Manchester City

With the outbreak of COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the globe, it has resulted in the postponement of competitions worldwide as governments attempt to combat the pandemic.

A small number of events still went ahead, but sports stars, teams and indeed supporters were otherwise left to find other means of entertainment.

With the number of confirmed cases worldwide now totalling over 155,000, we round up all the latest news and updates.

Germany's prestige friendly with Italylater this month became the latest football fixture to bite the dust, with the majority of upcoming international matches having now been wiped out.

More major organisations have halted all footballing activities until a later date, including Qatar, Moroccoand Egypt.

A small number of competitions, most notably the A-League, Russian Premier League and Mexico's Liga MX, did manage to go ahead as planned.

Indeed, NRL games also avoided the cut, as did a handful of Super Rugby matches before an indefinite ban was put in place later in the day.

Another competition to fall was Australia's one-day international series against New Zealand, which was already being played behind closed doors.

With New Zealand's government introducing strict protocols to attempt to slow the spread of the virus, the Black Caps – along with Super Rugby side Highlanders – returned home from Australia and Argentina respectively in order to beat the new restrictions, which will mean any new arrival to the country, even if they are a citizen, has to self-isolate for 14 days.

With the top-four tiers of English football being shelved until at least early April, there was plenty of focus on the National League as six games were given the green light.

There was some controversy in Argentina as River Plate's Copa Superligaclash with Atletico Tucuman was suspended after the home side refused to open their stadium.

Independiente's tie with Velez Sarsfield was played out in full, albeit behind closed doors, with the hosts claiming a 1-0 victory.

In Italy, Napoliurged their supporters to sing from their balconies in unison as Fiorentina's Patrick Cutrone and two more Sampdoriaplayers tested positive for COVID-19.

Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy revealed a negative test result after recently self-isolating, but Carlo Ancelottiand Angelo Ogbonna questioned the Premier League's handling of the outbreak, while Jordan Pickford denied reports he is self-isolating.

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady, meanwhile, claimed the competition should be "void" – a suggestion Liverpoollegend Jamie Carragher quickly dismissed.

The lack of football did not stop certain clubs from keeping supporters entertained, though, with LaLiga side Leganes posting live updates of a fictitious match against Real Valladolid, which they won 2-1.

Perhaps inspired by their Spanish counterparts, Southamptongot Manchester City involved in an online game of noughts and crosses to help fill the void.

The downtime also gave football stars a chance to recuperate, with Sergio Ramos and Alexis Sanchez among those to post images of their extra-curricular activities.

Others, such as Liverpoolgoalkeeper Alisson and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, opted to use social media to educate their followers on how to properly wash their hands, while Barcelonasuperstar Lionel Messi used his profile to echo the sentiments of Cristiano Ronaldo in calling for people to follow the guidance of health organisations.

As Ronaldo and Jurgen Klopp were praised by the World Health Organisation for "protecting people from coronavirus", former United States president Barack Obama hailed a host of NBA stars – including Giannis Antetokounmpoand Zion Williamson – for donating large amounts to help support arena staff during the league's hiatus.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor labelled the pandemic "a stupid f****** virus", but later moved to clarify his aunt did not die after contracting the disease after previously suggesting as such.

And in more positive news, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe revealed his country still plan for the 2020 Olympic Games to go ahead in Tokyo, starting in late July.

The International Olympic Committee will have the final say, but ABE is confident the Games will be staged "without problem".

The World Health Organisation (WHO) officially declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic and major American sports franchises were taking appropriate measures as European football was forced to react once more.

Sports governing bodies have also had their say, with events calendars becoming increasingly fluid.

Here are some of the latest events to be impacted.

In the United Statesthe Golden State Warriors have confirmed their game against Brooklyn Nets on Thursday will be played behind closed doors, making them the first NBA team to make such a move following consultation with the City and County of San Francisco.

This directive also means the San Francisco Giants is working with Major League Baseball to make alternative arrangements after the planned March 24 exhibition game against the Oakland Athletics at Oracle Park was cancelled.

