Timbers coach Giovanni Savarese shares impact of COVID-19 pandemic

PORTLAND Ore. (KPTV) - The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the sports world into limbo, including the Portland Timbers.

FOX 12 joined a video conference call on Friday morning with Portland Timbers Head Coach Giovanni Savarese.

Nearing two weeks from their last match, it will be at least another two months until they roll the ball back on the field.

“Maybe there is going to be even more passion too,” Savarese said. “Sometimes, when you say, when you let something go away and you are missing it then you become more passionate to it. I hope we can see you soon and we can be back together in the stadium. For everyone in the world, for any sport, hopefully we can see it again because we see how much it fills our life daily and now that it is not part of our life, we miss it very much.”

Savarese says all of the members of the team remain in town.

Many Timbers players have family members scattered all around the globe. For Savarese, that includes Venezuela and Italy.

“I have family members that are police that have to be in the streets of Bologna where it is very complicated, afraid in going outside in the streets and seeing how many people have passed, it’s incredible,” Savarese said. “The situation is in the hospitals, it is very worrisome. Hopefully, this time is going to pass but it is definitely difficult times.”

The MLS training moratorium extends through next week. In the meantime, the Timbers coaches, trainers, and players are in daily contact through video and messaging apps ending out video clips to analyze and performing at-home workouts.

The MLS return date is slated for May 10.