Each passing day brings its share of postponed or arranged competitions, press releases, and new coronavirus contaminations linked to sport.
Two cases of contamination during Atalanta - Valence
This Thursday, the Spanish press reported a second case of contamination during the football match Atalanta Bergamo - FC Valencia in the knockout stages of the Champions League, played on February 19. After a Croatian supporter revealed the day before, a second person was diagnosed with Covid-19. He is a 44-year-old Spanish journalist who must confirm or not his positivity during additional examinations. The latter indicated that he was "perfectly fine" and "that he has the symptoms of flu, nothing more."
Quarantined or discarded as a precaution
In Oman, Lorenzo Gagli and Edoardo Molinari, two Italian golfers, were placed in quarantine on Wednesday and banned from participating in the Oman Open for fear that they have contracted the coronavirus. Before finally being allowed to line up this Thursday.
In Hungary, the Italian coach of the Honved football club was sidelined as a precaution because of the coronavirus. Giuseppe Sannino is suspected of having been in contact with people living in affected areas. His assistant, the Italian Alessandro Recenti suffered the same fate.
Relocation, behind closed doors: save who can!
The organizers of Super rugby, the championship of the southern hemisphere (with teams from South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina and Japan), plan to relocate a match originally scheduled for Japan.
Also in Asia, the organizers of the Bangkok Motorcycle Grand Prix, the first event of the World Championship scheduled for March 20 to 22, said that spectators will be subjected to thermal scanners at the entrances where they will receive hydroalcoholic gel. A special application will keep them informed of the situation in real time.
In alpine skiing, the World Cup finals in Cortina d'Ampezzo (Italy) will take place at the end of March, but without the public. In France, the international ski federation (FIS) confirms that the La Thuile World Cup (Savoie) will be held well this next weekend in front of packed stands. This Thursday, the president of the Aosta Valley region was even reassuring "if there is no news in the coming hours".
Asia postponements postponed
In Europe, badminton tournaments scheduled in Germany (March 3-8) and Poland (March 26-29), qualifiers for the Tokyo Olympics, have been postponed.
Affected in all its competitions (World Cup, Olympic qualifications, Champions League), the Asian Football Confederation will meet next week to define emergency plans.
In France, The Football League follows the crisis "with the greatest attention"
On the eve of L 1 and L 2 days, the Professional Football League (LFP) is monitoring the development of the coronavirus epidemic "with the greatest attention," she said on Thursday, adding that she had not received "no new instructions from the public authorities". “The LFP is monitoring the situation with the greatest attention. At this stage, we have not received any new instructions from the public authorities, "she said before concluding:" If measures are taken, we will apply them and we will adapt.