Story By: Juan Mayes, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Golder’s News And Sport

Football icon Neymar has reportedly left Paris and “exiled himself” to Brazil out of fears of the coronavirus as France locks down to stop the spread.

French newspaper ‘Le Parisien’ report that Neymar, 28, “exiled himself” to Brazil “earlier this week” in the face of the “anxiety-inducing” situation referring to the coronavirus, officially named COVID-19 by the World Health Organization.

Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) captain Thiago Silva, 35, also reportedly flew back to his native Brazil on Tuesday (yesterday).

PSG reportedly deny the claims however the Brazilian footballers have yet to issue statements confirming or denying the reports.

Silva’s wife Isabelle Silva, 33, recently made a post on her social media saying: “The virus is everywhere.

“My husband is waiting on a notice to start working again. We are sad about all this right now but we believe that all this will pass soon.”

Dutch defender Mitchel Bakker, 19, playing at PSG since last year, also reportedly returned to the Netherlands to weather the COVID-19 pandemic.

French President Emmanuel Macron, 42, issued a statement earlier this week announcing France will “severely restrict movements” on the streets as “we are at war” against the virus which has suspended Ligue 1 until further notice.

France is one of the countries to be most affected by the COVID-19 with a reported 7,730 cases which have led to 175 deaths.

Brazil has reported 291 cases of the virus leading to one death in the country.

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