Lionel Messi of Barcelona (L) and Pep Guardiola of Manchester City. 据西班牙媒体《世界体育报》报道，巴塞罗那的一家医院感谢了来自梅西的捐助，事实上，为了支援抗击新冠疫情，巴萨队长向巴塞罗那的医院以及家乡阿根廷的一个医疗中心进行了捐款，总额约100万欧元。 据Evening Standard报道，曼城主帅瓜迪奥拉心系家乡，为巴塞罗那医学院和一家名为Angel Soler Daniel的基金会发起的捐款活动一共捐助100万欧元。 巴塞罗那医学院在官网上透露，该捐款活动的目的是“收集来自学院医生和普通民众的医疗物资和经济捐助，以购买目前加泰罗尼亚卫生中心所缺乏的材料和卫生设备”。据悉，在瓜迪奥拉捐助之前，该活动总共募集了3.3万欧元。 Big names in sports, including Messi, Ronaldo and Guardiola, have been donating to those battling coronavirus on the front line in Europe. Barcelona forward Lionel Messi and Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola have each donated 1 million euros toward the fight against coronavirus, easing pressure on local medical organizations facing equipment shortages. Spain is the second worst-hit country in Europe following Italy, with 2,696 deaths and almost 40,000 confirmed cases. The region of Catalonia, where Guardiola is from and where Messi has lived since joining Barca aged 13, is one of the worst-affected parts of the country. Messi's donation will be split between Hospital Clinic in Barcelona and another medical center in his home country, Argentina, according to a report in Marca, while former Barca player and now manager of Man City Guardiola made his contribution to a campaign launched by the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation and Medical College of Barcelona. "Thank you very much, Leo, for your commitment and your support," said the clinic. "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 centers 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." Cristiano Ronaldo (L) and Jorge Mendes attend the award ceremony in which Ronaldo won his fourth Golden Boot Award in Madrid, Spain, October 13, 2015. /VCG Elsewhere, Cristiano Ronaldo of Juventus and football agent Jorge Mendes joined forces to donate lifesaving equipment to Portuguese hospitals struggling to treat patients with coronavirus. The donation will help add three wards – packed with beds, ventilators, heart monitors, infusion pumps, etc. – to the cities of Lisbon and Porto in their home country. "We want to thank Ronaldo and Mendes for the initiative, which is so useful at the time the country needs everyone so much," said Paulo Barbosa, president of Santo Antonio hospital's administrative council. Though Portugal has only reported 2,362 coronavirus cases and 29 deaths, far fewer than in Italy and Spain, the country's health system is already under pressure. A general view outside Chelsea's Stanford Bridge hotel in London, UK, March 14, 2020. /VCG In the Premier League, Manchester United and Manchester City are the latest clubs joining several others to support local food banks. Aston Villa, Newcastle United, Burnley and Everton have already made the move. Chelsea are allowing frontline medical staff to use their hotel at Stamford Bridge, and Watford's Hornets At Home was set up to provide assistance to elderly and disabled supporters during the outbreak. The UK has reported 8,077 confirmed cases of COVID-19 with 422 deaths. Spain and the UK have both gone into full COVID-19 lockdown, with the administrations banning people from leaving their homes unless it's for essential work, exercise, or to buy food or medicine, while Portugal has declared a state of emergency to combat the pandemic.