Italy's Euro 2000 runner-up Massimo Ambrosini and his compatriot cyclist and Guinness Book record holder Vittorio Brumotti are the latest sporting icons to add zest to the 'Be Fit, Be Safe' campaign initiated by the Dubai Sports Council (DSC).
Former defensive midfielder Ambrosini, who spent most of his club career with Italian giants AC Milan, said that it was vital to focus on our mind as well as body during these hard times of the global coronavirus pandemic.
"Hello guys. This is Massimo Ambrosini and this message is for all of my friends in Dubai and the whole of the UAE. We know we are living a very strong, very tough period and maybe we were not ready to live that," Ambrosini said in a video message, shared by the DSC on their social media platforms on Sunday.
"But, of course, we have to focus on our mentality and our body. So, if we are obliged to stay at home, it doesn't mean that we cannot work. So, be fit, be safe, try to work at home as much as you can because our body follows our mind. So, we have to think about our mentality and our body. So, be fit and be safe," added the 42-year-old.
Ambrosini was an integral part of the famed Italian defence, making 35 appearances for the Azzurri. During that nine-year career with the National team, Ambrosini featured in 2000 Olympics in Australia and two UEFA European Championships.
He was part of the team that went down to France in the final of the UEFA Euro 2000 hosted by Belgium and the Netherlands.
Ambrosini enjoyed a stellar club career with AC Milan, winning 12 titles with the Rossoneri. Ambrosini, who also captained the club from 2009 to 2013 following the great Paolo Maldini's retirement, won the Serie A title in 1995-96, 1998-99, 2003-04 and 2010-11.
He also won the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa Italiana apart from two Champions League titles in 2002-03 and 2006-07.
Ambrosini also won the UEFA Super Cup in 2003 and 2007 and the Fifa Club World Cup in 2007.
Meanwhile, Brumotti, who set a Guinness World Record after climbing the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in two hours and 20 minutes in 2012, said: "Hello my friends in Dubai. Vittorio Brumotti speaking. Stay at home, be fit and be safe. Ciao."
The 39-year-old had also scaled the Burj Al Arab in 50 minutes on the UAE's National Sports Day in November 2015.
