The Henry Reeve brigade fighting COVID-19 in Turin has received numerous expressions of gratitude from Italian authorities and the city’s people.
The latest of these was the Juventus football club’s presentation of jerseys signed by their star player Cristiano Ronaldo.
Thanks to the efforts of Ilham, a volunteer from the Aicec (Agency for Cultural and Economic Exchange with Cuba) which has supported the Cuban brigade in Turin, contact was made with the Juventus club. She was advised that the contact could not be personal, given the team’s health protocols, although they would have very much preferred to meet the Cubans who brought hope to their city at a difficult time. Cristiano agreed to sign the jerseys saying, of course, “If they’re for the Cuban doctors and nurses in Turin,” according to Enrique Ubieta, who is in Italy with the brigade.
Among the Cuban brigade members, many profess to be great Juventus fans, others just love soccer. Either way, the gesture is indicative of the indelible mark our doctors have made in Italy.
This is not the first time the Portuguese star has contributed to the COVID-19 battle. In the pandemic’s early days, he and his agent Jorge Mendes donated one million euros to their country's health system, to finance two intensive care units in the cities of Lisbon and Porto.
