Euro 2020 among sporting events under serious threat if coronavirus continues to spread
It’s not just the Olympics that is facing a complete washout due to coronavirus. Euro 2020 - which is set down for 12 countries in June - could be in jeopardy if the situation gets any worse in Europe.
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UEFA have warned that Euro 2020 matches could be in jeopardy, should the coronavirus outbreak in Europe get worse between now and the summer.
Italy, who are due to host four matches at this summer’s finals, is the continent’s worst affected country - with more than 260 cases of the disease having emerged.
Seven people have so far been killed there by coronavirus — with the northern regions of Lombardy and Veneto worst affected.
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For Euro 2020 matches to be seriously thrown into doubt, however, the pandemic would have to spread further still.
Host city Rome, set to stage three group matches and a quarter-final clash, has yet to be hit by the deadly disease - and an Italian member of the UEFA executive committee has spoken out on the matter.
Michele Uva told state broadcaster, Rai: “We are at the waiting stage. We are monitoring country by country, and football must follow the orders of the individual countries.
“The sporting path will only be closed if the situation gets worse.”
Four Serie A matches in the north of Italy were cancelled last weekend and all Serie A matches this weekend are set to be played behind closed doors, including Juventus’ key match against Inter Milan.
Inter’s Europa League match at home to Ludogorets later this week will also take place without any fans allowed in.
Serie C cancelled all games in two leagues which have teams in the north.
Volleyball and rugby games were also suspended nationwide through next weekend.
Ireland’s minister for health Simon Harris said the Six Nations rugby fixture against Italy scheduled for March 7 in Dublin should be postponed.
Meanwhile, Japan’s football league has postponed all scheduled games until mid-March.
The J-League season commenced last weekend, as Ange Postecoglou’s champions Yokohama F. Marinos began their title defence with a home loss, but their next fixture won’t be for at least two weeks after the competition’s governing board agreed to rearrange a total of 94 matches.
The table tennis world team championships in South Korea have been pushed back to June, while rugby events in Singapore and Hong Kong were postponed until October, Tokyo Olympics qualifying events in various sports moved from China to other countries, and in China the Formula One Grand Prix and world indoor athletics championships were postponed.
Originally published as Euro 2020 among sporting events under serious threat if coronavirus continues to spread