Inter chief executive Giuseppe ‘Beppe’ Marotta has discussed how all clubs currently find themselves in the same boat due to the global Coronavirus pandemic.
“All clubs must go through this season in an anomalous way, confronting ourselves with this sword of Damocles which is Covid,” he explained in an interview with Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset.
He then spoke on how it felt to only be notified of Achraf Hakimi’s COVID-19 positive status hours before last night’s Champions League group stage opener at home to Borussia Monchengladbach, which finished 2-2.
Hakimi missed Inter’s match against the Bundesliga club as a result and Italian media have reported that Inter are to re-test him in the hope that his positive test result was only an anomaly. If he negative when next tested, he will be subjected to a third test.
“Hakimi positive a few hours before the match? It is normal that these communications are not pleasant, but they are part of the situation we have to live in. We are not surprised, certainly there is regret but we must forget adversity.”
Former Juventus executive Marotta proceeded to express his opposition of the idea of a bubble being created in which football would be isolated in order for league campaigns and other competition to be able to played in full.
“What they adopted in America [in the NBA] was for the final phase of the competition, whilst we still have many months ahead of us and so many days.
“It is unthinkable to close a team made up of young people who have families in a bubble. We don’t get to that excess, we take the right precautions.”