Seattle Mariners are hoping to relocate their opening games of the MLB regular season after Washington governor Jay Inslee announced large group events in the state would be banned throughout March.

The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) will stage its flagship March Madness basketball tournament "with only essential staff and limited family attendance".

Coronavirus cases in Spain have spiked, and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has postponed the Copa del Rey final between Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao.

The showpiece fixture was due to take place in Seville on April, with reports suggesting May 30 has been pencilled as a new date.

Barcelona have cancelled training sessions at their La Masia headquarters for the next 15 days, while RFEF has recommended football at all levels beneath the top two professional leagues is called off for two weeks.

In Germany, Eintracht Frankfurt announced Thursday's Europa League game against Basel will take place behind closed doors, while this weekend's derby between Hertha Berlin and Union Berlin will also take place without supporters.

Mainz's clash with Cologne is another of the forthcoming Bundesliga games where fans have been told to stay away.

The Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal became the first football match in Englandto be postponed as a coronavirus precaution and City are offering refunds on tickets to future fixtures up to and including the day of the game, acknowledging unease among supporters over taking part in large gatherings at this time.

Pep Guardiola's side have matches at home to Burnley and Real Madrid over the coming week.

CONMEBOL, the governing body for football in South America announced Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana matches held in Paraguay will take place behind closed doors, in line with local government advice.

Qatar, which will host the 2022 World Cup, will stage all remaining matches in its domestic football season without supporters, although CAF has decided to maintain its competition schedule unless the WHO declares a country in Africa to be high risk.

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has postponed the Fed Cup Finals in Budapest after Hungary's government prohibited public indoor gatherings of more than 100 people.

On their tour of Sri Lanka, the England cricket team have been told to avoid casual interaction with fans, such as selfies and autographs.

Further matches have been postponed while others appear unable to go ahead due to increased travel restrictions between affected countries.

Governing bodies are also taking steps to reduce the spread of COVID-19 by cancelling planned meetings, while others are calling for further changes to the calendar.

Here are some of the latest events to be impacted.

Football's governing body has decided to cancel the next FIFA Congress in Addis Ababa on June 5. It has also pushed back the coming FIFA Council meeting in Zurich, due to be on March 20, until June or July. Attendees may be required to join via a video link.

In France, the Coupe de la Ligue final on April 4 between Paris Saint-Germain and Lyon has been postponed. The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) said a new date would be announced in due course. It means the PSG-Metz and Lyon-Nimes Ligue 1 matches will be moved to the weekend of April 4-5 but be held behind closed doors. PSG will have Kylian Mbappe available against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, though: the striker is in the squad after overcoming illness, with L'Equipe among those to report he had tested negative for coronavirus.

Germany has seen the first confirmed instance of a footballer contracting coronavirus. Hannover defender Timo Hubers has tested positive but been praised by the club for his "absolutely exemplary" behaviour, as he immediately self-isolated before coming into contact with the rest of the squad.

Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich will face Union Berlin on Saturday behind closed doors, and the latter's derby with Hertha Berlin on March 21 will take place under the same circumstances. Borussia Monchengladbach have urged fans not to gather outside the stadium ahead of Wednesday's match with Cologne.

FIFPro, the footballers' union, has urged governing bodies across the world "to respect the wishes of players to take short-term precautionary measures including suspending training or competitions". Steps are certainly being taken in Spain, where the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has recommended football at all levels beneath the top two professional leagues to be called off for two weeks. The RFEF will reportedly meet with league officials to discuss similar proposals for LaLiga and the Segunda Division.

Meanwhile, Roma's match with Sevilla in the Europa League last 16 on Thursday is off after the Italian club confirmed they had not been given permission by the government to fly to Andalusia. Getafe had already refused to travel for their game with Inter in Italy.

The big news in Englandwas that Manchester City versus Arsenal was called off as a precaution after the Gunners came into contact with Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who announced on Tuesday that he had caught the disease. In general, though, the UKhas not been following the same stringent protocols as some other European nations and that is continuing for now. Arsenal's match with Brighton and Hove Albion on Saturday has not been called off, while England's planned friendlies at Wembley this month against Italy and Denmark are, at present, going ahead. Forest have also confirmed all players and staff have tested negative for coronavirus.

