The Astroballe, with its 5,500 seats, was to fill up this Sunday afternoon (4 p.m.) for the shock of the 24th day between Villeurbanne, third in the French Basketball Championship and Monaco, leader. But the coronavirus disrupts the holding of the match, postponed to an unknown date. This measure follows the restriction orders requested by the Ministry of Health.
"Following the government decision taken this Saturday, announcing the ban on all gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces, the meeting scheduled for this Sunday at the Astroballe between Asvel and Monaco is postponed to a later date “, Sunday writes the champion club of France in title in a press release.
⚠ Following the government decision taken this Saturday, announcing the ban on all gatherings of more than 5,000 people in confined spaces, the meeting scheduled for this Sunday at the Astroballe between LDLC ASVEL and Monaco is postponed to a later date # LDLCASVEL pic.twitter.com/qCRqWkjb6T
- LDLC ASVEL (@LDLCASVEL) March 1, 2020With 100 confirmed cases since the end of January, France has become the second focus of the coronavirus in Europe after Italy, leading the authorities to cancel large gatherings in a closed environment.
The basketball match between Strasbourg and Portel in Alsace on Saturday evening before more than 5,000 people had already been "postponed to a later date" at the request of the Bas-Rhin prefecture.
On the other hand, the holding of the derby between Lyon and Saint-Etienne this Sunday evening (9 pm) at Groupama Stadium is not questioned for the time being. On the sidelines of this match, violence erupted on Saturday evening in the center of Lyon, between supporters of OL and the Greens, despite the ministerial decree prohibiting the movement of Stéphane fans for the derby. This brawl would have caused 4 minor injuries.