Athletic Bilbao squad shave heads to support defender Alvarez

Spanish top division football league outfit Athletic Club Bilbao players made a show of support for teammate Yeray Alvarez as he undergoes chemotherapy to combat the cancer he was originally diagnosed with in December.

The 27 members of the Athletic squad on Friday shaved their heads as a gesture of solidarity with their companion, posting the photo on the club's official website and Twitter with the message "We are all with you," reports Xinhua news agency.

Speaking at the club's press conference on Friday, wing back Oscar de Marcos explained the action was "a detail for our companion and friend" and to help him "feel as comfortable as possible during his treatment."

"It is not just for Yeray, but for all of the people and family who suffer from this illness. We all know someone or have a family member, who suffers from it and we want to show solidarity with them all," said De Marcos.

Yeray was originally diagnosed with testicular cancer on December 23, 2016 and underwent an operation four days later. He was back in action just six weeks later, playing so well that he was called into the Spain Under-21 squad for the European Championships and also trained with the full Spain squad ahead of their latest international games.

However, a routine test in early June showed an 'abnormality' and Yeray has since begun chemotherapy, while at the same time continuing to train in the gym at the club's Lezama training ground.

--IANS

sam/gau/bg