PSG's Neymar and Thiago Silva return to Brazil due to coronavirus pandemic

Posted Thursday, March 19, 2020 by ESPN

Neymar and Paris Saint-Germain teammate Thiago Silva have returned home to Brazil due to the coronavirus pandemic, leaving France before the country went into lockdown on Tuesday, PSG have confirmed to ESPN.

PSG gave all the players the authorisation to leave the country and self-isolate where they wanted or stay home in Paris, where lockdown orders came into effect at 12 p.m. local time on Tuesday. Some like Neymar and Silva decided to leave, but with the agreement of the club.

Silva's wife, Isabele, confirmed via social media that the couple were in Paris as early as Tuesday morning, but sources have confirmed to ESPN that Silva and his wife have since made it back to Brazil.

Other members of PSG's coaching and playing staff have returned home but some have opted to stay with their families in the French capital.

Defender Marquinhos chose to remain in France over returning to Brazil, sources said.

Despite restrictions caused by the coronavirus, PSG players have been given instructions by the coaching staff to maintain their fitness levels.

These plans include eight minutes of warm up, 10 minutes of doing weights (pushing at least their own weights or more), 40 minutes of running on the treadmill with a change of pace and five minutes of warm down.

The club hasn't decided yet when full training will resume.

France's top two divisions have been suspended indefinitely, while the rest of European domestic football has been thrown into chaos with the Premier League, Serie A and La Liga also disrupted.