The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
City-gunners clash off over coronavirus fears
PREMIER LEAGUE: Fixture postponed after Arsenal stars met virus victim
Manchester City’s Premier League clash with Arsenal was postponed yesterday as a “precautionary measure” over coronavirus fears.
Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who announced on Tuesday that he had contracted the virus, met Arsenal staff and players during the February 27 Europa League tie at the Emirates Stadium.
The Premier League issued a statement in the early hours of yesterda confirming the postponement.
It read: “Following medical advice, Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC consider it is necessary to postpone their fixture due to be played this evening to give time to fully assess the situation.
“The Premier League has therefore agreed that tonight’s game will be rearranged.
“We understand this will cause inconvenience and cost to fans planning to attend the game but Arsenal, Manchester City and the Premier League have agreed that the short notice of Mr Marinakis’ infection means there is no alternative but to take the time to complete a proper assessment of risk.
“All necessary measures are being taken and the Premier League currently has no plans to postpone any other matches.”
Arsenal, who earlier on Tuesday revealed none of its personnel who had met Marinakis had reported symptoms, said “a number of players” were now self-isolating for 14 days and were thus unavailable for last night’s game, triggering the Premier League’s decision to postpone.
Despite Marinakis’ diagnosis and his position at Forest, the English Football League says there is no immediate plans to postpone any fixtures.
A Forest statement said Marinakis had shown no symptoms when in Nottingham last week, during which time he attended the club’s home game against Millwall on Friday night and reportedly met with the first-team squad.
The EFL confirmed matches across its three divisions would continue as normal for the time being.
Wolves, meanwhile, are angry that Uefa denied their appeal to postpone their scheduled Europa League last-16 first leg tie at Olympiacos after Marinakis announced his diagnosis.
Uefa said instead the game would go ahead behind closed doors, a scene becoming more common in sport in various countries.
Wolves will respect Uefa’s decision and play their no-spectators match in Athens, but urged the governing body to “consider alternative options moving forwards, as this will not be the last fixture to be affected by coronavirus”.
Manchester United’s Europa League last-16 first leg at Austrian side LASK tonight and the second leg of Chelsea’s Champions League last-16 clash away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday March 18 are among them.
So too the second leg of Rangers’ Europa League tie at Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday March 19.
On the international front, the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Slovakia in Bratislava on March 26 will be played behind closed doors.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina federation has confirmed ticket sales for this month’s Euro 2020 play-off match with Northern Ireland have been suspended.
England’s friendly against Italy at Wembley on March 27 is set to go ahead as normal, but Italy’s match against Germany in Nuremberg four days later will be played behind closed doors.
France will also play this month’s friendlies at home to Ukraine and Finland without spectators.
At least the next two rounds of Laliga matches will be played without fans while games across the French leagues will be played behind closed doors until April 15, as will the 25th round of fixtures in Portugal’s top-two leagues.
Uefa said it had received no requests from national associations to postpone Euro 2020, which starts in Rome on June 12.