The deadly effect of the coronavirus pandemic came dangerously close to Paulo Dybala. The Juventus star was among the players infected by COVID-19 in early March, which led to the suspension of the Serie A games. The forward said the threat is real and people must be extra careful.
Dybala revealed he suspected of contracting the killer bug when in training he experienced catching his breath. He took the test and the result returned positive. Two other teammates caught the virus and the Argentine saw first-hand how frightening the disease can be.
The Mirror said all infected Juventus players have so far recovered but Dybala said the worst is not yet over, especially in the case of Italy, which has seen thousands of deaths.
"A lot of people die here every day, things are very bad. You can't handle cases anymore, that's why many countries have sent their doctors," Dybala was reported as saying.
He added: "It's not a lie, you have to be careful. People have to stay at home."
While sharing how he battled with the disease personally, the Argentina international also addressed the controversy involving him and Lionel Messi. Dybala had previously stated that playing with Messi would mean he must make adjustments in his gameplay.
In the same revelation, the forward said he felt the pressure to recalibrate so that Messi's star will shine. Now, Dybala said he regretted making known to the public such personal thoughts.
"There were people who wanted to understand it with bad intention. I never tried to criticize a partner, I just wanted to improve something that was happening," Metro reported the Juventus star as saying.
Dybala also allowed a peak on his interactions with Cristiano Ronaldo. According to him, the Portuguese superstar has a side that the world will not be able to appreciate. Ronaldo comes off as highly competitive on the pitch and even flamboyant, judging on his social media posts, but the five-time Ballon d'Or winner is, in fact, easy to like.
"As soon as he arrived we discovered an excellent guy, very sociable and always available. I was really surprised, obviously in a positive way," Dybala recalled of his thoughts when Ronaldo first came to Turin.
And the Argentine was amused that his teammate did not dwell on the bad things said about him. Dybala informed Ronaldo that Argentines are not drawn on him, likely because of the rivalry with Messi.
The Portuguese just smiled and declared: "I am as I am. I am used to receiving these criticisms."
Dybala said that the Ronaldo that the public know is a totally different person to those with close access to the superstar.
