Uefa Champions League

Like the vast majority of European football, Spain's LaLiga is on hiatus at least until April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, which has impacted several teams.

Real Madrid were put in quarantine after a basketball player at the club was found to have contracted the virus, while Valencia confirmed 35 per cent of tests on those associated with Los Che came back positive.

Some have put Valencia's high infection rate down to them facing Atalanta of Italy in the Champions League earlier this month – they were then Alaves' last opponent before the league was suspended.

A statement on Alaves' website read: "A total of 15 people have tested positive, three of them belonging to the Deportivo Alaves first team, seven more to the coaching staff and none to the basketball team. Five workers have also been affected.

"The club made the decision to carry out the tests with respect to the responsibility policy with the people who are part of our family and the results have shown that it was the best way to urgently locate the cases and implement preventive measures to reduce, as far as possible, more infections.

"The people detected are asymptomatic and in good health."

COVID-19 has infected 208,000 people worldwide since his emergence from the Hubei region of China late last year.

With 13,910 confirmed cases, Spain is the second worst-affected European nation behind Italy.

The decision, which is subject to government ratification, comes following a meeting organised by CONI president Giovanni Malago in Rome.

All sport in the country had already been required to take place behind closed doors until April 3 as part of a previous government decree as Italy attempts to slow the spread of the coronavirus outbreak.

That led to the strange sight of Sunday's Derby d'Italia between Juventus and Inter being contested without spectators in the stadium.

Monday's decision will further disrupt the season in Serie A and the rest of Italy's domestic football pyramid, though CONI conceded in the announcement that it has no jurisdiction over international competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League.

When contacted by Stats Perform, European football's governing body UEFA said it did not have a comment to make regarding CONI's decision.

Italy's national rugby team has already seen its Six Nations fixtures with Ireland and England postponed due to the spread of the virus.

The most affected nation outside of Asia, Italy has 7,375 confirmed cases of coronavirus, which has led to 366 deaths in the country.

Earlier on Monday, France's minister for sport announced that all Ligue 1 games will be played behind closed doors or see fan numbers restricted to 1,000.

Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last-16 second-leg tie with Borussia Dortmund will take place behind closed doors, while France's Six Nations match with Ireland at the Stade de France has been postponed.

Gian Piero Gasperini's side played out a thrilling 4-3 win over Valencia at Mestalla on Tuesday, with Josip Ilicic scoring all of Atalanta's goals in a wonderful individual display.

Victory secured Atalanta an 8-4 aggregate win, seeing them qualify for the last eight for the first time.

But the club has urged fans to not greet them at the airport or have public gatherings to celebrate, with a government decree on Monday putting the country on lockdown following the spread of COVID-19.

A statement posted on Twitter read: "Atalanta, in compliance with the Ministerial Decree of March 9, for the purpose of safeguarding public health, invites all people not to create gatherings in the center of Bergamo, at the Orio al Serio airport or at the Centro Bortolotti [Atalanta's training base] in Zingonia when the team returns from Valencia."

Gasperini revealed over the weekend he was scared while appearing to suffer from COVID-19 as Atalanta defeated Valencia 4-3 behind closed doors in the Champions League on March 10.

Atalanta advanced to the Champions League quarter-finals 8-4 on aggregate at the Mestalla before the 2019-20 football season was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In light of Gasperini's comments, LaLiga outfit Valencia released a statement, which read: "Valencia CF wish to publicly express our surprise at comments made by Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini which appeared in the Italian press this Sunday, stating that, both the day before and the day of the match played on March 10th at Mestalla, the coach of our opposing team in the UEFA Champions League last-16 game was aware of suffering symptoms theoretically compatible with those of coronavirus, without taking preventive measures. Such actions, if this was the case, would have put at risk numerous people during the trip to – and stay in – Valencia.

"It should be remembered that this game was held behind closed doors amidst strict safety measures, on the order of the Spanish health authorities, to prevent the risk of COVID-19 contagion, precisely due to the presence of persons from an area already publicly classified as 'at risk' at that time."

LaLiga and Serie A have been suspended since March but the two leagues are preparing to return following the COVID-19 crisis.

The Seville derby between Sevilla and Real Betis will headline LaLiga's return on June 11 in Spain.

Italy's Serie A, meanwhile, is scheduled to restart on June 20.

Gasperini revealed last week he was scared as he appeared to suffer from COVID-19 as Atalanta defeated Valencia 4-3 behind closed doors in the Champions League on March 10.

