Bilbao shave heads for sick teammate Alvarez
>> MADRID: The entire Athletic Bilbao squad have shaved their heads in solidarity with teammate Yeray Alvarez, who is undergoing chemotherapy for testicular cancer.
The team surprised the 22-year-old midfielder, who was forced to withdraw from the Spain Under-21 side last month after suffering a relapse, with their new look as he arrived at the club’s dressing room for a visit.
The club also posted a photo on Twitter of the entire squad arm-inarm along with the caption “we are with you Yeray”.
“We want him to feel as comfortable as possible here and we did this not only for Yeray but for all families that suffer from this disease,” midfielder Oscar de Marcos told a press conference.
Alvarez is “doing well” and is “proving that he is a very strong person”, he added.
Alvarez thanked his teammates in a message posted on Instagram that said: “What happens in this family is crazy.”
He was diagnosed with a tumour on his right testicle last year and had the organ removed in December.
A routine medical carried out last month revealed an anomaly which doctors decided required chemotherapy.
Meanwhile, Italian international midfielder Marco Verratti has apologised to Paris Saint-Germain officials and fans in a video posted by the Ligue 1 side over the furor whipped up by his desire to leave the club.
“I’ve been here for five years, and if I’ve become a good player it’s thanks to Paris Saint-Germain, who believed in me from the start. That’s why I apologise,” the 24-year-old said as he resumed training with his French club on Friday.
Verratti, whose contract runs until 2021, has been linked to Barcelona throughout the summer and club president Josep Maria Bartomeu told Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo of his frustrations at running into a PSG roadblock.
“Verratti is a player who interests us,” said Bartomeu.