A-League: Melbourne City star Adrian Luna’s COVID-19 quarantine saga
He’s one of the A-League’s most entertaining imports, but when Melbourne City restart their campaign next week, Adrian Luna will be bouncing off the walls for good reason.
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When Melbourne City finally went wheels up and set off for Sydney to keep their A-League season alive, there was one player they left behind – one in the midst of 100 days of solitude.
With the A-League in meltdown and fears the entire competition was in danger of falling apart with its three Melbourne teams grounded, City’s impressive attacking midfielder Adrian Luna was nervously biding his time in a Melbourne hotel, diligently waiting out a 14-day quarantine period.
It was a scenario he’d become accustomed to since the COVID-19 shutdown, having spent a stunning 80 days indoors with his young family after returning to Mexico, where the situation was more dire than that in Australia.
“I knew that I had to be at home at all times because the situation was complex with respect to the virus,” Luna told News Corp.
“I spent 80 days indoors, respecting and taking care of my family’s health even though quarantine was not mandatory.
“…There were months that I really enjoyed being with my children, beyond not being able to go out.”
However it was upon returning from Mexico, and being isolated from the rest of his teammates as they made mad dashes for the border, that the excitement machine was left fearing the worst.
“The fact that my colleagues tried to travel and (were not able to) leave was something frustrating for me, beyond the fact that I was not on that plane or bus,” Luna told News Corp.
“The effort they were and are making to be able to finish the league… I take my hat off and applaud them.
“Leaving the family at home in these uncertain times is not easy, I can tell you that from experience.
“It was also frustrating because I didn’t know what was going to happen to me – after being locked up for 14 days, to be able to play soccer and then not be able to!”
It was only a phone call to the team’s Director of Football, Michael Petrillo, which truly put the playmaker’s mind at ease.
“I was getting more nervous, so I called some people at the club and asked what was going to happen in my case,” he adds.
“The answer calmed me down a bit since I might be working to get a permit so I can travel at the end of my quarantine.”
To keep him sane – as well as active – the team went to great lengths to ensure his hotel stint was as productive as possible, supplying a gym’s worth of equipment, supplements and, of course, a football.
A training program that had him sweating it out for up to five hours a day included 80km of treadmill running throughout the fortnight, six gym sessions a week and online pilates – as well as yoga and daily sessions on the exercise bike.
The level of detail extended to a supply of cherry juice to assist Luna in his sleep patterns and adjusting to the new time zone.
“Luna has trained full sessions since arriving with the team and his condition is on par with the group,” said the team’s head of human performance, Andrew McKenzie.
“ His effort and intention must be acknowledged as it is an outstanding commitment to the team to return at such a high level of fitness after two weeks in quarantine.”
A second stint in quarantine – this time in Sydney, having also been granted an exemption to cross the NSW border despite the COVID-19 horrors engulfing Melbourne – has been far more palatable for the Uruguayan, despite taking his total time trapped indoors beyond 100 days across the past four months.
“Being in the hotel again (in Sydney) is not a problem because I am with all my colleagues,” he said.
“We can go out to train and do what I love, to play soccer.”