IN-DEPTH: What is COVID-19 coronavirus and how is it affecting football?
With the more cases of coronavirus announced by recent days, does the disease pose much of a threat to football?
As the threat of Coronavirus deepens across the globe, governments and health officials are recommending the next steps, not only for citizens who may be travelling to football matches around the world but to the players and staff of the clubs themselves.
What is COVID-19 coronavirus?
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.
According to the World Health Organization, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Here is how the pandemic is affecting football.
Has any football already been affected by coronavirus?
With a number of cases of coronavirus across Europe governments are keen to prevent the spread of the disease as much as possible. As a result, self-isolation and the postponement of major sporting events has been advised.
In Italy - where the highest number of cases have been reported in Europe - a number of Serie A matches have been postponed due to a spike of cases in northern Italy, including a title clash between Inter Milan and Juventus.
It's been officially announced that all Serie A matches will now be played behind closed doors until April 3 - as will Inter's Europa League clash with Ludogorets.
- OFFICIAL: All Serie A games suspended until at least April 3 due to coronavirus
France's Minister for Sports has yesterday announced that all Ligue 1 matches until the 15th April will be played behind closed doors or limited to 1,000 fans being able to attend, as the country continues to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Ligue 1 confirmed to be played behind closed doors or with 1k fans until Apr 15
Spain was not spared. La Liga games could be played behind closed doors from next weekend as coronavirus cases in Spain hit 1,200 on Monday.
According to reports, the Spanish league, which is to base its decisions on the reports it receives from the country's health authorities, has so far received no recommendations that La Liga games should be played without fans present - but it is believed this could change in the coming hours.
- La Liga could be behind closed doors from coming weekend due to coronavirus (AS)
The Swiss Super League has postponed weekend fixtures after a government ban on large public events, while the start of the Chinese Super League and South Korea's K-League have also been postponed.
Some Champions League game will be held behind closed doors including PSG vs Dortmund and Valencia vs Atalanta. Barca vs Napoli could also be played behind closed doors.
Are handshakes before football matches banned?
Handshakes in the Premier League and the EFL have been suspended while the threat of the disease is still looming. Teams will still acknowledge each other before the start of the match by walking past each other, but won't make physical contact.
The line from most clubs has been that it is “business as usual”, despite the warnings about the virus. The Premier League has written to all 20 clubs with the latest guidelines, as they are in constant contact with the government's health officials.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have gone as far as to ban players taking selfies with fans, as part of a bid to spread interacting with strangers.
The UEFA also announced that players would not be shaking hands with their opponents and referees as part of the pre-match protocol at UEFA matches until further notice.
Is the Premier League going to be affected by coronavirus?
Premier League games are yet to be affected by the coronavirus crisis, though the Premier League and the FA are looking into a contingency plan, should matches need to be postponed or played behind closed doors.
Talks are currently taking place to try and ensure that the Premier League season can continue - should it need to be cut short, there is a chance that Liverpool will not be awarded the Premier League trophy, assuming that they win the league.
It is extremely unlikely that any immediate decisions will be made by the Premier League regarding coronavirus. Cases in the United Kingdom of the virus have been minimal and there are currently no plans for the government to ban mass gatherings.
Is the Champions League affected by coronavirus?
Coronavirus is yet to affect much of Europe. Though the worst-hit area is northern Italy, much of the Champions League knockout action should resume as planned next week - whether or not that is in front of crowds though, remains to be seen.
The Spanish government have recommended that Barcelona's home leg against Napoli is played behind closed doors, following the news that Valencia's own home game against Atalanta will be. On Monday March 9, it was confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain's home match against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on March 11 will be played behind closed doors.
Juventus looked into the possibility of playing Lyon at a neutral venue in Malta, rather than in their Turin home, but have not yet been able to find an alternative.
Is Euro 2020 going to be affected by coronavirus?
With Euro 2020 taking place this summer across the continent, as opposed to being hosted in one country, health fears are rife for the tournament. There is talk of UEFA either cancelling the entire competition or moving it to a single country to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
UEFA are reportedly in talks with authorities around the world. There is no current plan to move the tournament and as things stand, the opening game of the European Championships will still kick off in Rome on 12 June 2020, as planned.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has talked about optimism recently, in regards to the crisis, urging people to “not think about dark scenarios”.
How are other sports dealing with coronavirus?
Across the world, various sports have been affected by the coronavirus, with events being cancelled and postponed, and more being considered.
In rugby, the Six Nations tie between Ireland and Italy has been postponed after governmental advice; further from home, China have had to forfeit a Davis Cup tie against Romania, the table tennis world championship in South Korea has been rescheduled for June and the Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed.
Road cycling has also been heavily affected, with the start of the season hampered by a number of race cancellations.
The big rumours, however, concern the 2020 Olympics, set to be hosted in Tokyo this July. It is possible that the games may have to be moved or cancelled altogether, though a decision is likely to be made by May at the very latest.
As the threat of Coronavirus deepens across the globe, governments and health officials are recommending the next steps, not only for citizens who may be travelling to football matches around the world but to the players and staff of the clubs themselves.
What is COVID-19 coronavirus?
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that can spread from person to person. The virus that causes COVID-19 is a novel coronavirus that was first identified during an investigation into an outbreak in Wuhan, China.
