Juve-Inter and 4 Italian Serie A matches postponed due to virus
>> ROME: Five Serie A matches, which had been scheduled to go ahead behind closed doors this weekend, including the key clash between Juventus and Inter Milan, have been postponed because of the coronavirus crisis, Italy’s football league said yesterday.
All five games, which also include AC Milan v Genoa, Parma v Spal, Sassuolo v Brescia and Udinese v Fiorentina, will now be played on May 13, Serie A said in a statement.
Ahead of this weekend’s fixtures,
Juventus, led by Cristiano Ronaldo, were leaders and Inter Milan third.
The five matches had been due to go ahead behind closed doors after the government banned public gatherings in an effort to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
However, a football official, speaking off the record, said broadcasters and fans did not want the matches to be played in empty stadiums and the clubs themselves were concerned about the loss of gate receipts.
Nearly 900 people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Italy.
Serie A said the decision was made “considering the succession of numerous urgent regulatory interventions by the government to respond to this extraordinary emergency to protect public health and safety.”
EMERGENCY MEETING
The health and safety of everyone associated with football will take precedence as the Asian Football Confederation hopes for a swift return to normality for the sport amid the coronavirus outbreak, the AFC said yesterday.
The AFC will hold its second emergency meeting tomorrow at its Kuala Lumpur headquarters to discuss contingency plans for holding World Cup and Olympic qualifiers as well as Asian Champions League games.
“In these circumstances, we will ensure that the health and safety of the football family and fans is paramount and that is the clear message from the AFC,” the AFC said in a statement.