The measures never seen in sport to haggle to the coronavirus

Updated

Sunday,
8
March
2020

23:34

Severe warnings to stay away from onlookers, avoid handshakes and cut down on interviews.

Aubameyang greets Ogbonna, during a Premier match.
REUTERS

The Motorcycle World Championship starts without the MotoGP test. The only cycling round that is now held, the Paris-Nice, begins without the main World Tour teams. Valencia-Atalanta will be played behind closed doors on Tuesday. The new season of Formula 1 includes appointments without an audience. In the Six Nations Rugby the matches in which Italy participates are postponed. The Barcelona marathon, scheduled for next 15th, is delayed until October … The sporting events that keep their calendar are disputed with extreme and unprecedented measures to avoid the spread of the coronavirus. Now the public can barely interact with their idols, and the press must keep a safe distance. And this does not stop.

WITHOUT AUTOGRAPHS

France has allowed the celebration of Paris-Nice, but has adopted unusual measures to preserve the health of athletes. Starting this week, runners must give up signing autographs or taking selfies with fans. They are also recommended do not throw drums of water and don't clash hands in stage victory celebrations. Interviews in the starting area have been discontinued and riders have been asked to remain on team buses as long as possible. It has also been avoided that more than two participating groups coincide in the hotels.

GREETING WITH THE ELBOWS

Last Friday, at the beginning of the Alaves-Valencia, the footballers of both teams modified the dynamics of the traditional protocol: instead of greeting each other with handshakes, they brought their elbows together. On Saturday in the Premier League, Arsenal and West Ham players clashed their fists and forearms. The Liverpool-Bournemouth men nodded in courtesy.

NO AZAFATAS

France has given sporting event organizers the possibility of taking additional prophylactic measures, such as giving up stewardesses on podiums and bouquet ceremonies.

MASKS IN THE STADIUMS

The presence of spectators with masks during the match is already habitual. Last Saturday, at Atlético-Sevilla there were hundreds of followers with face shields. In the rest of the stadiums of the Primera matches last weekend there were also fans with masks.

EMPTY PRESS CONFERENCES

In the Armani Milan-Real Madrid of the last week the press conferences were inaugurated before the game without journalists. The coaches offered statements in the official Euroleague media. On the eve of Valencia-Atalanta, reporters fear that they will not be able to attend the press conferences of coaches Albert Celades and Gian Piero Gasperini and two players from both teams.

HUGS, NO

If it has been recommended in cycling to avoid handshakes as a sign of triumph, solitary celebrations have begun on soccer fields. On Sunday, Zlatan Ibrahimovic He received no hug after scoring Milan's only goal in his duel against Genoa (1-2).

QUARANTINE

Some preventive measures are chosen by the athletes themselves, but others are imposed by the health authorities. The cyclists of Cofidis They ended a 10-day period of confinement at an Abu Dhabi hotel yesterday after the UAE Tour was suspended with two stages to go. The runners trained in their rooms on exercise bikes.

AWAY FROM THE PUBLIC

In Italy, Serie A matches are held behind closed doors, a move that may precede an unprecedented decision. The Minister of Sports, Vincenzo Spadafora, has asked for the immediate suspension of the matches and tomorrow the suspension of all sports activities could be announced. The noisy Formula 1 will be held in silence at the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix, scheduled for March 22, as it will be held without the presence of the public. In Canada, the Women's Ice Hockey World Championship has been canceled.

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