In Scotland, Rangers boss Steven Gerrard says the domestic season must be completed, even if behind closed doors, "because people have earned the opportunity to get to the stage where everyone is at". League chief executive Neil Doncaster claimed last week that completing the Premiership season could become "very difficult".

The England and Wales Cricket Board has told supporters "to maintain good levels of hygiene" during England's tour of Sri Lanka. As a precaution, players and staff have been told to avoid casual interaction with fans, such as selfies and autographs.

In Bangladesh, the World XI v Asia XI matches that would have marked the birthday celebrations of Sheikh Mujibur Rahman have been postponed, while the Indian Open has been called off following a consultation between the Indian Golf Union, the European Tour, the Asian Tour and tournament sponsors.

MotoGP has also announced that the ArgentinaGrand Prix has been moved to November. The opening race of the season in Qatar and the Grand Prix of the Americas have already been rescheduled.

Will tournaments be completed when conditions are suitable? Will things finish as they are? Will the campaign be declared null and void?

With the help of Opta, we look back over the previous 10 seasons to see who would have been crowned champions if the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga had stopped where there are now.

Aguer-no!

It was an iconic moment in Premier League history. Sergio Aguero scored Manchester City's second stoppage-time goal as they came from behind to defeat QPR 3-2 and clinch their first top-flight title in 44 years, beating crestfallen arch-rivals Manchester United to the trophy on the final day of the season.

However, if the campaign had been stopped where it is now it would have been United who were celebrating due to a one-point advantage.

It is the only occasion since 2009-10 that the team on top after 29 matchdays has not won the Premier League.

Atleti's title wiped out

Atletico Madrid incredibly broke the Barcelona and Real Madrid duopoly in LaLiga in 2013-14, with Diego Godin salvaging a draw at Camp Nou on the final day to ensure they finished top of the pile.

However, it was local rivals Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, who sat three points clear after 27 games of the season, meaning Diego Simeone's crowning achievement would not have occurred.

The only other instance of a team being displaced in the final 11 matches came in 2009-10, when Madrid sat ahead of Barca on goal difference but ended up seeing Pep Guardiola's men go on to win LaLiga for a second straight season.

Juventus dominance broken up

Eight straight Serie A titles have seen Juventus create history in Italy, but they would have only managed five if the previous seasons stopped after 26 games – the total the majority of clubs have completed in 2019-20.

The Bianconeri went undefeated under Antonio Conte in 2011-12, although it was Milan who topped the table at this point in the campaign, meaning Massimiliano Allegri would have won successive Scudetti at San Siro.

Maurizio Sarri would also not have had to have waited until winning the Europa League with Chelsea last year for his first major title.

Sarri's Napoli only surrendered top spot to Juve on matchday 27 in 2017-18 and they failed to recover it, missing out on their best chance to finish top since the Diego Maradona era.

QSI off to the perfect start

The landscape of Ligue 1 changed dramatically when Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought Paris Saint-Germain in June 2011, although no silverware was added to the Parc des Princes trophy cabinet in the first season following the takeover.

However, they would have been crowned champions had the 2011-12 season finished after 28 games, denying a Montpellier side powered by the goals of Olivier Giroud an unlikely first Ligue 1 title.

There would have been bad news for PSG in 2014-15, though, as the trophy would have gone to Hubert Fournier's Lyon due to a one-point margin.

Bordeaux would have made it back-to-back titles in 2009-10, too, with Marseille having made the most of a collapse that saw Laurent Blanc's side slip from first to sixth over the final 10 matches.

Bundesliga business as usual

What changes with the Bundesliga title winners if you stop the previous 10 seasons after 25 games? Nothing.

Bayern Munich would have won eight championships to Borussia Dortmund's two.

City have the upper hand in the last-16 clash after their impressive come-from-behind victory at the Santiago Bernabeu in February.

The two clubs were meant to meet again in the return fixture in Manchester on March 17, yet the coronavirus outbreak has led to a suspension of the European season.

