Juventus star Cristiano Ronaldo has mocked the positive coronavirus test that will sideline him from the eagerly awaited duel with Barcelona’s Lionel Messi in the Champions League.
Key points:
- Cristiano Ronaldo tested positive for coronavirus more than two weeks ago
- In a now-deleted tweet, he said the widely used PCR detection test was “bullshit”
- He needs a negative test before he can return to the field
Ronaldo was left out of the Juventus matchday squad for the Champions League game this morning, more than two weeks after the 35-year-old superstar initially tested positive for COVID-19.
The Italian side missed its biggest name, losing 2-0 in the group-stage clash with Barcelona, as rival Messi netted a 91st-minute penalty to punctuate the win after Ousman Dembele’s 14th-minute opener gave them an early lead.
The quarantined Portuguese striker, who reportedly has no symptoms, posted a dismissive message both on Twitter and Instagram, where he added a comment about the swab test that confirmed he still carries the virus.
“PCR is bullshit,” he wrote in reference to the polymerase chain reaction test widely used to detect positive coronavirus cases.
His post, which he later deleted, was criticised by Paolo Ascierto, a doctor at a Naples hospital who has often intervened on issues relating to COVID-19.
“He was wrong in using those words,” Dr Ascierto was quoted as saying in Italian media.
“The swab test is the only way, as of today, to tell if an individual is positive. It is something serious, not a joke.”
Perhaps to show he was feeling fine, Ronaldo also posted a video message of himself jogging on a treadmill in his Juventus kit, cheering on his team.
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Ronaldo’s absence delayed the latest showdown between him and Messi, the pair who have shared being named the world’s best player in 11 of the past 12 years, although this year’s award was not handed out due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Portuguese last met Messi in the Champions League in a 2011 semi-final, when Ronaldo was at Real Madrid. Messi dominated and his team went on to lift the trophy.
Ronaldo has missed Portugal’s Nations League match against Sweden, two Serie A games against Crotone and Verona and the Champions League opener at Dynamo Kiev, which Juve won 2-0.
AP
