First Premier League game is called off due to coronavirus

Premier League football matches are expected to take place as normal this weekend despite fears over the spread of coronavirus in Britain.

Tonight’s match between Manchester City and Arsenal has been postponed after Nottingham Forest and Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis contracted coronavirus and visited the London club’s Emirates Stadium.

However the Premier League has insisted it has no plans to postpone any other matches and ‘all necessary measures are being taken’, with Arsenal’s visit to Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday still set to go ahead.

Forest were yesterday testing players and staff after Marinakis is thought to have shaken hands with every squad member on Friday when they were beaten at home by Millwall in the Champioship.

The results are expected today, although Millwall directors are now self-isolating after meeting Marinakis at the game. Forest’s next fixture is at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday, which could now be in doubt.

The Etihad Stadium is pictured this morning after Manchester City v Arsenal was postponed due to coronavirus fears

A notice in Manchester confirms the postponement of tonight’s Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal

Marinakis’ announcement on Instagram came as Wolves were pushing UEFA to postpone tomorrow’s Europa League last-16 first leg tie away at Greek side Olympiacos — also owned by Marinakis — rather than playing it behind closed doors. Olympiacos’ players and staff took tests for the virus, and all have now tested negative.

Wolves coach Nuno Espirito Santo said: ‘If we have to go we will, but we don’t agree — we’re not happy to go. Behind closed doors doesn’t make sense. We’re pretending to live a normal life when things aren’t normal.

What is the situation in football around Europe?

ENGLAND – ONE POSTPONEMENT Manchester City v Arsenal is off tonight, but the Premier League says it has no plans to postpone any other matches
ITALY — SUSPENDED All domestic football suspended until April 3.
FRANCE — EMPTY GROUNDS Matches in Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 will be played in front of a maximum of 1,000 spectators until April 15.
SPAIN — EMPTY GROUNDS Matches in the first and second divisions will be played without fans for at least two weeks.
GERMANY — EMPTY GROUNDS Chelsea’s Champions League game at Bayern Munich will be behind closed doors. Bundesliga have confirmed selected games will be behind closed doors.
GREECE — EMPTY GROUNDS Next two rounds of Super League play-offs will be played behind closed doors.
POLAND — EMPTY GROUNDS All top-flight matches to be played behind closed doors.
SWITZERLAND — SUSPENDED Top two divisions suspended until at least March 23.
PORTUGAL — EMPTY GROUNDS Top two divisions behind closed doors until further notice.
BULGARIA — EMPTY GROUNDS Next two rounds of domestic football will be played behind closed doors, some matches have also been postponed.
ROMANIA — EMPTY GROUNDS League to be played behind closed doors until further notice.
SLOVENIA — SUSPENDED All matches suspended until further notice.
SLOVAKIA — SUSPENDED All matches suspended until at least March 24.
AUSTRIA — EMPTY GROUNDS All matches to be played behind closed doors.
CROATIA — EMPTY GROUNDS Clubs required to play behind closed doors or limit numbers.
ALBANIA — SUSPENDED Prime Minister has said all sports events will be cancelled.

‘Are we sending the right message to say we’re OK to have contact and fans can’t? It will eventually happen in the Premier League.’

Wolves will respect UEFA’s decision and play their no-spectators match in Athens, but urged the governing body to ‘consider alternative options moving forwards, as this will not be the last fixture to be affected by coronavirus’.

‘Our position is that the trip poses unnecessary risks to our players, staff, supporters and the families of all who travel, at such critical and uncertain times,’ the Wolves statement read, adding the club was also concerned for their opponents’ mental and physical wellbeing.

Meanwhile, Chelsea’s Champions League fixture with Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena a week today will be played behind closed doors, and all ticket-holders have been given a full refund.

The Bavarian government has decided to ban events with more than 1,000 visitors until the end of the Easter holidays.

Manchester United also said they would refund fans who had bought tickets for their Europa League match against LASK in Austria tomorrow, which will be played with no fans in attendance.

