PARIS, France, Apr 11 – Paris Saint-Germain winger Pablo Sarabia says that beating the coronavirus would be the “real victory of the season”, with most professional football shut down due to the pandemic.

France’s Ligue 1 was suspended on March 13, with PSG sitting 12 points clear of Marseille at the top of the table, while having also reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the first time since 2016.

But Spanish international Sarabia says public health has to come first ahead of getting back onto the pitch.

“No, I’m not afraid about that (the season not restarting), it’s not the thing I am worrying about,” he told AFP.

“I am thinking about my family first and foremost and then about getting this sorted. This is a critical situation.

“Who knows right now whether the league will restart or not — it is hypothetical and we all need to focus on the pandemic. Coming through this would be the real victory of the season.”

Football players have come under pressure to take salary cuts, with Barcelona, Real Madrid, Juventus and Bayern Munich stars all among those to accept a reduction in pay.

And Sarabia says that the French clubs are also planning to take similar measures.

“All that is in our hands, if we can help, donate something, do what is in our hands, (we will),” he said.

“We are talking about it and our captains are in discussions and all we can do to help PSG and the country in general, we will try to do that.”

– Euro hopes on ice –

Sarabia, 27, joined the French champions from La Liga outfit Sevilla last year and has impressed in Paris, scoring 14 goals in all competitions so far this season.

He is hoping to use his unexpected free time to improve his French, having signed a five-year contract with PSG.

“I like to talk and if I don’t understand the language and can’t communicate that frustrates me a bit,” said Sarabia.

“I’m trying to make the most of these days to study and come out with a better level of French.”

PSG’s main aim since the takeover by a Qatari investment group in 2011 has been to lift the Champions League trophy, but the capital club have still not reached the semi-finals since 1995.

A last-16 victory over Borussia Dortmund last month, though, having trailed after the first leg, raised hopes that PSG could finally make a serious tilt at European football’s greatest prize.

“It was a difficult time when we lost in Dortmund but everything that has happened has shown how united we all are as a team,” said Sarabia.

“I could see in the eyes of my teammates that we were going to get through, you could feel it.

“(But) there is still a long way to go before the final, and as I said before I don’t think we should be thinking about that just now.”

(Visited 7 times, 7 visits today)

%thecontent%%avatar%

%author%

%authornetworks%

%authordescription%

%authornetworks%

Comments

%sidebar%","opedarticle":"","sidead1":"ff","sidead2":"","sidead3":"","homestory":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More--","taxonomyitem":"

%title%

%game%%date%Read More------","fixtureitem":"%name1%%score1%VS%score2%%name2%%time%","home":"rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn 1rn 2rn 3rn 4rn 5rn rn rn rn

Maguire offers food packages to elderly

rn rn Footballrn rn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn Read Articlern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrnrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

More Headlines

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Beating virus would be ‘real’ victory, says PSG’s Sarabiarn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Dalglish’s son thanks well-wishers after Liverpool legend gets virusrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Year after glory, has virus doomed Tiger’s 18-major bid?rn

rn rn Golfrn rn rn rn 8 minutes ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Americans won’t attend sports events without vaccine: surveyrn

rn rn Gamern rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Scottish champs Celtic agree wage reductionrn

rn rn rn rn rn 19 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

rn Barcelona deny corruption after six board members quitrn

rn rn Footballrn rn rn rn 19 hours ago rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrn rn rn

Most Popular

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

All Sports

rn trn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Beating virus would be ‘real’ victory, says PSG’s Sarabia

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Dalglish’s son thanks well-wishers after Liverpool legend gets virus

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Year after glory, has virus doomed Tiger’s 18-major bid?

rn rn rn Golfrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Americans won’t attend sports events without vaccine: survey

rn rn rn Gamern rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Scottish champs Celtic agree wage reduction

rn rn rn rn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Poll Question

rn rn ntnttnttntt

WILL ARSENAL FINISH TOP FOUR IN 2019/20 EPL SEASON?

ntt
• NO
ntt
• YES
ntt

View Results

ntnn Loading ...n rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Barcelona deny corruption after six board members quit

rn rn rn Footballrn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Todt wanted to get to the bottom of Ferrari’s engine shenanigans

rn rn rn Motorsrn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Fernandes determined to become a Man United legend

rn rn rn rn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Rugby Australia CEO takes bigger pay cut

rn rn rn Rugbyrn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn rn

Olympic dreams on hold for Japan volunteers, hosts

rn rn rn Gamern rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn Read Morern rn rn rn rn rn --rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn Load More Storiesrn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Sponsored

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn

Featured

rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Beating virus would be ‘real’ victory, says PSG’s Sarabiarn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Dalglish’s son thanks well-wishers after Liverpool legend gets virusrn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Year after glory, has virus doomed Tiger’s 18-major bid?rn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Americans won’t attend sports events without vaccine: surveyrn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Scottish champs Celtic agree wage reductionrn rn rn Viewrn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnttt","sidebar":"rn rn rn rn rn rn rn rnrnrnrn rn rn rntrn rn t

Most Popular

rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rnrn rn rn rn t

Featured

rn rn trn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Beating virus would be ‘real’ victory, says PSG’s Sarabiarn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Dalglish’s son thanks well-wishers after Liverpool legend gets virusrn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Year after glory, has virus doomed Tiger’s 18-major bid?rn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Americans won’t attend sports events without vaccine: surveyrn rn rn Viewrn rn Saturday, 11th Apr 2020rn rn rn rnrn rn rn rn rn AGENCE FRANCE PRESSErn Scottish champs Celtic agree wage reductionrn rn rn Viewrn rn Friday, 10th Apr 2020rn rn rn rn rn rn rn trn rn rn rn","articleerror":"

Oops...Something broke on our end

"},"messages":{"accessdenied":"Access to the account has been denied ","httperror":"Oops, something went wrong...please try again","contactgoogle":"Contacting Google","firsttime":"Seems this is your first time with this signin system. Please wait as we get your name","signinsuccess":"Cool. You're now signed in. This signin will close automatically now","pendingrequest":"Still communicating with the server","signedout":"Seems you were signed out. Try submitting again after you've been signed in","trackingerror":"Couldn't track Analytics","xhrnotconfigured":"To webmaster: Please confirm the xhr/ajax receptor is configured on the server","loadmore":"Load more stories"}}; /* ]]> */