Back
Football Grinds to a Halt
Global football has been stopped in its tracks by the coronavirus.
By late last week, Italy, Spain and France had suspended all elite football, while Uefa had confirmed that the upcoming Champions League and Europa League games had also been postponed.
The English Premier League, Championship, League 1 and League Two were the next to fall as it was announced that all top-flight football in the UK would be suspended until April 3.
The German Bundesliga, which was set to play its games behind closed doors at the weekend, quickly followed suit in postponing its games.
The coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak started in China last year and so far there have been 170,248 confirmed cases and 6526 deaths.
In the UK, Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta confirmed that he’d been infected on Thursday, with Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi also testing positive.
Uefa are going to meet on Tuesday to discuss Euro 2020 which was due to take place this summer. It is all but certain the event will be postponed until later in the year or next summer.
The world of sport has ground to a halt with events such as the London Marathon, the first Masters golf tournament of the year and the Six Nations all postponed.
In the UK, coronavirus is expected to hit its peak in May/June, meaning any sport taking place before then would appear unlikely.
The prospect of playing football matches without fans is one of a number of ways to complete the fixture list where football is concerned.
In the Premier League, Liverpool are 25 points clear, with the title a formality. Defender Virgil van Dijk says it would be a shame if the Reds had to celebrate their first title in 30 years with no fans.
“No one wants to play games without the fans,” said the 28-year-old.
“If we won it in an empty stadium and the fans weren’t there, I’d be gutted for them.
“Obviously, if there are no fans at Anfield, then it will be a bit of a blow.
“Until a decision is made on how we go on from here, then we just have to deal with it. But when it happens, we are still bringing the title to our fans, definitely.”
/Stewart Sports news editor
