Popular Post skygod Posted March 30, 2020 Popular Post Report Share Posted March 30, 2020 (edited) The only call Massimo Donati is interested in making is back home to his parents in Italy. The destination of the Premiership title? Promotion, relegation and European places? He couldn’t care less. The former Celtic midfielder, now assistant boss at Kilmarnock, refuses to make any judgements on football when so many people are hurting in his homeland. Donati’s early years in the game were spent with Atalanta in Bergamo, the Italian city where the Covid-19 crisis has hit hardest. Further to the north, his parents and sister live in Udine, where twice-a-day communications from Scotland are essential to check on their well being. Donati said: “I have no answer now to the questions of Scottish football, because the most important thing now is preserving people’s lives. “It’s a terrible time and no-one likes not being free to do what they want to do, but we can’t cry about it. We must stay at home and save lives. “After we fix this problem with coronavirus, then we can talk about title winners and relegation, Champions League and Europa League places. Until then, it isn’t important to speak. “It’s a terrible time and no-one likes not being free to do what they want to do, but we can’t cry about it. We must stay at home and save lives. “Let’s be positive and try to believe that in one or two months this will all be over and we can begin to live our lives again. “Until then, we must cherish every moment spent with our family and kids. It isn’t easy, but we’re doing it at the request of the world."My parents live in Udine and so does my sister and we have to accept that twice a day video conferencing is the only way to communicate for now. It’s not nice for my family, but they are safe and well and so are my friends and we think of others in very bad situations.e “Until then, we must cherish very moment spent with our family and kids. It isn’t easy, but we’re doing it at the request of the world. “My parents live in Udine and so does my sister and we have to accept that twice a day video conferencing is the only way to communicate for now. It’s not nice for my family, but they are safe and well and so are my friends and we think of others in very bad situations. “In Bergamo, for example, so many people have died and the hospitals are crazy, overflowing with people and now it is expected to hit the south. “Hospitals and organisations there are not like the north. They are saying it could take a lot of people. “This virus is trying to take everyone. Some people will not come out of it any worse off, but it’s killing many others and that’s why it’s important everyone stays home, stays safe and follows instructions.” UEFA are still clinging to the fantasy that all domestic leagues in Europe can be completed by June 30, behind closed doors if necessary. Donati said: “June 30? It’s impossible, the virus numbers are still too high but maybe UEFA know more than we do. I don’t think so. “For me football has always been number one but when things like this happen it drops to second, third and the likes in order of priorities. Without our health, we are nothing. “That’s the focus of everyone and rightly so. It was a good moment last week when everyone applauded the NHS workers at 8pm, very emotional. “For years we live our lives without giving any great regard to our health, then something like this comes along and makes you realise the really important things. It’s not nice to speak about football when so many people are unwell.” Former AC Milan star Donati spent two years at Celtic from 2007 before leaving to play for Bari, Palermo and Hellas Verona. He came back to Scotland in 2016 with his Sicilian wife Luana and their kids and after two years at Hamilton and a brief stint with St Mirren, he’s now No.2 to Alex Dyer at Rugby Park. Life has changed in recent months and Donati’s prayer is that governments do enough to ensure people are supported enough when everyone finally comes out the other side. He said: “There are more severe restrictions in Italy than the UK. You can’t go out for a run and only one person in the household can go shopping. "I hope it doesn’t happen here too, but I think it will. Who knows how long this will last. One month? Six? “I hope we come out of this as a better humanity, but a lot of people are going to need help with so many businesses shutting down and lots of people out of work. The government must give as much support as possible. “We must all stay together and follow instructions and hope we return to our normal lives as quickly as possible.” https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/massimo-donati-opens-up-coronavirus-21775505 Edited March 30, 2020 by skygod 11 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dillinger Posted March 31, 2020 Report Share Posted March 31, 2020 Guy clearly has a good head on his shoulders 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jedi2 Posted March 31, 2020 Report Share Posted March 31, 2020 Good article, and he is spot on.Hope his family stay safe in Italy. