Cristiano Ronaldo was back in Italy after testing positive for the coronavirus in Portugal.
The Juventus forward traveled on a “medical flight” from Lisbon to Turin on Wednesday to finish his isolation period.
“Cristiano Ronaldo returned to Italy with a medical flight authorised by the competent health authorities at the request of the player and will continue his fiduciary isolation at his home,” Juventus said in a statement.
The Portuguese daily Record had earlier showed images of the small jet-engine plane it said was used by Ronaldo. The white, blue and red aircraft had the word “ambulance” painted on its engines.
The 35-year-old Ronaldo had been separated from the rest of the Portugal group after testing positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He was said to be asymptomatic and in good health condition.
Ronaldo tested positive two days before the team’s Nations League match against Sweden in Lisbon. He was dropped from the squad after another test on Tuesday confirmed the positive result. He had played in the Nations League match against France on Sunday, and against Spain in a friendly last week.
No one else in the Portuguese squad had tested positive ahead of Wednesday’s match against Sweden, which it won 3-0 with a pair of goals by Ronaldo’s replacement Diogo Jota. Ronaldo posted a photo on his social media accounts with him wearing Portugal’s jersey in front of a television set with the game on.
“It’s as if I was there,” he wrote.
Ronaldo began his isolation at the team’s training center on Monday. Images published by Portuguese media on Tuesday showed him on a balcony overlooking his teammates practicing at the training center. In one of the photos, he was shown giving the thumbs-up sign.
Before the Monday test result was known, Ronaldo posted a photo showing him and the rest of the Portugal squad having a meal together. The players were all close to each other at a table, with a smiling Ronaldo apparently taking the photo at the front end.
The Portuguese soccer federation showed images of the players walking while wearing masks on Wednesday. Two other Portugal players, José Fonte and Anthony Lopes, tested positive for COVID-19 recently.
Ronaldo was likely to miss Juventus’ Serie A match at Crotone on Saturday and the team’s Champions League opener at Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday. And depending on his condition and the results of future tests, he could also miss the much-anticipated match against Barcelona on Oct. 28.
Juventus had been in isolation following positive tests for two staff members, but Ronaldo and six other players were allowed to leave and join their national teams. On Wednesday, midfielder Weston Mckennie tested positive for the virus and Juventus said its players and staff will go back into isolation in the club hotel in the evening.
Other soccer players who have tested positive for COVID-19 recently include Neymar, Kylian Mbappé, Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Ángel Di María, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa.
The Portuguese government on Wednesday announced new restrictions to help contain a surge in coronavirus cases.
More AP soccer: https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports
Tales Azzoni on Twitter: http://twitter.com/tazzoni
Regulators authorized AstraZeneca’s coronavirus vaccine for use in adults throughout the European Union on Friday, amid criticism the bloc is not moving fast enough to vaccinate its population.
WASHINGTON (AP) — A former FBI lawyer was sentenced to probation for altering an email that the Justice Department relied on during its surveillance of an aide to President Donald Trump during the Russia investigation.
MADISON, Wis. (AP) — Democratic Gov. Tony Evers lashed out Friday at rival Republicans who tried to repeal his statewide mask mandate, saying killing the order would be a ridiculous move comparable to abolishing speed limits.
COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — As some conservatives in South Carolina celebrated getting a bill that would ban almost all abortions in the state past a legislative barrier and likely becoming law, they said they are not finished trying to end all abortions.
A Moscow court on Friday put the brother and several allies of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny under house arrest for two months as authorities sought to stymie more protests over the jailing of the top Kremlin foe.