"Cristiano is ok, relaxing, sunbathing"

Giorgio Chiellini, Juventus defender and member of the Italian national team, said on Tuesday that his Portuguese teammate Cristiano Ronaldo, who tested positive for coronavirus, is "calm" and "sunbathing".

"Cristiano is fine, he is calm, sunbathing. When he is well, he will come back," said Chiellini, answering a question about Cristiano's condition during the press conference before the Nations League match against the Netherlands this Wednesday.

The veteran Italian defender stressed that the uptick of the virus in society and in the world of football was predictable and that it was essential to "keep playing" according to the rules of health protocol.

"We must be prepared, we must continue, I am convinced that we must continue, carefully, but we cannot stop. For two reasons, one is economic and the other is social," he said.

Chiellini also considered it "difficult" for football to mount a bubble as the NBA did in trying to limit the virus.

"A bubble is difficult, football is different. We already have a half-bubble, when there are positives in the group you isolate until there are two negative swabs," he said.