Now, Fiorentina hit by coronavirus
ROME: Two more players at Fiorentina, Argentine international defender German Pezzella and on-loan forward Patrick Cutrone, have tested positive for the coronavirus, the club said on Saturday, bringing the total number infected Serie A players to nine.
The Florence-based club said that Pezzella, 28, and Cutrone, 22, were both tested after showing “some symptoms” of the disease along with physiotherapist Stefano Dainelli, who also tested positive. “They are all in a good state of health in their homes in Florence,” said the club in a statement. Their teammate Dusan Vlahovic tested positive on Friday. Five players at Sampdoria and one at Juventus have also tested positive.
Pezzella, who has won 16 caps for Argentina, is in his third season at Fiorentina and has made 94 appearances. Cutrone was signed on loan from English Premier League Wolverhampton Wanderers in January.
Fiorentina’s most recent opponents were Udinese who have suspended training and said that their squad will remain in selfisolation until March 22. Serie A has been suspended until at least April 3 amid a general ban on sporting events in the country which has been the worst-affected in Europe.
PREMIER LEAGUE ‘MAY NOT FINISH’: FA CHIEF
LONDON: Football Association chairman Greg Clarke has reportedly told the Premier League he does not believe the domestic football season will be completed because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Premier League suspended all fixtures at an emergency meeting on Friday. Matches in the English Football League, FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship are also on hold.
“It was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on April 4, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time,” the league said in a statement.
Clarke said at the meeting that he did not think it was feasible for the season to be completed, according to a report in the Times. The virus is not expected to peak in Britain for many weeks, raising doubts over an early April re-start for the Premier League. The Times said it is understood that Brighton and Hove Albion chief executive Paul Barber also questioned the brevity of the suspension.
Richard Masters, the Premier League chief executive, is reported to have said it would at least allow time to consider the potential consequences and debate the possible solutions.
The decision was taken after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive.
Arteta welcomed the move to put the season on hold.
“Feeling better already,” he tweeted. “We’re all facing a huge & unprecedented challenge. Everyone’s health is all that matters right now.”
Football clubs at all levels face enormous losses if the season is not finished. One senior figure in broadcasting told The Times: “The commercial reality for the Premier League and (European governing body) UEFA is that if they don’t complete their seasons then they are in breach of their broadcasting contracts.
“You would have broadcasters from all around the world saying, ‘In that case we are not paying for the season.’ For the Premier League you are talking around £3 billion ($3.7 billion) income a year from overseas and domestic TV rights. There would also be financial implications if the competitions were squeezed so fewer matches were played.” Football finance expert Kieran Maguire told BBC that clubs, especially in the lower divisions, would be hit hard by the disruption.
“Many clubs are surviving on a match-to-match basis and are reliant on the loyal few thousand turning up,” he said. “We have to consider the staff at clubs, they are reliant on the income they get from football clubs to pay their own bills as well.”