The Bergamo outfit advanced to the quarter-finals 8-4 on aggregate at Mestalla, although the competition has since been suspended due to the virus.

Valencia expressed "surprise" at Gasperini's comments, suggesting his actions "put at risk numerous people" in the city.

However, Percassi does not wish to drag the saga out, insisting he and Gasperini followed the rules and are moving forward.

"I am with Gasperini and the players. I am looking ahead," he told L'Eco di Bergamo.

"The controls say that, like Atalanta with our members, we did everything in compliance with the rules and with the utmost prudence.

"This is fundamental for us. We are in Bergamo."

With the Champions League reportedly set to resume in August, Atalanta will first return to Serie A action on June 21 as they look to secure qualification for Europe's elite club competition for next season.

La Dea are fourth, three points clear of fifth-placed Roma with a game in hand.

COVID-19 has brought sport to a standstill across the globe, with the 2020 Olympic Games, major European football leagues, the NBA, MLB and NHL postponed.

Euro 2020 and Copa America 2020 have been pushed back to next year amid the fight to combat the spread of the virus, which has claimed more than 21,290 lives.

It remains to be seen when and if the 2019-20 Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 seasons will resume, raising doubts over the futures of football players – whose contracts are due to expire in June.

The likes of Edinson Cavani and Thiago Silva (both Paris Saint-Germain), Willian (Chelsea) and Dries Mertens (Napoli) are all set to become free agents.

As clubs and organisations try to reduce costs amid the economic crisis, Schwab – who works for World Players, which brings together 85,000 players across professional sports through more than 100 player associations in over 60 countries – told Stats Perform: "The challenge is to ensure enough liquidity during the shutdown so that the same content can be delivered to fans, broadcasters and brands but over a longer period.

"Existing contracts and regulations such as contract expiry dates and transfer windows will all need to be reformulated which can only be done though collective decision-making involving governments, sports bodies, broadcasters, stadia operators, player unions and civil society. The impact on the sporting schedule will be long-lasting and may take several years to return to normal.

"Seasons just starting – such as MLB, AFL and NRL – have a longer struggle in many ways. Shortened seasons are likely, but it all depends on the length of the shutdown, liquidity and the window available to complete seasons. Sports which own their own infrastructure will have greater flexibility and will be in a stronger position to design solutions.

"The key is collective decision-making, goodwill and long-term thinking, all of which can be difficult during such uncertainty. Many key sports governing, commercial and player contracts have 'force majeure' clauses which may apply in these circumstances. Certain parties may be able to 'cut and run', but that will only worsen the bleeding and make recovery more difficult. We need to bunker down, show we care about our people, fight the pandemic, exercise restraint, save as many jobs and legitimate commercial interests as we can, and re-emerge with a renewed, sustainable and collectively developed economic model.

"Tuesday was the anniversary of the death of arguably football’s most influential figure, Johan Cruyff. He famously said that there is advantage in every disadvantage. That thinking is needed right now."

Schwab added: "Individual players will be impacted differently. The destiny of free agents will depend much on the state of the leagues once the shutdown has been lifted. There is a risk that players coming off contract will face a prolonged period of unemployment if the shutdown continues, which can be career ending.

"The top players should be OK during this period, but remember they are a fraction of players and athletes who work professionally. It is likely that the economic impact of the shutdown will result in a deflated labour market for some time, which will suppress wages even among the viable leagues. For leagues outside the very top echelon, it may be a battle for survival.

"However, sport's essential role in society will be unchanged and may even be renewed and elevated. It will have a critical role to play as the community reunites after the pandemic and we expect a major resurgence in demand. Sport is therefore an important part of government planning, and it is pleasing to see that progressive governments in Switzerland, Sweden and some other countries have included sport in the stimulus packages they are announcing. They will reap a community dividend for doing so even as they balance the essential interests of the broader society and economy."

"[Next year] an intense year for sport as current seasons will now run well into the northern summer and that will require a readjusted schedule in 2021," the Australian executive continued. "The postponement of the Olympics may allow for existing concerns to be addressed including the health and safety impacts of the extreme heat of July-August in Tokyo. These issues all need to be worked through. We shouldn't assume the Olympics are simply put back 12 months. We are consulting with our affiliates about how to approach the shaping of the 2021 sports calendar."