UEFA announced earlier this month it remains committed to completing the calendar by the end of June, though only if the "situation should improve" on the continent.

In an interview with AS, former Madrid boss Capello claimed the delay may actually aid his old club, even though they have a deficit to overcome on their travels.

"For me, it changes everything," Capello said. "With this break there is no favourite. 

"We do not know, if it is played, how the teams will be at that point. There are no favourites, no one knows."

Vinicius Junior set up Isco to open the scoring for Madrid in the previous meeting with City, the former one of a number younger players given opportunities this season under Zinedine Zidane.

Rodrygo has also contributed in Europe during the campaign, including the teenager scoring a hat-trick in a 6-0 home win over Galatasary in the group stage.

Capello hopes Madrid will manage the two Brazilians – as well as their other rising stars – carefully, something he attempted to do during his second spell in charge of the LaLiga giants.

"We're waiting for them to explode," the Italian said of the current crop coming through.

"In my second spell at Madrid, we signed Marcelo, [Fernando] Gago and [Gonzalo] Higuain. In December, the president came to me and said, 'Why don't you put them on, Fabio?'.

"'Because they are kids', I told him, 'and you have to wait a while. They are the future, they can make history later'.

"The only one of them who did little was Gago, while the other two did their part. They needed experience and character.

"You have to sign young people and then use them little by little, taking care of them. You cannot give them the responsibility now."

Arsenal announced on Thursday that Arteta had the virus shortly after the Premier League had confirmed all weekend fixtures were set to go ahead as planned.

After the Arteta news broke, the Premier League then said an emergency club meeting would be held on Friday, with a suspension of matches expected as a result.

However, Brighton have already moved to confirm Saturday's home game against the Gunners will not be going ahead as Arsenal's first-team squad are going into self-isolation.

Chief executive Paul Barber said: "First and foremost our thoughts are with Mikel Arteta and we wish him a speedy recovery.

"It's absolutely essential the health and wellbeing of individuals takes priority and with that in mind Saturday’s match has been postponed.

"We apologise to all fans for any inconvenience but trust everyone will understand that we are all facing an unprecedented situation.

"The Premier League has announced this evening that they will convene an emergency meeting of all clubs tomorrow morning [Friday], and we will update supporters on future fixtures as and when we are in a position to do so."

Arteta is the highest-profile football figure to be diagnosed with the virus. Juventus defender Daniele Rugani has also tested positive for coronavirus.

Brendan Rodgers said three Leicester City players are in self-isolation after showing symptoms and Manchester City have confirmed a first-team player is self-isolating due to a family member having fallen ill. City's game against Arsenal on Wednesday was postponed amid the crisis.

Arsenal were knocked out of the Europa League last month by Olympiacos, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis later tested positive for the virus after attending the game at Emirates Stadium.

Top-flight fixtures in Italy and Spain have already been suspended while FIFA has announced this month's South American qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup have been postponed.

The clubs came together to donate £50,000 each to the Trussell Trust to help the charity cope with the loss of donations that supporters regularly make on matchdays during the suspension of football across the country.

There are 19 Trussell Trust food banks across Manchester that will benefit from the clubs' donations, which both City and United are promoting via their social media channels with the hashtag '#ACITYUNITED'.

A joint statement published on both clubs' official websites said: "We are proud of the role our supporters play in helping local food banks and recognise the increased strain likely to be placed on these charities by the impact of coronavirus.

"At a time of challenge for our community, we are pleased to come together with our fans to help vulnerable members of society in a City United."

The rivalry between City and United was as strong as ever prior to the suspension of the season, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side claiming local bragging rights with a 2-0 victory in the derby at Old Trafford on March 8.

But representatives from both sets of supporters voiced their commitment to standing side-by-side to help the city through the current health crisis.

The Trussell Trust's senior operations manager Rachel Macklin said: "As the coronavirus pandemic develops, more people than ever may need help from food banks across our network. We're working closely with our network to understand each food bank’s situation, offer guidance, and work out how we can best support them.

"We know we won't be able to do this alone, so we are truly grateful for the support Manchester United and Manchester City are showing local food banks."