According to the World Health Organization, Coronaviruses (CoV) are a large family of viruses that cause illness ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). A novel coronavirus (nCoV) is a new strain that has not been previously identified in humans.
Coronaviruses are zoonotic, meaning they are transmitted between animals and people.
Common signs of infection include respiratory symptoms, fever, cough, shortness of breath and breathing difficulties. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia, severe acute respiratory syndrome, kidney failure and even death.
Standard recommendations to prevent infection spread include regular hand washing, covering mouth and nose when coughing and sneezing, thoroughly cooking meat and eggs. Avoid close contact with anyone showing symptoms of respiratory illness such as coughing and sneezing.
Here is how the pandemic is affecting football.
Has any football already been affected by coronavirus?
With a number of cases of coronavirus across Europe governments are keen to prevent the spread of the disease as much as possible. As a result, self-isolation and the postponement of major sporting events has been advised.
In Italy - where the highest number of cases have been reported in Europe - a number of Serie A matches have been postponed due to a spike of cases in northern Italy, including a title clash between Inter Milan and Juventus.
It's been officially announced that all Serie A matches will now be played behind closed doors until April 3 - as will Inter's Europa League clash with Ludogorets.
- OFFICIAL: All Serie A games suspended until at least April 3 due to coronavirus
France's Minister for Sports has yesterday announced that all Ligue 1 matches until the 15th April will be played behind closed doors or limited to 1,000 fans being able to attend, as the country continues to fight the COVID-19 outbreak.
- Ligue 1 confirmed to be played behind closed doors or with 1k fans until Apr 15
Spain was not spared. La Liga games could be played behind closed doors from next weekend as coronavirus cases in Spain hit 1,200 on Monday.
According to reports, the Spanish league, which is to base its decisions on the reports it receives from the country's health authorities, has so far received no recommendations that La Liga games should be played without fans present - but it is believed this could change in the coming hours.
- La Liga could be behind closed doors from coming weekend due to coronavirus (AS)
The Swiss Super League has postponed weekend fixtures after a government ban on large public events, while the start of the Chinese Super League and South Korea's K-League have also been postponed.
Some Champions League game will be held behind closed doors including PSG vs Dortmund and Valencia vs Atalanta. Barca vs Napoli could also be played behind closed doors.
Are handshakes before football matches banned?
Handshakes in the Premier League and the EFL have been suspended while the threat of the disease is still looming. Teams will still acknowledge each other before the start of the match by walking past each other, but won't make physical contact.
The line from most clubs has been that it is “business as usual”, despite the warnings about the virus. The Premier League has written to all 20 clubs with the latest guidelines, as they are in constant contact with the government's health officials.
Wolverhampton Wanderers have gone as far as to ban players taking selfies with fans, as part of a bid to spread interacting with strangers.
The UEFA also announced that players would not be shaking hands with their opponents and referees as part of the pre-match protocol at UEFA matches until further notice.
Is the Premier League going to be affected by coronavirus?
Premier League games are yet to be affected by the coronavirus crisis, though the Premier League and the FA are looking into a contingency plan, should matches need to be postponed or played behind closed doors.
Talks are currently taking place to try and ensure that the Premier League season can continue - should it need to be cut short, there is a chance that Liverpool will not be awarded the Premier League trophy, assuming that they win the league.
It is extremely unlikely that any immediate decisions will be made by the Premier League regarding coronavirus. Cases in the United Kingdom of the virus have been minimal and there are currently no plans for the government to ban mass gatherings.
Is the Champions League affected by coronavirus?
Coronavirus is yet to affect much of Europe. Though the worst-hit area is northern Italy, much of the Champions League knockout action should resume as planned next week - whether or not that is in front of crowds though, remains to be seen.
The Spanish government have recommended that Barcelona's home leg against Napoli is played behind closed doors, following the news that Valencia's own home game against Atalanta will be. On Monday March 9, it was confirmed that Paris Saint-Germain's home match against Borussia Dortmund in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 on March 11 will be played behind closed doors.
Juventus looked into the possibility of playing Lyon at a neutral venue in Malta, rather than in their Turin home, but have not yet been able to find an alternative.
Is Euro 2020 going to be affected by coronavirus?
With Euro 2020 taking place this summer across the continent, as opposed to being hosted in one country, health fears are rife for the tournament. There is talk of UEFA either cancelling the entire competition or moving it to a single country to avoid the spread of coronavirus.
UEFA are reportedly in talks with authorities around the world. There is no current plan to move the tournament and as things stand, the opening game of the European Championships will still kick off in Rome on 12 June 2020, as planned.
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has talked about optimism recently, in regards to the crisis, urging people to “not think about dark scenarios”.
How are other sports dealing with coronavirus?
Across the world, various sports have been affected by the coronavirus, with events being cancelled and postponed, and more being considered.
In rugby, the Six Nations tie between Ireland and Italy has been postponed after governmental advice; further from home, China have had to forfeit a Davis Cup tie against Romania, the table tennis world championship in South Korea has been rescheduled for June and the Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed.
Road cycling has also been heavily affected, with the start of the season hampered by a number of race cancellations.
The big rumours, however, concern the 2020 Olympics, set to be hosted in Tokyo this July. It is possible that the games may have to be moved or cancelled altogether, though a decision is likely to be made by May at the very latest.
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