World Soccer - UK (2020-04)

“You play a game of football and then realise what is

happening worldwide – people dead and dying.

Then we play a game of football. It’s absurd”

Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Nuno Espirito Santo after his team were forced to

play their Europa League game against Olympiakos behind closed doors in Athens

including Juventus-Internazionale,
were played behind closed doors.

JAPAN
The the new J.League season
kicked off but was postponed
after the opening round of games.
A further decision to postpone the
league is expected.

SWITZERLAND
The Swiss league became the first
European competition to be postponed
after the government banned all gatherings
of over 1,000 people.

GERMANY
The match between Borussia Monchengladbach
and Cologne became the first Geisterspiel (game
played behind closed doors) in the history of the
Bundesliga. Two Hanover players, Timo Hubers
and Jannes Horn, were the first Germany-based
players to test positive, prompting all Bundesliga
and 2 Bundesliga games to be suspended until
April 2.
Borussia Dortmund became the first
European club to cancel a summer tour
of China and Asia, while the 2006 World Cup
corruption trial was delayed after ex-DFB bosses
stayed at home, pleading coronavirus concerns
because of their age.

SOUTH KOREA
The start of the K.League was postponed
indefinitely, while the Korean FA cancelled

the World Cup qualifiers set for March and June.

FRANCE

All Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches have been

postponed indefinitely.

Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League

round-of-16 second leg against Borussia

Dortmund was played behind closed doors, but

PSG ultras congregated outside the stadium at

Parc des Princes to celebrate their side’s victory.

Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas criticised

those, saying: “It’s ridiculous. For them it was a

great celebration, but think about your family.

If I found out my family was infected indirectly

by someone in the crowd, I’d file a complaint

against the police.”

SPAIN

La Liga was suspended after the Real Madrid

squad were placed in quarantine following a

positive test for a basketball player

(the basketball team share a

sporting training complex with the

football team).

The Copa del Rey Final, the

all-Basque tie between Athletic

Bilbao and Real Sociedad due

to be played on April 18, had

already been postponed. Spanish

federation Luis Rubiales said they

should wait “as long as it takes

until fans can be in the stands”.

Getafe’s Europa League tie with

Internazionale was cancelled after

the Spanish side refused to travel to Italy.

GREECE

Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis

announced on social media that he had

had a “visit” from the coronavirus.

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND

The FAI announced the suspension of all football

activity until March 29 after Linfield confirmed

that one of their players had tested positive.

ENGLAND

After initially following government advice to

carry on playing matches, all games in the

Premier League, FA Cup and Football League

were postponed until April 3. The decision

followed positive tests for Arsenal coach

Mikel Arteta and Chelsea midfielder Callum

Hudson-Odoi.

FIFA

The annual FIFA Congress, scheduled to be

held in Ethiopia in June, has been postponed

until September.

SOUTH AMERICA

The CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying section,

due to kick off in March, was postponed, while

group matches in the Copa Libertadores were

also suspended.

USA

Seattle Sounders were the first MLS side to

postpone a match, calling off their March 21

home game against Dallas. That was followed

by a general league-wide suspension for at least

Positive test

...Daniele

Rugani

Historic...a

first for the

Bundesliga

Closed doors...

Valencia host

Atalanta

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