Valencia Criticise Gasperini For Attending Champions League Game With Covid-19 Symptoms

Gasperini revealed on Sunday that he felt unwell days before and during the round of 16 second leg game at the Mestalla Stadium on March 10 but still travelled to Spain anyway to help his side complete an 8-4 aggregate victory and advance to the quarter-finals of the Champions League for the first time in their history.

Gasperini was not tested for Coronavirus at the time but as Italy prepares to resume the Serie A season, tests conducted on the 62-year-old revealed he has coronavirus antibodies, which means he contracted the virus somewhere along the line.

The game was held behind closed doors to check the spread of covid-19 but Valencia are unenthused by Gasperini putting lives at risk by making an appearance on the bench.

"Given the statements by Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini, which appeared in the Italian press this Sunday, Valencia CF wishes to publicly express its surprise at the fact that the coach of the rival team in the UEFA Champions League 1/8 final tie League recognises that both the day before and the day of the match played on March 10 in Mestalla he was aware of, at least himself, being suffering symptoms presumably compatible with the coronavirus without taking preventive measures, putting at risk, if that had been the case, to numerous people during their trip and stay in Valencia," a club statement read.

"It must be remembered that this party was held behind closed doors, surrounded by strict measures in this regard, by obligation of the Spanish health authorities to prevent the risk of contagion by Covid-19, precisely in the presence of people from an area already in that publicly rated risk date."