The A-League decides to continue playing despite having two teams in quarantine

The A-League, the main Australian soccer championship, announced Monday that it will continue its scheduled activity despite the threat of the coronavirus, which has two of its teams in quarantine, although their matches will be behind closed doors.

The isolation to which they must be subjected for 14 days the Wellington Phoenix, third classified, and the Melbourne Victory, tenth, had caused the possibility of the league being suspended, but both the A-League as the Australian Football Federation (FFA) They have preferred not to stop and study the possibility of restructuring the championship.

“The FFA confirmed on Monday that the remainder of the A-League regular season and W-League Grand Final scheduled for this weekend will continue, but that all matches will be played behind closed doors and without authorized fans. to attend. This policy will apply to the remaining six rounds of the regular season and will be revised for the Final Series. “, expressed the A-League in a statement on its website.

The agency noted that, due to their mandatory quarantine, the matches involving Melbourne Victory and Wellington Phoenix will not be held in the next two days and that “will be rescheduled”, while the New Zealand set “He will play all of his matches in Australia for the rest of the season.”

The president of the A-League, Greg O'Rourke, also recognized the “intention to compress the rest of the season” and advocated the positive of continuing the campaign. “We believe that with the facts we have in hand it is a better solution than suspending it and calculating what will happen to the health situation in the coming months”he added.

“The COVID-19 Working Committee met this Sunday, March 15, to discuss the latest developments of COVID-19 and consider the latest advice from the Federal Government and the Medical Director. After careful consideration and consistent with that advice, the FFA reports that football can continue to be played across Australia at this time. “James Johnson, CEO of the Australian Football Federation (FFA), said on the agency's website.

The manager indicated that from this moment all the participants must “meet the guidelines” that they have designed to help them “to take additional precautions and preventive measures to help delay the spread of COVID-19”.