie A title race, with some of their players being able to train despite the Coronavirus lockdown.
Juventus led Lazio by a single point with 12 games of the season remaining before the Covid-19 pandemic brought all sporting activities in Italy to a halt.
Serie A has been suspended indefinitely but there is still hope that the season will resume somewhere in June.
While Lazio’s players are observing the lockdown rules in Italy, Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo, who flew back to his native Portugal in the wake of the pandemic, was pictured being taken through his paces at the Estadio da Madeira stadium on Thursday.
Ronaldo’s decision to break protocol drew criticism from Madeira’s secretary of health, and now Lazio, who are aiming to win their first title since 2000, have also made their feelings known.
‘Lazio’s position has always been to return to playing football in a safe atmosphere. If the Prime Minister says that we can return to training after May 3, we will all start organizing for that,’ Diaconale told Radiosei.
‘But the impression I have is that there is some favouritism. I am referring to the clubs to which their players are allowed to travel abroad, who will now return and do a quarantine period to return to training at the same time as those of Lazio.
‘The difference is that we followed the rules and stayed at home, unlike others; I’ve seen videos from Portugal showing some marvellous images of Cristiano Ronaldo training out on a football pitch.
‘Others have been able to train in peace abroad without restrictions, while we are not allowed to do the same in Italy.
‘I’m not saying it’s wrong, because professional athletes have to keep in shape. I’m just saying that they were given the advantage of going outside during quarantine. But I don’t want to create more controversy.’
‘Lazio deserve more respect. We constantly have things going against us.’