Players from Chinese football club Wuhan Zall have made an emotional return to their home city after spending the last three months separated from their family and friends.
The Chinese Super League side had travelled to Spain in January to continue training while their home city, the epicentre of the global coronavirus outbreak, was sealed off.
The club’s players left Spain as the coronavirus pandemic hit Europe, eventually returning to China via Germany. But they had to remain away from Wuhan while the city was in lockdown.
The team was permitted to return to Wuhan on Saturday evening and hundreds of fans were at the station to welcome the squad, led by their Spanish manager Jose Gonzalez.
“After more than three months of wandering, the homesick Wuhan Zall team members finally set foot in their hometown,” the team said in a post on Chinese social media site Weibo.
“The local players will be reunited with their families, having not seen them for more than three months.
“The club is very grateful for the support and understanding of the players’ families.”
