Inter President comments on Josep Martinez car crash: ‘Tragic situation’

Inter President Beppe Marotta has expressed his sympathies to the family of the 81-year-old man killed in a road traffic accident involving Nerazzurri goalkeeper Joesp Martinez on Tuesday, and says that he hopes the club can ‘be of assistance in this tragic situation’. 

Inter’s second-choice goalkeeper Martinez was the driver of a car that struck an 81-year-old man in an electric wheelchair a few kilometres away from the club’s training ground. The man, named as Paolo Saibene, was pronounced dead at the scene. 

In response to the fatal incident, Inter cancelled head coach Cristian Chivu’s pre-match press conference on Tuesday. Martinez, meanwhile, was taken to a local police station, was subjected to drug and alcohol tests and returned home at around 18.00 local time. He is not expected to return to training with Inter until next week at the earliest. 

Inter President Marotta, speaking at an event in Milan marking 100 days until the start of the Winter Olympics, was able to express his sympathies publicly for the first time since the tragic incident on Tuesday morning. 

“It’s a serious and delicate situation,” Marotta said. “Of course, we are here for the family of the deceased, as well as for our player, whom we all know very well. 

“This is the sort of situation or accident that is, unfortunately, part of everyday life. I hope that we can be of assistance in this tragic situation.”