The global impact of the Covid-19 in the world of sports is already a fact. In one way or another, most competitions are being affected. Or they will be seen in the coming days, because the scenario is changing. Suspensions, delays, changes of scenery, events behind closed doors or with public restrictions … To put in order the earthquake caused by the coronavirus, here is a review of how are the main sporting events today on the world scene.
Football
The league
Based on the reports of the Ministry of Health, this Tuesday LaLiga has officially communicated that the First and Second matches will be played behind closed doors the next two days. A decision that has the starting point today in Ipurua, with Eibar – Real Sociedad postponed. On Friday, March 13, he continues with Real Madrid- Eibar at the Bernabéu and Racing Santander – Lugo de El Sardinero. The Seville derby will also be historic on Sunday, with no spectators at the Sánchez Pizjuán.
Subsequent to the announcement, the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) has reported that it has sent different letters to the Higher Sports Council (CSD), the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and LaLiga itself requesting the suspension of matches of all categories of both sexes due to the epidemic.
A series
The Italian government announced Monday night the suspension of the national championship Until 3 April. In fact, not only football was stopped: all professional sports activity in the country. This affects three days of calcium, the 27, 28 and 29 of the championship. The big problem will be how to fit all those matches into a very tight schedule due to the dispute this summer of the Euro Cup. One of the options being considered is asking UEFA to postpone the continental team tournament, although it seems quite complicated.
At the moment, on Tuesday several Italian soccer clubs announced the suspension of training until the beginning of next week.
Premier
Beyond measures such as clash of hands Before the matches between the players, the British competition has not yet made any decision regarding restrictions or cancellations of matches in its territory. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden explained that sport in the UK is “unlikely” to be affected by the coronavirus in the short term. Speaking to the BBC, he assured that his country is not in a scenario in which sporting events have to be canceled or postponed.
Ligue 1
Although on Monday the French Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu, He had stated that all football matches until April 15 should have a maximum of 1,000 people, this Tuesday it was announced that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 until that date will take place “behind closed doors”. In this period, for example, the duel of March 22 between Marseille, second, and the leading PSG is included.
Already on Monday a first match of the tournament, the Lens-Orléans of Ligue 2, was played without spectators. Instead, the Ligue 1 duel between Strasbourg and PSG, initially scheduled for Saturday, March 7, was postponed.
Bundesliga
The Bundesliga matches on Wednesday between Borussia Mönchengladbach and Cologne and on Saturday between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke 04 will be held behind closed doors. The health authorities of the federal state of North Rhine-Palatinate – the most affected in Germany with 484 positives – decided to suspend any event that exceeds a thousand participants.
Champions
At the moment, the second leg matches of the quarterfinals of the Champions League do not follow unified parameters. For example, Liverpool-Atlético on Wednesday at Anfield will be played normally. Like today's Leipzig-Tottenham. Not so Valencia-Atalanta or PSG-Dortmund, which will be behind closed doors. In fact, in each country there are different circumstances that are changing at every moment. It is also confirmed that Barça-Napolés will be without spectators, although if nothing changes, Manchester City-Real Madrid (both next week) will have spectators in the stands of the Etihad Stadium.
Europa League
This is the situation of Thursday's matches, corresponding to the first leg of the round of 16. Istanbul BB-Copenhagen, Eintracht-Basel, Rangers-Bayer and Wolfsburg-Shakhtar will normally play. And behind closed doors, Lask-Manchester United, Sevilla Roma, Inter-Getafe and Olympiacos-Wolverhampton.
Basketball
ACB
All Endesa League matches will be played behind closed doors for the next two weeks after the government resolution. Thus, the 24th and 25th days of the competition and the postponed matches scheduled for March 18 and 19 will be held with the minimum necessary staff for the dispute of the matches and their television production, with no possibility of access for fans. It affects the match that Real Madrid and Barcelona have to play next Sunday 22 on WiZink.
Too the Spanish Federation has taken steps to ensure that all matches in its competitions are held behind closed doors. This affects the Endesa Women's League, the Women's League 2, the LEB Gold, the LEB Silver and the EBA League.
Euroleague
As with the Champions, the maximum continental competition will be affected unevenly, depending on the country in which the matches are held. Thus, those of Spain and Italy will be played without an audience in the coming weeks. Those of this Thursday are as follows: CSKA Moscow-Alba Berlin and Anadolu Efes-Valencia Basket, will be played normally. Without spectators Armani-Olympiacos and Real Madrid-Red Star and still pending a concentrated decision is Maccabi-Baskonia.
On Friday, with an audience in the stands, the Khimki Moscow-Bayern Munich and Fenerbahce-Panathinaikos will be held. And behind closed doors the Asvel Villeurbanne-Zenit Saint Petersburg and the Barcelona-Zalgiris.
NBA
At the moment, it is disputed normally (with some sanitary precautions), although a meeting is scheduled for Wednesday between the franchise owners and the commissioner. The measure of playing matches behind closed doors could be adopted.
Cycling
The sport of the bicycle has been one of the most affected by the Covid-19. If all cycling races on Italian soil were already suspended until April (including the Milan-San Remo, the Tirreno Adriatico or the Strade Bianche), also several teams such as Movistar decided to temporarily suspend their competitive activity.
Paris-Nice is currently running, but in exceptional circumstances and not just because of the numerous absences. The organization decided to apply the “closed door” for the spectators in the exits and goals of the stages.
Tennis
The tournament of Indian Wells was canceled by the organization. “We are very disappointed and we will study the possibility of playing the tournament on another date,” said Tommy Haas, the event director, in a statement.
A decision has yet to be made on the Miami tournament due to start on March 23, or on the Europe land tour that stops between April and May in Monte Carlo, Madrid or Rome.
Formula 1
This weekend, the Australian Grand Prix will be disputed with normality. However, the Bahrain International Circuit announced that its GP, scheduled for March 22, will be held behind closed doors. F1 has already announced the undated suspension of the Chinese GP (due to take place on April 19 in Shanghai).
Motorcycling
The latest development has been the postponement to November of Grand Prix of the Americas, which was to be held from April 3 to 5. In this way, the World Cup will start in Argentina, since in Losail, last weekend, only the Moto2 and Moto3 races were run.
This last hour also affects the Valencian Community GP: scheduled from November 13 to 15, it will be held from November 20 to 22, 2020.
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