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Premier League, EFL, Ligue 1 and 2, UCL, Europa all suspended over coronavirus
The novel coronavirus has hit the world of sports really hard this time as the Premier League along with most major leagues in Europe have been suspended.
Following Mikel Arteta’s positive test for the disease late Thursday night, the Premier League convened an emergency club meeting and made the decision to suspend its fixtures.
As it stands, all Premier League games, EFL fixtures and matches in the English FA Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship have been postponed.
The English men’s topflight said action would resume on April 4, 2020 “subject to medical advice and conditions at the time.”
Also on Friday, UEFA made its decision to postpone all Uefa competitions, including Champions League and Europa League matches due to be played next week, because of the outbreak.
The draws for the next rounds (quarterfinals), set for March 20, have also been postponed.
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Meanwhile, the scheduling of Euro 2020 will be discussed at a gathering of invited representatives from all 55 of UEFA member associations to a meeting next Tuesday.
That’s not all. The French football’s governing body has also suspended its top two leagues – the Ligue 1 and Ligue 2.
Games in France were already to be played behind closed doors after a ban on all gatherings of more than 1,000 people to prevent the spread of Covid-19.
But the governing body said the decision to suspend the leagues was made “unanimously” by the board of directors on Friday.
Away from football, Formula E has also been suspended for two months, a decision that will affect races in Paris, Seoul and Jakarta.
Golf’s Players Championship in Florida was called off after one round, while England’s Test cricket series in Sri Lanka was also cancelled.
The COVID-19 which originated in Wuhan, China has seen more than 125,000 people diagnosed in 118 countries around the world.
The total number of deaths according to World Health Organization is more than 4,600.
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