Josep Maria Bartomeu, president of Barcelona, assumes the consequences of emptying his stands before the health crisis by the coronavirus
Bara-Las Palmas behind closed doors at Camp Nou on October 1, 2017.
The Ftbol Club Barcelona stop entering a figure close to six million euros for the game behind closed doors to play against Naples, corresponding to the round of 16 of the Champions League, on Wednesday March 18 at the Camp Nou. This was confirmed on Tuesday by the Barca president, Josep Maria Bartomeu, during a lunch at the Equestrian Circle of Barcelona. The Barcelona entity, hours before and after a meeting with representatives of the Department of Health of the Generalitat de Catalunya and the Secretary General of Sport, already assumed that it will have to empty the stands of its stadium before the potential risk of infection of the coronavirus .
“The Generalitat proposed us a very firm recommendation to play behind closed doors. And when it comes to health, it is also an obligation. Bara has to be responsible for this situation can be solved,” said Bartomeu, who left in the background the economic consequences of playing behind closed doors: “The economic component is secondary. Premium health and, above all, collaborate with health authorities. You have to respect some rules. “
In addition, the mandate of the Ministry of Culture and Sports and for which All professional and non-professional national and international sports competitions will have to be held behind closed doors during the next two weeks. Days 28 and 29 of the Santander League of First Division and Days 32 and 33 of the SmartBank League of Second Division will be played without public as a preventive measure of the expansion of the coronavirus.
As for the aforementioned Champions duel that face Barcelona with Naples, there are still some more unknowns. Especially, Regarding the movement of the Italian team to Spanish territory after the Council of Ministers has agreed to suspend direct flights from Italy to Spain until next March 25 looking to contain the spread of the virus. The initial idea of Naples was to land in Barcelona on Tuesday, March 17, one day before the game dispute.
Barcelona, which had made a package of 5,000 locations available to the Neapolitan entity, already announced that they will not be valid. The Barca club, in addition, refund the money paid to fans that had already been made with a location for the meeting. A measure that will serve for ticket buyers of all affected sporting events.
In this regard, the Ftbol Club Barcelona issued a statement in which it assumed that all its professional, amateur and training category matches will be played behind closed doors for a minimum period of two weeks. In addition, he also announced the suspension of the Bara Academy World Cup Tournament planned for this Holy Week, and all activity of his academies in China, Japan, Dubai and Kuwait. The training teams, in turn, will not travel to dispute the friendly planned during the months of March and April.
After facing Naples, Barcelona's first team will also keep the doors of Camp Nou closed in the duel against Legans on March 22. For that day, the social area suspend the invitations to the box outside the clubs in liza, the photographs of girls and boys on the grass and also their departure to the playing field by the hand of the players.
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