Coronavirus has largely affected the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, but Schwab said: "We have been concerned with some of the heath information being conveyed, including that COVID-19 is a disease that mainly affects the elderly and the vulnerable. Athletes, too, are vulnerable, despite being young and fit. The disease attacks the lungs, and athletes themselves have suffered very severe symptoms which may be long-lasting. There have been fatalities among people between 20 and 44 and young people can transmit the virus even if they don't have symptoms.

"Players have also been forced into quarantine when living away from their families. It is necessary that effective support mechanisms are in place to ensure the mental health and social wellbeing of players as well as their physical health. Our player unions play an essential role here."

The move comes after advice given to the club related to the coronavirus outbreak from the Spanish government, which does not recommend travel from Madrid and considers it "irresponsible" behaviour to go against this directive.

Forthcoming LaLiga and Ligue 1 matches will take place behind closed doors, while Serie A has been suspended along with all other sport in Italy until April 3 as part of attempts to contain the spread of the virus.

Tuesday's Champions League match between Valencia and Atalanta took place without fans and empty grandstands will overlook Barcelona versus Napoli and Bayern Munich versus Chelsea next week.

In a statement on their official website, Atletico told supporters that UEFA, along with authorities in Liverpool, confirmed the last-16 match – into which Diego Simeone's men carry a 1-0 first-leg advantage – would go ahead as planned and be open to both sets of supporters.

However, the advice handed to the club via Spain's Higher Sports Council was reproduced in full.

The statement read: "In line with the measures approved today by the government regarding the coronavirus, and specifically in relation to the request to avoid travel and the appeal to individual responsibility made by the health authorities, the Higher Sports Council reminds fans of the club of the decision taken by the government, namely: Non-essential movement outside of the Madrid community is not recommend and this includes departure to another country.

"This measure is consistent with those taken in relation to flights from Italy. Failure to comply with this request will be considered a decision outside the scientific evidence applicable for situations such as that suffered by Madrid of 'enhanced containment measures'.

"Not addressing this recommendation would be considered an irresponsible decision."

Atletico supporters who wish to claim a ticket refund have until 1900 Spanish time (1800 GMT) on Wednesday to email the club with their request.

Figures reported by the World Health Organizaion on Tuesday showed there had been 1,402 cases of coronavirus in Spain, and 373 in the United Kingdom.

Lyon claimed a 1-0 win in the first leg in France in February thanks to a goal from Lucas Tousart.

The competition was then suspended in March due to the coronavirus crisis and UEFA has yet to announce a concrete plan to resume the 2019-20 tournament.

However, the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) claimed this week that it was restarting the Super Lig season so it could finish before the Champions League final, which would be held in Istanbul in August.

Aulas has now claimed the match with Juve at the Allianz Stadium will happen in the early part of the month.

"The match against Juventus is confirmed for August 7, in Turin and behind closed doors," he told RTL.

The Ligue 1 season was concluded early after French authorities decreed there would be no live sport in the country until at least September.

Paris Saint-Germain were confirmed champions based on their average points per match, while Lyon finished seventh, outside the European places.

A return to the Champions League is therefore contingent on Lyon winning this season's competition, but Aulas believes neither they nor PSG will have any chance against teams who have been playing regularly in restarted leagues.

"If the appeals [to have Ligue 1 resumed] are not successful, Lyon and PSG will be sent to be massacred by teams who will have had a preparation that others won't have had," he said.

Bavarian authorities announced on Tuesday that all events where more than 1,000 people would be attending between now and April 19 are to be cancelled.

It means the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at the Allianz Arena will be held without fans present on March 18, assuming the match goes ahead.

Bayern lead the tie 3-0 after a commanding first-leg victory at Stamford Bridge.

The decision comes despite RB Leipzig's match at home to Tottenham on Tuesday proceeding as planned, with supporters allowed to attend.

Valencia against Atalanta, Paris Saint-Germain's game with Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona versus Napoli are also being played behind closed doors as the coronavirus continues to spread across Europe.

There are suggestions Juventus' clash with Lyon in Turin could be postponed after Italy went into lockdown to try to control the outbreak of COVID-19.

Saturday's Bundesliga derby between Dortmund and Schalke will also be staged without fans.

There were 1,129 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Germany as of Monday.

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."

Sport has been brought to a standstill due to COVID-19, with Serie A, LaLiga, Bundesliga, Ligue 1 and the Premier League all on hiatus.

