LAST UPDATE | 24 Mar 2020
PEP GUARDIOLA AND Lionel Messi have both reportedly made donations of €1million to help the fight against coronavirus in Barcelona.
A statement from the Medical College of Barcelona confirmed that Manchester City manager Guardiola donated €1m to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation’s campaign in his home of Catalonia.
The donation will go towards the purchase and production of medical supplies and equipment to aid in the treatment of Covid-19 in the area.
The statement read: “The donation campaign promoted by the Medical College of Barcelona and managed through the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation aims to collect medical materials and financial contributions from collegiate doctors and the general population for the purchase of medical equipment and equipment that is currently lacking in health centres in Catalonia.
“It will also help finance the alternative production, through 3D printing and other methods, of respirators and personal protection equipment for healthcare staff.”
The campaign, set up on 21 March, had raised €33,000 prior to Guardiola’s contribution.
Born in central Catalonia, Guardiola came through the youth ranks at Barcelona as a player, spending the majority of his playing career at the club before taking charge of the first team in 2008.
Meanwhile, Messi has also made a reported donation of €1million to Hospital Clinic, a public hospital in Barcelona.
The hospital confirmed Messi had made a donation on their official Twitter page, with Mundo Deportivo reporting the €1m figure.
A statement from Hospital Clinic said: “The Clinic teams are committed to this fight and we appreciate all the donations that come our way.
“We will dedicate it to the multidisciplinary approach to infection with the new SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus, both in terms of research, and in the care of patients and their families. The exceptional nature of the situation means that the institution will allocate the funds received to meet the identified needs and priorities.
“Each and every one of the contributions are important and add up. On behalf of all the Clinic workers, thank you!”
Spain has been hit hard by the coronavirus outbreak, with Barcelona no exception.
Messi’s team-mate Ivan Rakitic has said he knew the situation was going to get worse after Barca travelled to Italy to face Napoli in the Champions League.
“It hasn’t been a surprise,” he told Barca TV . “We went to Naples. People were talking about it a lot in Italy and I said to Xavi (the team doctor) that this would get worse. “Now it’s the best thing we can do [to stay at home]. “I would like to go out on the street and walk about, but it’s not necessary. We have to be indoors. I don’t like it, but it’s necessary and important.”
With almost the entire sporting calendar wiped out by cancellations due to the coronavirus pandemic, a number of football stars have been helping with attempts to curb its spread and treat those affected.
Guardiola’s long-term rival Jose Mourinho was shown on Monday volunteering for charity Age UK and community group Love Your Doorstep.
The Tottenham manager helped pack parcels of food and essential items and delivered them to elderly residents in north London.
Mourinho’s Spurs defender Toby Alderweireld, meanwhile, has pledged to donate “dozens” of tablet computers to hospitals and nursing homes to allow people in isolation or quarantine to video chat with friends and family.
Manchester City and Manchester United donated £100,000 to foodbanks in the Manchester area in a bid to support them during the crisis.
Guardiola’s former striker Robert Lewandowski and wife Anna have donated €1m, after his Bayern Munich team-mates Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich set up a fund called ‘We Kick Corona’, donating €1m between them.
The German national football team have also contributed with a €2.5m donation and a call for fans to donate using WirHelfen (WeHelp).
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