Italian govt likely to order Serie A matches be played behind closed doors

Italy’s Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora said on Wednesday the government was likely to order that all top-flight Serie A soccer matches should be played behind closed doors in a further effort to contain the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
“We are heading towards that decision,” Spadafora told reporters when asked if the government was thinking of blocking fans from attending games.


The government last month banned sporting events in the country’s most affected northern regions and so far 10 Serie A matches have been postponed. However, the contagion has spread and ministers are considering new measures to tackle it.


Meanwhile, the Coppa Italia match between Napoli and Inter Milan on Thursday became the latest Italian fixture to be called off amid the coronavirus outbreak, when it was postponed indefinitely on Wednesday.


The Serie A League, which organises the competition, said in a statement that the semi-final, second leg match at the San Paolo stadium had been called off on the orders of the Naples city government. It is the 12th game to be postponed since the crisis began and the third involving Inter Milan.
Italy has been the worst affected country in Europe by the outbreak, with 79 deaths and more than 2,500 cases.


The decision came as Serie A was holding a meeting to try and find a coherent, long-term way of dealing with the situation.

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