UEFA have confirmed that two UEFA Champions League Round of 16 second leg games have been postponed due to coronavirus.
Man City v. Real Madrid and Juventus v. Lyon will not take place next week in Manchester and Turin respectively as players from both Real and Juve have been placed in self-isolation.
Real Madrid players and staff have been placed in self-isolation for 15 days due to fears over coronavirus as a player on Real’s basketball team tested positive for coronavirus and therefore the entire soccer team could have come into contact at team venues.
Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has tested positive for coronavirus and the Serie A side are in lockdown.
Here is the statement from UEFA on the Champions League games being postponed due to coronavirus:
“Following the quarantine imposed on players of Juventus and Real Madrid CF. The UEFA Champions League Round of 16 matches between Manchester City FC – Real Madrid CF and Juventus - Olympique Lyonnais will not take place as scheduled.”
UEFA issued another statement saying that they will host a meeting next week to discuss the future of soccer in Europe amid the coronavirus outbreak.
With Champions League and Europa League games already impacted, plus the upcoming international break this month and EURO 2020 on the horizon this summer, there is plenty of the European soccer’s governing body to discuss.
More coronavirus connections to soccer:
- U.S. Soccer cancel upcoming USMNT, USWNT games.
- MLS suspends the 2020 season by at least 30 days.
- Leicester have three players in self-isolation as they have been showing coronavirus symptoms.
- UEFA announce videoconference meeting next week to discuss plans for Champions League, Europa League and EURO 2020.
- Real Madrid players in isolation and La Liga games suspended for the next two weeks after Real basketball player tests positive for coronavirus.
- Serie A is considering alternative ways to conclude its scudetto and relegation races, including playoffs or the non-awarding of a champion.
- Juventus confirm that their defender Daniele Rugani has tested positive for coronavirus.
- Sevilla v. Roma and Inter Milan v. Getafe postponed in the UEFA Europa League due to travel restrictions between Spain and Italy.
- Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis being diagnosed with coronavirus. Olympiacos and Forest have since confirmed all of their staff and players have been tested and their tests have come back as negative.
- Chelsea will visit Bayern Munich at an empty Allianz Arena for a Champions League second leg next week.
- Manchester United’s Europa League game at LASK in Austria will be played behind-closed-doors, and matches in Spain’s La Liga will be played in empty stadiums until early April.
- The San Jose Earthquakes’ next home match, March 21, is 11 days away and the Santa Clara Public Health Department has banned all gatherings over 1000 people.