Brescia president Massimo Cellino has called the Coronavirus “the plague” and has mooted for the Serie A season to be cancelled, as per a report in the Guardian.
Italy has been hit hard by the Coronavirus and is currently in lockdown with 4,800 people having been killed due to the deadly virus already. The former Leeds owner, who owned the English club between 2014 and 2017 has now likened the virus to the plague.
Speaking to Corriere dello Sport as quoted by the Guardian, Cellino said:
“You don’t have to think about when to start again, but if you survive,”
“Everything has to be moved to the next season. It is time for realism, gentlemen. This is the plague.”
“You can no longer play this year. Think about the next one. Some people still do not realise what is happening, and those people are worse than the virus. I don’t believe in miracles, I stopped doing it long ago. We reset.”
Cellino’s Brescia are currently bottom of the table in the Serie A after the league was suspended in Italy on 9th March. However, a number of Italian clubs including Lazio who are in the title race and Napoli want to return to training and have the Serie A restarted.
Speaking further about his stance, Cellino said:
“Anyone who wants this cursed [title], take it. It is closed. Finished. And I am not saying this because Brescia is last in the standings,”
“We are last because we deserve it.”
At the moment all European leagues have been suspended with no signs of the virus stopping and Cellino’s controversial comments reflect the dire circumstances we are in.