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skygod Posted April 15, 2020 Author Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 Massimo Donati fears an Italian proposal poised to lock their fans out of football for another year. And with German science chief Gerald Haug warning Bundesliga clubs may not get supporters back into stadiums for 18 months, punters in Scotland and across Europe face an anxious wait to discover when they can see action again. Former Celtic midfielder Donati was stunned to hear a mention in his homeland about a lockout until March next year for the Serie A faithful. The Kilmarnock coach said: “They could start again and play games but it was said stadiums would not open until that time. “It’s not definite. But it would be terrible. Not just for Italy or Scotland, anywhere – football without fans is crazy.” German chiefs are also desperate to start playing with or without fans to unlock vast remaining sums of money from TV broadcast contracts. Bundesliga clubs were given approval to have their players back in training this week in a first step towards resumption. Bosses are due to meet again before the end of this week after Chancellor Angela Merkel updates her country on the coronavirus situation. But Merkel described a study by their National Academy of Sciences as “very important”. And academy chairman Haug said: “It will certainly take months but it could just as well be a year and a half. It is not wise to let fans into the stadiums again before there is a vaccine.” Cologne chairman Werner Wolf has backed Haug’s stance and does not think supporters will get back into matches for the rest of 2020. He said: “Football without fans is a lot of work but not fun, although we hope it will continue either in the form of ghost games on the first or second weekend in May.” English football chiefs are determined to get going again, fans or not, and Ligue 1 bosses are aiming to restart their league by June 17 with the prospect of supporters being admitted virtually zero. But matches staged without fans for a lengthy period would be a fatal blow to some Scottish clubs, with many relying on matchday income. Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor recently outlined the potential implications of long-term social distancing. He said: “We haven’t gone on sale with season tickets. We believe, with social distancing and two metres around everyone, we might only get a 10th of our attendance in the stadium.” https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/italian-proposal-former-celtic-star-21867609 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killie1961 Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 50 minutes ago, skygod said: Massimo Donati fears an Italian proposal poised to lock their fans out of football for another year. And with German science chief Gerald Haug warning Bundesliga clubs may not get supporters back into stadiums for 18 months, punters in Scotland and across Europe face an anxious wait to discover when they can see action again. Former Celtic midfielder Donati was stunned to hear a mention in his homeland about a lockout until March next year for the Serie A faithful. The Kilmarnock coach said: “They could start again and play games but it was said stadiums would not open until that time. “It’s not definite. But it would be terrible. Not just for Italy or Scotland, anywhere – football without fans is crazy.” German chiefs are also desperate to start playing with or without fans to unlock vast remaining sums of money from TV broadcast contracts. Bundesliga clubs were given approval to have their players back in training this week in a first step towards resumption. Bosses are due to meet again before the end of this week after Chancellor Angela Merkel updates her country on the coronavirus situation. But Merkel described a study by their National Academy of Sciences as “very important”. And academy chairman Haug said: “It will certainly take months but it could just as well be a year and a half. It is not wise to let fans into the stadiums again before there is a vaccine.” Cologne chairman Werner Wolf has backed Haug’s stance and does not think supporters will get back into matches for the rest of 2020. He said: “Football without fans is a lot of work but not fun, although we hope it will continue either in the form of ghost games on the first or second weekend in May.” English football chiefs are determined to get going again, fans or not, and Ligue 1 bosses are aiming to restart their league by June 17 with the prospect of supporters being admitted virtually zero. But matches staged without fans for a lengthy period would be a fatal blow to some Scottish clubs, with many relying on matchday income. Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor recently outlined the potential implications of long-term social distancing. He said: “We haven’t gone on sale with season tickets. We believe, with social distancing and two metres around everyone, we might only get a 10th of our attendance in the stadium.” https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/sport/football/football-news/italian-proposal-former-celtic-star-21867609 Armagedon? 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prahakillie Posted April 15, 2020 Report Share Posted April 15, 2020 3 hours ago, skygod said: Ross County chairman Roy MacGregor recently outlined the potential implications of long-term social distancing. He said: “We haven’t gone on sale with season tickets. We believe, with social distancing and two metres around everyone, we might only get a 10th of our attendance in the stadium.” We might end up being thankful for the larger stadium with plenty of space and empty seats. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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