Footballers around the world are probably going a bit stir crazy while they isolate.Throughout their whole career, they're used to training outside every day and making sure they’re in the best possible physical fitness ready for matchday.Now, they’re sitting at home wondering when on earth they will be playing football again.The vast majority of footballers are probably coping absolutely fine as they find enough to keep them entertained in their luxurious houses with ample outdoor space.But instead of setting the example for the rest of the globe like they should be, some footballers just can’t help themselves.In England, Jack Grealish made headlines for driving over to a friend’s house before crashing his car on the way home.Then, this weekend, a story emerged of Kyle Walker having a ‘sex party’ during this coronavirus lockdown.But if you thought that was a bizarre story, let us bring you one from Celta Vigo's Fedor Smolov.
With Spain in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, Smolov defied orders not to leave the country by returning to his native Russia on a private jet.Why?So he could celebrate the 18th birthday of his fiancee Maria Yumasheva - the granddaughter of former Russian president Boris Yeltsin.
Crazy.
“The player repeatedly requested permission to travel to Russia for a personal matter,” said a club source quoted by AS. “The club could not give it to him because La Liga did not authorise it, but he promptly reported his movements and left with the commitment to return once he solved his personal affairs.”
Smolov can expect a pretty hefty fine from the club - and possibly the authorities - upon his return to Spain.
Spain has entered its fourth week of lockdown which has now been extended until 26 April. More than 12,000 people in the country have been killed by the virus.
Astonishingly, Smolov isn’t the first Celta player to break lockdown rules after forward Pione Sisto was criticised for driving to his home in Denmark last week.