A player for Italian third division club US Pianese has tested positive for coronavirus, marking what is believed to be the first case of a footballer in Europe.

The Tuscan region confirmed on Thursday that the 22-year-old felt unwell on Saturday at a hotel in the Piedmont region city of Alessandria ahead of his team's league game at Juventus under-23s.

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The player, who has not been named, did not play on Sunday and was sent home, where he underwent tests that confirmed the positive case on Wednesday. He is recovering in a hospital in Siena.

A statement from the Tuscany region read: "Two new suspected positive cases of Coronavirus in Tuscany. Both are awaiting confirmation by the Higher Institute of Health.

"One is a 22-year-old man in the Siena province, a Pianese player, who last Saturday had symptoms in a hotel in Alessandria, where he was training with the team ahead of Sunday's game [at Juventus U23s.]

"He did not play the game as that morning, he had a high fever. The team returned to Piancastagnaio, while he went home. Wednesday morning, he was tested in his home and the results came back as positive in the evening.

"Since early this morning, he is at a hospital in Siena, in isolation. He is in good, healthy condition. Another player of the team felt the same symptoms, which the club is tracking."

Meanwhile, a journalist from Valencia has also contracted the disease following the clash between the Spanish club and Atalanta in the Champions League, the city's health ministry has confirmed.