Juan Mata urges world footballers to unite against COVID-19 crisis

Manchester United midfielder Juan Mata has urged footballers across the world to unite against the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

"I'm urging not only my Common Goal team-mates, but also all other players and football leaders from around the world to unite and help tackle this crisis, and at the same time use this as a catalyst to play a key role in tackling the other challenges humty faces. Together we can beat this," Goal.com quoted as saying.

Mata, who was an original member of Common Goal, a charity set up to encourage footballers to donate 1 per cent of their salary to support initiatives, has urged fellow professionals to do more to help tackle the crisis.

Many footballers and former professionals around the world, including Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, United legend Eric Cantona and United Women's manager Casey Stoney, have signed up since the charity launched in 2017 no United first-team player has committed aside from Mata.

"It's been heartening to see many positive responses from players and other football leaders to the current crisis, but it can be also hard to know what to do to help effectively those who need it most," said Mata.

"We are suffering a stark reminder of how interdependent we all are. To overcome coronavirus, and the other challenges facing humty, we need to coordinate individual efforts and work together as a team.

Mata's teammate Marcus Rashford has helped to raise hundreds of thousands of pounds to ensure children still get free school meals while David de Gea made a sizeable donation to the coronavirus fund in Spain.

After first appearing in Wuhan, China, last December, the virus has spread to at least 184 countries and regions, according to data compiled by US-based Johns Hopkins University. The data shows more than 1.4 million cases have been reported worldwide with the death toll more than 81,100 and nearly 3,00,000 recoveries.

( With inputs from ANI )