BERLIN – More German football Bundesliga matches will be held
behind closed doors this weekend, an English Premier League match was
postponed and Thursday's Europa League has been hit by the
coronavirus outbreak as sport continues to face disruption.
Three members of Formula One teams were meanwhile in self-isolation
as a precaution after being tested for coronavirus ahead of the
season-opening Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.
A member of the Tokyo Olympics organizing committee executive board
meanwhile told Kyodo news agency he would propose this year's Games
be postponed by one or two years rather than being cancelled due to
the coronavirus outbreak.
Haruyuki Takahashi said a two-year delay would be easier for
organizers to arrange since next year's sports events are largely
scheduled.
All Europe's major football leagues have now been affected by the
virus outbreak after the Premier League postponed Wednesday's match
between Manchester City and Arsenal.
In the German Bundesliga, Union Berlin against leaders Bayern Munich
on Saturday, and Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Moenchengladbach on
Sunday will be played behind closed doors, local authorities
confirmed.
Several matches are already confirmed without fans including the Ruhr
derby between Borussia Dortmund v Schalke on Saturday.
Frankfurt's Europa League last-16 match against Basel on Thursday
will meanwhile go ahead as planned with spectators even though their
league match on Sunday will be without fans.
The Premier League game between Manchester City and Arsenal was
postponed "as a precautionary measure," the league said.
It is the first match in the Premier League to be called off due to
the coronavirus.
The Premier League said the decision followed the announcement on
Tuesday that the owner of English second-tier club Nottingham Forest
and Greek side Olympiakos, Evangelos Marinakis, tested positive for
the virus.
Arsenal's match against Olympiakos in the Europa League when some
players and staff had contact with Marinakis was 13 days ago. The
club said some players and staff are self-isolating at their homes
until a recommended 14-day period expires.
"The medical advice we have received puts the risk of them developing
Covid-19 at extremely low," a statement said.
The postponement also followed the Spanish league's decision Tuesday
to play the top two tiers behind closed doors for at least two weeks.
The French Ligue 1 and second division matches are also to be played
behind closed doors until April 15, while several other European
leagues have taken similar action.
The Italian Serie A has been suspended until April 3 along with all
sport in the country.
Five of the Europa League's eight last 16 first-leg matches on
Thursday will be played behind closed doors. Both Wolverhampton
Wanderers, playing at Olympiakos, and Getafe, playing at Inter Milan,
have asked UEFA to postpone their matches.
In Melbourne, two members of the Haas Formula One team and one from
McLaren are in self-isolation in their hotels, the teams confirmed.
Test results are awaited.
The Formula One season begins with practice sessions on Thursday
ahead of Sunday's race. The Bahrain Grand Prix the following week
will be behind closed doors, while the Chinese Grand Prix on April 19
was postponed.