«Here is a continuous shock»- Corriere.it

“There are continuous aftershocks, we are all worried and at the mercy of events”. So the Italian coach Vincenzo Montella who coaches in Turkey tells Ansa on the phone about him his fear of the earthquake that has devastated southern Turkey, on the border with Syria. «With Demirspor – says the Adanasport coach – we have been in Istanbul since yesterday, the match with Umraniyespor has been cancelled. In Adana I know that the earthquake was felt strongly, many of my players are worried about their families. They told us that buildings have collapsed and that many people were on the streets in the night. The hotel where I stay in Adana I know was also evacuated and caught fire».

Shortly before, joined by Lapresse, he reassured everyone: «There was fear and concern, but luckily they are fine at home. The players, of course, are very worried and waiting to be reunited with their loved ones. Right now we are in Istanbul (against Umraniyespor), because we have to play a match but, of course, we are in contact and there are some organizational problems. We are trying to understand the situation», explained Montella again. “We heard people at home. There was fear but, fortunately, everyone is fine. The players, as mentioned, are obviously worried and are waiting to return to their families », she added.

“It hurts my heart to see the people of my country in this state and witness their pain. I hope God helps them. I hope that together we will get through this.” Merih Demiral, 24, the Turkish central defender of Atalanta shows closeness to his people after the earthquake on the border between Turkey and Syria in which over 1,300 people lost their lives. Demiral has been publishing a series of tweets since the early hours of the morning with useful information for relief efforts and for the population and has expressed all his pain for the people he was mortally wounded by the earthquake.