A spokesperson for MCFC Fans’ Foodbank Support added: "We're delighted that City and United have donated such a huge amount to Fans Supporting Foodbanks.

"We'd like to thank everyone on both sides for demonstrating that hunger doesn't wear club colours, and for the show of community solidarity."

Football in England is suspended until April 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the Football Association committed to extending the season indefinitely beyond its normal cut-off point of June 1.

De Bruyne has been in sparkling form for Pep Guardiola's men this term, racking up eight goals and 16 assists in the Premier League before inspiring a 2-1 first-leg win for City in their now on-hold Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

And yet, the Belgium midfielder would accept those impressive returns being torn from the record books due to bigger picture concerns.

"I have no idea when we will be playing again. We haven't played for six weeks," De Bruyne, who missed City's last two games before the shutdown due to a shoulder injury sustained during the EFL Cup final win over Aston Villa, told HLN,

"Normally you'd need a preparation of three to four weeks. If we restart immediately then everybody will be injured after a few games.

"I know that there's lots of money involved. But I think that waiting so long to make a decision can cause issues next season.

"There won’t be a long summer break and you can just postpone everything.

"I would feel sad if the season is stopped after such a good year, but if it avoids issues for next season, it must be done."

City were due to host Liverpool this weekend, with Jurgen Klopp's side on the cusp of taking the Premier League title out of the possession of Guardiola's team. They boast a 25-point lead after 29 matches, with City having played a game less.

De Bruyne's impressive returns this season come after an injury-plagued 2018-19 where, having returned to action after helping Belgium to the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup, he suffered two separate instances lateral knee ligament damage.

The Premier League campaign was stopped last month because of COVID-19, which has killed more than 206,000 people worldwide.

Fernandinho, who returned home to Brazil with his family, is feeling football's absence during the break.

"I am very much missing football. Not just the football, but my relationships with my team-mates, with the staff and all the people at the club," he told the club's website.

"I miss arriving at the club in the morning, having a chat with everyone in the kitchen. This is a tough time for everybody, and I am feeling it right now because I am really missing everyone."

City were sitting second – 25 points adrift of Liverpool – when the Premier League season was stopped.

While Fernandinho is staying in touch with his team-mates, the 34-year-old admitted it is difficult living in isolation, as he misses all aspects of life at the club.

"[I miss] the training sessions, the relationships with team-mates and staff, the time before training you are talking with the physios, sometimes the kitchen after breakfast and even on the pitch before training starts. Everything," he said.

"We live in different ways so now we are just isolated far from everyone. You make some phone and video calls, but it is not the same. It is hard to be honest."

Fans are set to be present for City's rescheduled Premier League game against Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium on Wednesday, but a growing number of fixtures across Europe will be staged before empty stands in response to the outbreak of coronavirus.

All sporting activity in Italy has been suspended until April 3, with Serie A side Atalanta contesting their Tuesday Champions League trip to Valencia in the absence of the paying public.

Manchester United's Europa League visit to LASK in Austria and next week's Barcelona v Napoli and Bayern Munich v Chelsea Champions League encounters are now also behind-closed-doors matches, as are all games in Ligue 1 and LaLiga over the coming weeks.

The Premier League taking similar steps is something Guardiola feels is inevitable but he bridled at the prospects of large chunks of remaining fixtures this season taking place in such circumstances – stating suspending matches altogether would be preferable.

"I understand for a short time, one game, okay. But if it is longer it must be suspended. There is no reason to play without the people," said the City boss, whose team entertain Burnley on Saturday before a sell-out Champions League showdown against Real Madrid next Tuesday.

"This [football] is for the people. It is like an actor going to the theatre to act and nobody being there that night. It's for the people.

"I understand we have to see what happens in the next weeks. Maybe the instances will go down, maybe it will solve the problems. Okay, continue with the games and the competitions.

"But now Barcelona v Napoli will be behind closed doors, Bayern Munich v Chelsea will be behind closed doors. It happened in Germany as well, I think it is going to happen soon here.

"When that happens for a short time it is okay, but for four, five or six games makes no sense."

