Massimo Donati has told of his fears for his family living in Italy during the global coronavirus pandemic and insists he couldn’t care less about football at the moment.

The former Celtic and Hamilton ace says any discussion regarding league outcomes must be put on the back burner while the world battles against killer virus.

And with Donati’s parents and sister living in north-eastern Italy in Udine, where COVID-19 has hit hard, the 39-year-old has been in constant communication to check-up on their wellbeing.

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Speaking to the Daily Record, he said: “I have no answer now to the questions of Scottish football, because the most important thing now is preserving people’s lives.

“After we fix this problem with coronavirus then we can talk about title winners and relegation, Champions League and Europa League places. Until then, it isn’t important to speak.

“It’s a terrible time and no-one likes not being free to do what they want to do, but we can’t cry about it. We must stay at home and save lives.

“Let’s be positive and try to believe that in one or two months this will all be over and we can begin to live our lives again.

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“Until then, we must cherish every moment spent with our family and kids. It isn’t easy, but we’re doing it at the request of the world.

“My parents live in Udine and so does my sister and we have to accept that twice a day video conferencing is the only way to communicate for now. It’s not nice for my family, but they are safe and well and so are my friends and we think of others in very bad situations.

“In Bergamo, for example, so many people have died and the hospitals are crazy, overflowing with people and now it is expected to hit the south.

“Hospitals and organisations there are not like the north. They are saying it could take a lot of people.

“This virus is trying to take everyone. Some people will not come out of it any worse off, but it’s killing many others and that’s why it’s important everyone stays home, stays safe and follows instructions.”

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UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has set the end of June as the deadline for the resumption of the Scottish Premiership if the current league season is to have any chance of being concluded.

But Donati can see no way of this happening. He added: “June 30? It’s impossible, the virus numbers are still too high but maybe UEFAknow more than we do. I don’t think so.

“For me football has always been number one but when things like this happen it drops to second, third and the likes in order of priorities. Without our health, we are nothing.

“That’s the focus of everyone and rightly so. It was a good moment last week when everyone applauded the NHS workers at 8pm, very emotional.

“For years we live our lives without giving any great regard to our health, then something like this comes along and makes you realise the really important things. It’s not nice to speak about football when so many people are unwell.”