Barcelona legend Xavi Hernandez has donated €1 million to a hospital in the city to help its overburdened health care system deal with the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Spain international, who is the head coach of Al-Sadd in Qatar, has given the money to Hospital Clinic after the medical centre appealed for more resources to aid its response to the crisis.
Xavi, 40, made the donation with his partner, journalist Nuria Cunillera, and said in a social media video that the cash would go towards “purchasing sanitary equipment for professionals and patients.”
Lionel Messi has already supported Hospital Clinic’s call for action as part of a €1 million donation spread across Barcelona and his native Argentina last month.
The Alcantara brothers, Thiago and Rafinha, have also contributed.
Manchester City coach Pep Guardiola has also provided support to help Catalonia’s battle against coronavirus.
He gave €1 million to the Barcelona Medical College and the Angel Soler Daniel foundation last month.
Meanwhile, La Liga’s online music festival raised more than €1 million to be used to buy medical equipment in the country earlier this week.
Spain has been hit harder than most by the global coronavirus outbreak.
The latest figures on Saturday said that 11,744 people have died from the virus in the country – second only to Italy – and that 124,736 people have tested positive.
Barcelona vice president Jordi Cardoner is among those to have tested positive in the past few days.
He is self-isolating at home and is not in need of hospital treatment.
The financial impacts of the coronavirus have also been felt in Spain, and Barca continue to look at ways to minimise the economic effects of the pandemic.
After announcing an agreement for the playing staff to take on a 70 per cent wage cut, the club are now scouring the market for players that are out of contract in the summer due to fears their transfer budget will be slashed.
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