SERIE A was plunged into chaos as Parma and Spal players were made to wait in their changing rooms with coronavirus threatening to cancel all games.
All sporting fixtures in Italy are being played behind closed doors until at least April 3 and to restrict people travelling to the UK from there.
Parma and Spal players have been made to wait in their changing rooms with coronavirus threatening to cancel all gamesCredit: EPA
An operator performs anti-Coronavirus check during the Serie A match between Parma and SpalCredit: Getty Images – Getty
But minutes before Serie A games were due to resume in empty stadiums on Sunday, Italy’s sports minister said the country’s FA should suspend games.
It prompted an immediate delay in the kick-off between Parma and Spal – with players in the dark over whether the matches will go ahead.
However, it was later confirmed games would go ahead – including Juventus’ clash against Inter Milan.
Parma and Spal players were standing in the tunnel with subs already on the bench before they were sent back into the changing rooms by officials after receiving news of the potential postponement.
But the match did kick off at 1.45 local time – 75 minutes later than expected – as Spal went on to win 1-0 thanks to a Andrea Petagna penalty converted on the 71st minute.
Vincenzo Spadafora, the minister, had said he supported a call from Italian FA president Damiano Tommasi to avoid putting players at risk amid the virus outbreak.
All Serie A matches set to be played this weekend had already been postponed from last week.
The Italian national rugby teams’ Six Nations matches in Ireland this weekend and at home to England next weekend have also been postponed.
Italy announced a sweeping quarantine early on Sunday for its northern regions, igniting travel chaos as it restricted the movements of a quarter of its population.
Shortly after midnight, Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed a decree affecting 16million people in the country’s prosperous north, including the Lombardy region and at least 14 provinces in neighbouring regions.
Italy on Saturday reported its biggest daily increase in coronavirus cases since its outbreak began on Feb 21. The nation’s death toll rose to 233.
The extraordinary measures will be in place until April 3.
The number of infected people rose 1,247 in the previous 24 hours, taking the total to 5,883.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
