Valencia defender Ezequiel Garay confirmed on Sunday he has tested positive for the coronavirus, as relayed by LaLiga TV's Semra Hunter:
"Evidently my 2020 did not start well," read an accompanying message on the post, per Football Italia. "I have tested positive for the coronavirus. I feel fine, and now all I can do is listen to the health authorities, so I will self-isolate."
Garay did not take part in the recent UEFA Champions League matches with Atalanta, as he is suffering with a torn ACL. Bergamo, where Atalanta are based, is close to what is now the epicentre of the outbreak in Italy.
Per Football Italia, Valencia later confirmed "they have five members of the club, between players and staff, who have tested positive for COVID-19."
The former Real Madrid and Benfica player is the first La Liga footballer to announce publicly that he has tested positive for the virus.
Along with the rest of the major leagues in European football, La Liga has been suspended because of the spread of the pandemic.
Per BBC, the Spanish government is set to put the country in a state of lockdown in a bid to stop the spread of the virus. The measures would mean citizens would only be allowed out of their homes for emergencies, for work and to purchase food.
As noted in the report, aside from Italy, Spain is the European nation most seriously hit by the coronavirus.
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