Guardiola was keen to state the primary concern should go beyond matters of sports scheduling, with the global death toll from COVID-19 having now topped 4,000.

"The first thing is the health of the people. That is the terms of what is best – for humanity and how we take care of ourselves," he added.

"It is not just about one country, one city or one specific place. It is all around the world. There are many cases.

"What speaks for itself is every day [instances of coronavirus] are growing. The same thing happened in China and especially in Italy, where they have absolutely cancelled the league and the people must stay at home.

"Will it happen here? I don't know the way they are going to control it in other places."

Dolors Sala Carrio passed away in Barcelona on Monday, with the club releasing a statement on their official Twitter account.

It read: "The Manchester City family are devastated to report the death today of Pep's mother Dolors Sala Carrio in Manresa, Barcelona after contracting coronavirus. She was 82 years old.

"Everyone associated with the club sends their most heartfelt sympathy at this most distressing time to Pep, his family and all their friends."

Guardiola was reported to have returned home to Spain before the country was put on lockdown in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19.

He made a €1million donation to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation last month, with a view to boosting investment in medical equipment in Catalonia.

Spain has been affected by COVID-19 more than any other European country, with over 135,000 confirmed cases as of Monday.

More than 13,000 people have lost their lives after contracting the virus, which emerged in China late last year.

Decisions made by UEFA and CONMEBOL to push back Euro 2020 and the Copa America until 2021 opened the door for domestic competition to continue longer than initially planned.

Upon announcing a four-week extension to the initially planned hiatus on Thursday, the Football Association (FA) revealed it would allow its leagues to continue beyond the June 1 deadline set out in its regulations.

The eventual run-in could prove to be heavily congested. Some Premier League teams are still competing on three fronts, others possess a game in hand, while UEFA is still hoping for a round of international matches in June.

If no games are cut out, we look at how the calendar for English teams could hypothetically shape up if competitions across Europe were able to resume following April 30.

May 2/3 - Matchday 30

May 7 - Postponed Europa League last-16 first legs and unplayed matchday 29 games

May 9/10 - Matchday 31

May 12/13/14 - FA Cup quarter-finals

May 16/17 - Matchday 32

May 19/20/21 - Champions League and Europa League last-16 second legs

May 23/24 - Matchday 33

May 26/27/28 - Champions League and Europa League quarter-final first legs

May 30/31 - Matchday 34

June 2/3/4 - Champions League and Europa League quarter-final second legs

June 6/7 - Matchday 35

June 13/14 - International week

June 20/21 - Matchday 36

June 23/24/25 - Champions League and Europa League semi-final first legs

June 27/28 - Matchday 37

June 30/July 1/2 - FA Cup semi-finals

July 4 - Matchday 38

July 7/8/9 - Champions League and Europa League semi-final second legs

July 11 - FA Cup final

July 15 - Europa League final

July 18 - Champions League final

France centre-back Laporte has made just eight appearances in all competitions for City this season thanks largely to a serious knee injury sustained in August.

Laporte made his comeback in January but suffered a hamstring strain at the end of February, while the suspension of football across most of Europe due to the outbreak of COVID-19 has been a further frustration.

In an interview with City's website, Laporte said: "I am okay. I am at home, safe. Doing nothing but training a little bit, staying at home and doing some streaming online. 

"I am in Manchester. For me, it was a long time without football on the pitch and it was so difficult. The second time without football and it is always difficult; don't touch the ball, don't be on the pitch in the stadium playing in front of the fans and everything. 

"We have to keep it how it is and waiting for what is the best for our health which is the most important right now."

On his fitness, he added: "I feel fit, no problems. At home I have many things to do, to train, to run. I have a bike, I have weights, I have many things. I cannot do everything, because it is not like being on the pitch. 

"The club gave us a training programme to do at home. Sometimes train together with all of the team. They have given us many things to practice and to do at home."

Laporte said he has now started to join in online gaming with his City team-mates, though was reluctant to offer an opinion as to who is the best in the squad at FIFA. 

"I started yesterday. I will play more games on the internet with many players," he said. 

