Former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini and his son Daniel, a current player for the same club, have both contracted the coronavirus, the club said in a statement on Saturday.
Paolo Maldini, 51, a one-club player and current technical director at the club, is regarded as one of the best defenders Italy has ever produced and made a joint-record 647 Serie A appearances. Daniel, 18, made his AC Milan debut this season.
"Paolo Maldini learned that he had contact with a person who tested positive and was suffering from symptoms of the virus. He was tested yesterday and found positive for the coronavirus," the club said in a statement. "The same goes for his son Daniel.
"Paolo and Daniel are in good condition and, having already spent more than two weeks at home without outside contact, as required by medical and health protocols, will extend the quarantine for the time necessary for a complete clinical recovery."
Along the with the announcement by AC Milan, fellow Serie A side Juventus also stated that star player Paulo Dybala had tested positive for the virus -- the third such as case at the Turin-based club.
Italy's grim tally of coronavirus cases and deaths has continued to soar, with officials announcing new day-to-day highs: 793 dead and 6,557 cases. The country, the heart of western Europe's rampaging outbreak, now counts 53,578 known cases.
More than 60 percent of the latest deaths occurred in the northern region of Lombardy, whose hospitals have been reeling under a staggering case load that has left intensive care beds hard to find and respirators in dire supply. The new increases come nearly two weeks into a national lock-down in a desperate bid to contain the spread of the virus.
Information from Reuters and the Associated Press was used in this report.