So too the second leg of Rangers’ Europa League tie at Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, March 19.

A statement about the postponed Manchester City v Arsenal match read: ‘Tonight’s game between Manchester City and Arsenal has been postponed as a precautionary measure following the announcement yesterday that Evangelos Marinakis has contracted Covid-19.

‘Thirteen days ago, Olympiakos played at the Emirates Stadium in the Europa League and Mr Marinakis, the Greek club’s owner, met with several Arsenal squad members and staff.

‘Following medical advice, Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC consider it is necessary to postpone their fixture due to be played this evening to give time to fully assess the situation. The Premier League has therefore agreed that tonight’s game will be rearranged.

Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis (centre) celebrates on the pitch after the UEFA Europa League match between Arsenal and Olympiakos at the Emirates Stadium in North London on February 27

A video posted by Evangelos Marinakis on February 28 shows him celebrating at the Emirates Stadium in London

The video later shows Marinakis celebrating with the Olympiacos players in the dressing room at the Emirates Stadium

‘We understand this will cause inconvenience and cost to fans planning to attend the game but Arsenal, Manchester City and the Premier League have agreed that the short notice of Mr Marinakis’ infection means there is no alternative but to take the time to complete a proper assessment of risk.

Insurance hit would cost the FA £3million a game

The FA face multi-million-pound losses if they are forced to cancel matches or stage them behind closed doors due to coronavirus as their insurance policies do not cover public health epidemics.

Sportsmail has learned that the governing body do not have ‘loss of profits’ insurance for cancellations caused by what insurers deem to be force majeure or ‘acts of God’, leaving liabilities of around £3million per game for any fixtures called off on Government advice.

England’s friendly against Italy on March 27 is expected to be cancelled due to all 60 million inhabitants of the visiting country being placed under quarantine. A number of other major events scheduled to take place at Wembley this season are also under threat, including the semi-finals and final of Euro 2020.

UEFA would be liable for the losses if those games do not take place, but the FA are responsible for the majority of

other matches scheduled for the national stadium including the FA Cup final. A working party has been set up by UEFA to work with all the European leagues on contingency planning, but they have yet to give serious consideration to postponing or cancelling their flagship international event.

The FA are understood to be stoic about the situation and confident about their ability to meet obligations. In addition to reimbursing ticket holders they may also be forced to repay sponsors and compensate members of Club Wembley, a scheme that generates around £40m a year for the FA. Many lower clubs could struggle to pay salaries if fixtures are cancelled or crowds restricted.

‘All necessary measures are being taken and the Premier League currently has no plans to postpone any other matches.’

Arsenal, who yesterday said none of its personnel who had met Marinakis had reported symptoms, said ‘a number of players’ were now self-isolating for 14 days and were thus unavailable for tonight’s game, triggering the Premier League’s decision to postpone.

A spokesman said: ‘We have been taking medical advice and tracing any individuals who had what the (Government) guidelines define as close contact with him at the game 13 days ago.

‘As a result of this exercise we identified that a number of players met the Olympiacos owner immediately following the game. The medical advice we have received puts the risk of them developing Covid-19 at extremely low.

‘However, we are strictly following the Government guidelines which recommend that anyone coming into close contact with someone with the virus should self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last time they had contact.’

Speaking before the news that tonight’s game with Arsenal had been postponed, Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola said suspending the season makes more sense than staging games without fans — likening empty stadiums to theatres with no spectators.

‘If it’s a short time, one game, then fine,’ said Guardiola. ‘But, if it’s longer, it must be suspended.

‘I would not love to play matches in the Premier League, the Champions League or the cups without the people. We play for the people. If they can’t be there, it makes no sense.

‘It’s like an actor going to the theatre when nobody is there. Who are you acting for that night? There is no reason to play without the people. Football is for the people. But we are going to follow the instructions of the Government.’