"Yesterday I was playing with Kyle Walker for example and Raheem [Sterling] today. We will see, maybe I will invite someone to play with me.

 "It depends which games [as to who is the best]. Don't ask me about FIFA because I don't know!

"Everyone says they are the best so I can't pick just one of them. I am not the best for sure! I don't look to improve; I just want to have fun."

City's Premier League match against Arsenal, which was set to take place on Wednesday, was postponed as a precaution after it emerged personnel from the London club had come into contact with Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis, who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Pep Guardiola's side are due to host Burnley this weekend before their keenly anticipated Champions League last-16 return leg at home to Real Madrid, with goals from Gabriel Jesus and Kevin De Bruyne at the Santiago Bernabeu establishing a 2-1 aggregate advantage.

Both matches remain scheduled to go ahead, although City are monitoring the situation closely and keeping abreast of government advice.

As part of these steps, fans will be entitled to claim a refund for any tickets purchased to attend matches at the Etihad Stadium, up to and including the day of the game.

This is an amendment to the club's usual policy, where supporters are only able to be refunded up to seven days before a match.

Wednesday's Champions League last-16 match between Paris Saint-Germain and Borussia Dortmund will follow Tuesday's Valencia versus Atalanta game in being staged behind closed doors, while Napoli's trip to Barcelona will also take place without supporters next week.

Atletico Madrid's game at Liverpool on Wednesday featured fans from both clubs, despite a spike in coronavirus cases in the Spanish capital that persuaded the regional government to close nurseries, schools and universities until March 23. On Tuesday, the number of known cases in the Madrid region had increased from 782 to 1,024.

According to the World Health Organisation, in Spain there have been 1,639 people diagnosed and 36 deaths, with six dead in the United Kingdom from 373 instances of coronavirus.

All matches in Europe's major leagues – along with a plethora of events across other sports – have been postponed indefinitely or cancelled as governments attempt to combat the spread of COVID-19.

In the absence of games, however, three clubs in particular got creative with their attempts to amuse their fans.

First, LaLiga side Leganes, in a bid to help keep people in their homes as Spain continues to be on lockdown, posted live updates of a fictitious match against Real Valladolid, who they were originally due to host this weekend.

Complete with a stoppage for a VAR check, match commentary and even a post-match news conference, the imaginary encounter finished 2-1 to Leganes, with Oscar Rodriguez and Guido Carrillo scoring for the home side and Enes Unal netting one for Valladolid.

"Thank you all for following and participating in the transmission of the Leganes v Real Valladolid," a final post read. "[We need a] lot of strength right now and we never lack a sense of humour."

Perhaps inspired by their Spanish counterparts, Southampton attempted to get Norwich City – their scheduled Premier League opponents – involved in an online game of noughts and crosses.

However, Norwich did not respond to Southampton's initial move, with the Saints posting at half-time: "In truth, only one team making any effort to play here, but we're still waiting for the first real breakthrough."

Manchester City volunteered to take over, though, and the game finished level, prompting Southampton to appeal to the Premier League for a point.

It remains to be seen when the leagues will be able to recommence in more traditional fashion or if the season will be able to be completed at all.

While UEFA's 55 member nations will meet via a video conference on Tuesday, with the status of the Champions League, Europa League and Euro 2020 up for discussion, the Premier League has called an emergency meeting for Thursday after suspending all matches until April 3.

A number of Liverpool's non-playing staff were suspended on furlough, it was announced on Saturday, leaving them free to claim 80 per cent of their wages from the United Kingdom government while the club tops up any shortfall in their pay.

Tottenham, Newcastle United, Norwich City and Bournemouth took similar action by utilising the government's furlough scheme, prompting widespread criticism of wealthy clubs opting to put further strain on public funds.

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy was among those to slam the quintet, describing their actions as "grotesque".

City took a divergent move on Sunday, with a club spokesperson saying in a statement: "We can confirm, following a decision by the chairman and board last week, that Manchester City will not be utilising the UK Government's Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (government funded furloughing).

