Getafe Coach Worries About Lonely Etebo

The on-loan Stoke City midfielder only arrived in Spain in January and has been caught on the wrong side of the divide since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease. 

Getafe boss Jose Bordalas has expressed his concerns that Super Eagles star Oghenekaro Etebo has been living away from family and friends since Spanish football was suspended, and the whole country was shut down.

The Nigerian midfielder was brought in on a temporary deal in January by the La Liga side as they aimed to chase down the Europa League title and snatch a top-four finish in the top flight.

Having endured a difficult time at Stoke City, things were just turning up for the 24-year-old who was involved as Getafe defeated Mallorca and held Celta Vigo in the first week of March.

Then the unexpected happened as COVID-19 migrated to Europe and halted the football season, with La Liga deciding to suspend the season on March 12.

With one of the continent’s worst cases of infected victims and mortality numbers, Spain announced the lockdown of the country days later, with citizens urged to stay indoors.

Many players were able to return to their homes and loved ones before the lockdown took effect, but Etebo has been caught back in Spain, staying all alone.

Still monitoring the condition of all his players, Bordalas is particularly worried about his Nigerian ace, who has no one to keep him company.

“He (Etebo) could not go home, and he is alone,” the Azulónes team coach lamented in a chat with RTVE.

Before the league suspension, Etebo had featured six times for Getafe, with The Dark Blues currently sat 5th on the La Liga table.