The Champions League match between Valencia and Atalanta in the Mestalla takes place in an empty stadium last night after the match was ordered to be played behind closed doors as the number of coronavirus cases grow around the world

Waiters wearing masks serve food and drink in a terrace outside the Mestalla during last night’s Champions League match

The Ipurua stadium where the Spanish La Liga match between SD Eibar and Real Sociedad was behind closed doors last night

An advertisement warning people of the threat from coronavirus at the Leicester City v Aston Villa match on Monday

A hand sanitizer dispenser inside Old Trafford stadium during the Manchester United v Manchester City match on Sunday

City’s home Champions League last 16 second leg against Real Madrid could also be behind closed doors. ‘If UEFA say we have to play without spectators, then we’ll play,’ added Guardiola. ‘Health is the most important thing.’

Players in panic as they wait on the PFA

Panicked footballers have held crisis meetings over the handling of the coronavirus crisis, amid a lack of support from the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA).

With the virus causing havoc across sport, the players expect to be asked to play matches behind closed doors — and clubs have been making contingency plans for such an outcome.

Such a scenario may well lead players to feel uneasy over the risks to themselves of playing a contact sport while the general public are told to stay away for their own safety.

It is understood at this stage that there is no desire among the players to strike or refuse to play. However, some players, managers and coaches have told Sportsmail that the lack of input from the PFA is alarming.

The PFA describes itself as a provider of ‘advice and guidance for all current and former players’. It seems to be sadly lacking on both fronts here.

Amid a backdrop of uncertainty, it can be disclosed that ad hoc meetings have taken place among players and backroom staff in which safety concerns have been raised.

Many are known not to be keen on the prospect of playing in front of no supporters, but it is the health implications which are causing the main concern.

One player, who did not want to be named, said: ‘It’s worrying that we may be asked to go out and play while the rest of the country stays at home and keeps safe.

‘This is a contact sport with fluids flying everywhere. Why should we be put at risk? Some support from the PFA would have been nice but we have heard nothing.’

As of last night, even the PFA’s Twitter feed had made no mention of the virus. The PFA did not respond to requests for comment, but it is understood to be monitoring the situation, and sources say that they are expecting communication to be made over the coming days.

Meanwhile, it is understood that UEFA may relax rules which prevent clashes between domestic and European competitions, to help ease potential fixture congestion. European football’s governing body has also set up a taskforce to deal with the issue.

Despite Marinakis’ diagnosis and his position at Forest, the English Football League says there is no immediate plans to postpone any fixtures.

A Forest statement said Marinakis had shown no symptoms when in Nottingham last week, during which time he attended the club’s home game against Millwall on Friday night and reportedly met with the first-team squad.

Confirming matches across its three divisions would continue as normal for the time being, an EFL statement said: ‘The League is in dialogue to fully ascertain the set of circumstances that existed when Mr Marinakis visited (Forest) last week and in conjunction with the club will make a determination on what measures are to be taken – if any – when full details are known.’

On the international front, the Republic of Ireland’s Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Slovakia in Bratislava on March 26 will be played behind closed doors.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina federation has confirmed ticket sales for this month’s Euro 2020 play-off match with Northern Ireland, which were set to go on sale today, have been suspended.

England’s friendly against Italy at Wembley on March 27 is set to go ahead as normal, but Italy’s match against Germany in Nuremberg four days later will be played behind closed doors.

France will also play this month’s friendlies at home to Ukraine and Finland without spectators.

At least the next two rounds of LaLiga matches will be played without fans while games across the French leagues will be played behind closed doors until April 15, as will the 25th round of fixtures in Portugal’s top-two leagues.

Italy’s Serie A was one of the first leagues to be suspended following the outbreak – and the Italian Football Federation has admitted the season may not be completed.

One possibility they mentioned was to have play-offs to decide the champions and relegation to Serie B.

A second would be to declare the current standings as final — which would result in Juventus winning the title by one point from Lazio, despite the fact the teams were scheduled to play each other once more in a title decider.

UEFA said it had received no requests from national associations to postpone Euro 2020, which starts in Rome on June 12.