"We remain determined to protect our people, their jobs and our business, whilst at the same time doing what we can to support our wider community at this most challenging time for everybody."

City are second in the Premier League table, 25 points behind Liverpool, and the league announced on Friday that play will not resume in early May as had been planned.

Premier League clubs met on Friday to discuss the prospects for completing the season, and the possibility of players taking a 30 per cent wage reduction was also discussed.

Mendy was widely reported to be the City player who self-isolated as a precaution earlier this week, after a member of their family fell ill and was tested for COVID-19.

In an Instagram post on Saturday that confirmed he had been placed in quarantine, the France international shared an update and urged his followers to heed instructions given by the World Health Organization (WHO), who are seeking to minimise the spread of a virus that has led to over 5,000 deaths around the world.

"First of all, I would like to thank you for your numerous messages of support following the news about my quarantine," wrote Mendy.

"Today, the results were negative for those around me, but it is important that everyone takes their responsibilities in this delicate period, to protect you but above all to protect the weakest in the face of the epidemic.

"I therefore invite you to follow the instructions given by the WHO in order to stop the spread of the virus as quickly as possible and to get back to normal."

It is not clear when City will return to competitive action, with the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Real Madrid having been postponed and the Premier League also suspended until at least April 3.

COVID-19 has caused havoc across the globe and subsequently brought the sporting world to a standstill, with more than 418,000 confirmed cases.

With sports largely unable to continue, many clubs and leagues are making decisions to safeguard their financial solvency, with lay-offs and salary deductions becoming more common.

But some high-profile individuals are sacrificing their own money to help the cause, with Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola confirmed to have donated €1million to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation.

Messi – a six-time Ballon d'Or winner – has made a contribution of his own to the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona.

A Tweet from the clinic on Tuesday read: "Leo Messi made a donation to fight against COVID-19 in the clinic.

"Thank you very much, Leo, for your support and your commitment."

Spain is the second worst-affected European nation with almost 40,000 people diagnosed with the virus, including over 2,800 deaths.

Reports say England's top flight could resume as early as June after being suspended in March, with a meeting set to be held on Friday.

But Aguero feels most players are fearful amid the COVID-19 crisis, with more than 233,000 deaths worldwide from among those to test positive for the virus.

"The majority of players are scared because they have family, they have children, they have babies," he told El Chiringuito TV.

"When we go back, I imagine that we will be very tense, we will be very careful and the moment someone feels ill, you will think, 'what's gone on there?'

"It does scare me."

The United Kingdom has been hit hard by coronavirus, with more than 171,000 confirmed cases and a death toll exceeding 26,000.

Argentina international Aguero said the fact some people could be asymptomatic was worrying.

"I'm scared but I'm with my girlfriend here and I'm not going to be in contact with other people. I'm locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend," Aguero said.

"They're saying that there are people that have it and don't have any symptoms but still infect you. That's why I am here at home.

"Maybe I have the illness and I don't even know."

City were 25 points adrift of leaders Liverpool when the Premier League was suspended, while they were still competing in the Champions League and FA Cup.

The Manchester City manager made the sizeable contribution to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation, which will invest it in medical equipment.

Guardiola is at home in Barcelona amid the COVID-19 outbreak and the foundation to which he made the pledge is focused on tackling the virus in the region.

The organisation's fundraising efforts started on March 21 and prior to Guardiola's gesture had raised €33,000.

A statement read: "Former football player and former FC Barcelona coach and current Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has made a donation of one million euros to the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation for the purchase and supply of medical equipment in the face of a health emergency of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The donation campaign promoted by the Colegio de Doctors de Barcelona and managed through the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation aims to collect medical material and financial contributions from collegiate doctors and the general population for the purchase of medical equipment and equipment that is currently lacking in health centers in Catalonia.

"Also to be able to finance the alternative production (through 3D printing and others) of respirators and other elements of protection for healthcare staff."

Guardiola's decision to offer financial support follows in the footsteps of others across the world of sport.

The Germany national team donated €2.5m and Milan gave €250,000, while Bayern Munich players Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich set up a fund called 'We Kick Corona', chipping in a combined €1m.