Monaco defender and former Torino star Kamil Glik has admitted he follows the “suffering” in Italy with a heavy heart. “The number of deaths is frightening”.
The 32-year-old centre-half moved to Italy in July 2010, when Palermo picked him up from Piast Gliwice for €1m.
Since then, he had a loan stint at Bari and moved to Torino in July 2011, where he spent the next five seasons. After playing 171 matches for the Granata, scoring 13 goals in the process, he was picked up by Monaco for €11m in 2016.
Monaco defender and former Torino star Kamil Glik has admitted he follows the “suffering” in Italy with a heavy heart. “The number of deaths is frightening”.
The 32-year-old centre-half moved to Italy in July 2010, when Palermo picked him up from Piast Gliwice for €1m.
Since then, he had a loan stint at Bari and moved to Torino in July 2011, where he spent the next five seasons. After playing 171 matches for the Granata, scoring 13 goals in the process, he was picked up by Monaco for €11m in 2016.
The defender has revealed the emergency in France is evolving gradually and compares it to what he has seen happen in Italy.
“Here in Monte Carlo there’s a lot of concern, the situation is getting worse,” he told the Gazzetta dello Sport. “For some days now, it has been forbidden to leave the house, everything is closing, like in Italy.
“It’s understood that the threat is very serious. From a sporting point of view, it has all stopped. Ligue 1 is suspended, training cancelled. Nobody plays, nobody trains.”
The former Torino defender has a close relationship to Italy and admitted that he is heartbroken by the daily updates from his “second home”.
“[I'm] in pain. I read the Italian newspapers and follow the news after living six beautiful years in Italy,” he added. “It’s my second home in which I left a piece of my heart there, especially in Turin, who are unfortunately one of the cities where there’s more danger.
“Your country welcomed me with open arms as a boy, helping me grow into becoming a man and a professional.
“Seeing Italy suffer makes me sad. The number of deaths is frightening, more than those in China. But you’re a wonderful country, you will get back up.”
The Poland international claimed it was “inevitable” to postpone the European Championship and revealed that he still follows Serie A closely.
“Inevitable. It would have been played in multiple cities in multiple countries, increasing the risk too much,” he said. “It wouldn’t make sense playing behind closed doors.
“Otherwise, I follow Serie A on TV every weekend, I try not to miss Toro’s matches. Serie A is the top, your football has a wonderful history and quality.
“I’m glad that many of my friends play in your League. It wasn’t like that during my time, I was one of the first Polish players to come to Italy.”