Champions League, Premier League Swept Aside As Coronavirus Ravages Sport

The downfall of sports events across the globe over the quickly evolving new coronavirus gathered momentum Friday with the pandemic swept aside by the English Premier League and the Champions League showpiece of European football.

England's cricket tour of Sri Lanka also fell prey to the virus, although the Premier League's suspension until April 4 came soon after the French Football League confirmed that all Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games would be on hold until further notice.

Among other events, Formula One's Australian Grand Prix and The Players Championship, one of the most important golf tournaments, were canceled because the flu ruined the sporting season, with the existence of the Tokyo 2020 Olympics constantly in doubt.

The impact of COVID-19, which has killed 5,043 people according to an AFP tally, is accelerating just over four months from the Tokyo Olympics’ start on July 24.

Football’s Premier League, with a worldwide audience of billions, was put on hold after Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi were confirmed to have the disease.

“Following a meeting of shareholders today, it was unanimously decided to suspend the Premier League with the intention of returning on 4 April, subject to medical advice and conditions at the time,” the Premier League said in a statement.

The decision by the authorities in England and France to postpone top-flight football implies that all the major leagues in Europe have reached a halt aside from Germany where players were forced to continue behind closed doors. La Liga in Spain and Serie A in Italy have already postponed matches.

European football’s governing body UEFA took a similar step in announcing that all UEFA Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled to be played next week had been postponed.

The move comes after two of next week’s four scheduled Champions League last 16, second legs — between Manchester City and Real Madrid, and between Juventus and Lyon — had already been called off.

“In the light of developments due to the spread of COVID-19 in Europe and related decisions made by different governments, all UEFA club competitions matches scheduled next week are postponed,” UEFA said in a statement.

Sports across the globe have suffered major disruption because of the virus with the PGA Tour golf season, the men’s tennis tour, NBA basketball, Major League Baseball and a host of top-flight events interrupted.

– Latest victims –

England’s cricketers will be returning from Sri Lanka among the latest victims of the sporting chaos.

Their tour of Sri Lanka was scrapped on Friday as the team took part in a practice match ahead of the first of two Test matches due to start on March 19.

“At this time, the physical and mental wellbeing of our players and support teams is paramount,” said an England and Wales Cricket Board statement announcing the end of the tour.

More bad news could come as European football chiefs are to meet next week to consider whether to postpone Euro 2020, due to start in June and this year’s other major international sports along with the Olympics.

Tokyo Olympics organizers, Japan’s government and the International Olympic Committee have been adamant the Games will go ahead as planned despite the global panic.

But US President Donald Trump became the first foreign leader to break ranks and raise the prospect of delaying the Olympics until 2021.

“Maybe they postpone it for a year,” Trump told reporters in the Oval Office, 19 weeks before the opening ceremony in Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.

“You know, I like that better than I like having empty stadiums all over the place. I think if you cancel it, make it a year later, that’s a better alternative than doing it with no crowd,” he said.

Trump’s comments came just hours after actresses dressed as ancient Greek priestesses held the ceremonial flame-lighting at a ruined temple in the original Olympia, Greece.

However, Japan’s Olympic minister Seiko Hashimoto said: “Neither the IOC nor the organizing committee is thinking about delaying or canceling the Games at all.”

Asked about the possibility of scaling back the number of spectators, Hashimoto said: “We are not thinking about that at all.”

In Melbourne, drivers were just hours from the first practice session when the season-opening Australian Grand Prix was axed on Friday after a McLaren team member was diagnosed with COVID-19.

The last-minute cancelation creates concerns for other races like the Bahrain Grand Prix next week, which has already excluded supporters.

The Chinese Grand Prix has been postponed while the inaugural Formula One race on April 5 in Vietnam is also in danger.

Source: AFP