Sampdoria forward Manolo Gabbiadini, who tested positive for the Coronavirus contagion, discussed the situation and his condition in an interview in today’s paper edition of the Milano based newspaper Gazzetta dello Sport.
First, the former Napoli and Southampton forward discussed when he first started feeling symptoms.
“I felt a little fever on the night of Tuesday the 10th, but I didn’t think about the virus. That night I slept badly, woke up often and in the morning my head was dizzy but I wasn’t hot. I only measured the fever out of concern and I was 37.5. I called Dr. Baldari from Samp, but again I didn’t think about the virus. Martina, my wife, however, suggested I ask for a swab, we have two small children at home. The doctor came to do it and we made an appointment for the next day. On Thursday I was fine, my fever had ended. At 3 p.m. the doctor called me to tell me that I was positive.”
The 28-year-old Italian then spoke about his reaction once he found out that he tested positive for the contagion.
“I asked him if he was joking, even though it was obvious he was serious. I didn’t expect it because the fever had ended right away. And from that moment on, I really started thinking about the coronavirus. If the doctor had told me to wait another day before deciding whether to do the swab, I wouldn’t have asked him again since I was feeling very well. And maybe, thinking I wasn’t positive, I would have gone to buy fruit at home and risk transmitting the virus to an elderly person in an absolutely unconscious way, a very bad thought, which torments me. I understood that there are so many positive cases who don’t even know it and then the battle can only be won in one way, respecting the directives and staying at home. I don’t have any political or health care responsibilities, but probably closing everything for a fortnight would have been right.”
He revealed that he underestimated the virus before he received the positive test.
“I think we all underestimated the problem a little bit. It was difficult to predict such a serious epidemic. It’s true that we’re always in buses, in hotels, in contact with people we don’t know. But you don’t think about these things until later and I can’t know how I got infected anyway.”
Gabbiadini agreed with the decision to postpone the league until the emergency is more under control.
“I don’t like to get into other people’s decisions because I think it wasn’t easy to stop the league. But in hindsight I think he was right, health is a priority.”
Finally, Gabbiadini discussed whether he is already thinking about the return in the league.
“For now, no, because it’s going to take some more time and the most important battle to win is against coronavirus. The champions are the doctors, the scientists, the nurses, all those who are fighting for us. Football will start again and it will be beautiful. The postponement of the European Championship opens an important window in the calendar, now let’s beat the virus and then come back and challenge each other on the pitch.”
The 28-year-old Italian forward, who is contracted to Sampdoria until 2023, has made 23 appearances across all competitions so far this season, for a total of 1427 minutes. In that time, he has scored seven goals and provided two assists, despite the Ligurian side’s poor season so far.
