Brescia president Massimo Cellino. — Photo news.cgtn.com

Football

ROME — Brescia president Massimo Cellino called on Sunday the prospect of restarting the Serie A season "madness" after announcing that he had contracted the coronavirus.

"(Serie A head Luigi) De Siervo called and asked me if I was prepared toplay on neutral turf," Cellino told sports daily Tuttosport.

"I told him I am not prepared to play anywhere. The season has to end here, and we certainly cannot go beyond June 30. I hear talk of September or October, it's madness."

Former Leeds and Cagliari chairman Cellino, 63, had revealed on Saturday that he and his daughter had contracted the virus.

"I have been in Cagliari (where he was born) for a few days, after having been in quarantine in Brescia for three weeks," Cellino told daily La Repubblica, adding that he felt "pain in my bones".

Cellino has been a frequent critic of attempts to finish the current season, which has been suspended since March 9, insisting earlier this month that he was ready for his team to forfeit games rather than play again thiscampaign.

The Brescia area in Lombardy has been at epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemicin Italy, where over 23,000 people have died since the start of the outbreak -- second only to the United States.

Earlier this month Brescia players agreed to a pay cut to help the club through the suspension. — AFP