The Champions League and Europa League finals have also been postponed, with Euro 2020 pushed back to next year following more than 18,800 deaths worldwide – over 9,800 of the casualties from Italy and Spain.

Former Italy, Juventus and Real Madrid defender Cannavaro – now in charge of Chinese Super League powerhouse Guangzhou Evergrande – is not confident that football will resume by May.

"In less than a month it is not known what is going to happen in the world," the 43-year-old told COPE.

"I think it will take a long time for this to end in Italy and Spain.

"It will be difficult for European football to return before the season ends."

Cannavaro has been based in China since joining Evergrande in 2014 before returning in 2017, while he was briefly in charge of the national team last year.

China has enforced strict measures to combat the spread of coronavirus, which originated in the country and has claimed more than 3,270 lives.

"The virus in Guangzhou is under control and life is beginning to go back to normal," Cannavaro added. "There are no more restrictions, only 14 days at home.

"In two days, I finish my quarantine. All of us who come back have to do it.

"Staying at home is essential because we do not give the virus the opportunity to infect more people.

"We have to learn from China, they have more experience in this situation."

The Champions League final had been due to take place on May 30 in Istanbul, with the decisive Europa League encounter scheduled to be contested in Gdansk three days earlier.

However, those games, along with the Women's Champions League final - originally allocated for May 24 in Vienna - will now be played at later dates.

The decision is no surprise, with the vast majority of club football in Europe having been put on hold due to the spread of the virus.

A working group, established last week following a conference call between the stakeholders of European football, is to analyse the available options for fulfilling the fixtures.

In a statement confirming the postponements, UEFA said the working group had already begun its examination of the calendar.

Only half of the eight Champions League last-16 ties have been completed, with Paris Saint-Germain, Atalanta, Atletico Madrid and RB Leipzig progressing.

The Europa League is at the same stage, with just six first-leg matches completed.

The Women's Champions League has reached the quarter-finals, with the first-leg matches scheduled for March 25 and second-leg clashes pencilled in for April 1 all postponed because of the pandemic, which has killed over 16,000 people worldwide.

The coronavirus pandemic has led to a prolonged hiatus for sport in almost every country, with the European football system impacted on an unprecedented scale.

Many of the top leagues have been suspended indefinitely and the pause forced UEFA to postpone Euro 2020 by 12 months, buying the club season a little more time.

The target is still for the 2019-20 campaign to be concluded by the end of June, but many doubt that is realistic, giving rise to debates about what will happen if the pandemic fails to ease.

Ceferin has at least attempted to offer clarity for the Champions League and Europa League campaigns, with cancellation seemingly on the cards if the competitions cannot be concluded by the start of August.

The UEFA president also indicated potential alterations to the knockout stages are under consideration.

"It must finish by August 3, both the Champions League and Europa League," Ceferin told German broadcaster ZDF.

"It is an extraordinary situation we are in, so we are flexible on dates and kick-off times. If the crisis eases earlier, then we can start sooner.

"We could play with the current system, or in one-off matches played on neutral turf. For now, it's just an option to play with a final eight or final four.

"The only wrong decision we could make now would be to play in a way that puts the health and safety of players, fans and referees at risk.

"However, if we are in secure conditions, then I don't see the problem."

UEFA has suspended the Champions League and Europa League indefinitely during the coronavirus pandemic.

President Aleksander Ceferin said last week that he would consider allowing those European competitions to resume behind closed doors if necessary, likely in July and August, but he accepted they might have to be cancelled if they were unable to resume matches by September.

With Europe's top leagues also facing the prospect of having to be completed in July or later, Hernandez does not think it will be practical to stage the final rounds of the Champions League at the same time.

"It's going to be hard to cram all this in as well as a possible end to the league," he told L'Equipe.

"The Champions League concerns all the countries affected by coronavirus. It will be difficult to get everyone out of lockdown, to be in similar condition but also just to meet up, to travel to Italy, Spain, England or France.

"You have to be realistic. I think it will be impossible to finish in the Champions League in these times, especially if we favour ending the domestic leagues."

Clubs in the Bundesliga have been allowed to resume first-team training, albeit with strict restrictions in place on the number of players assembled at any one time.

Bayern kept players in separate small groups to adhere to social distancing guidelines after beginning training at Sabener Strasse from last Monday.

"The conditions are very strict. We are in small groups of four. We do not meet the others," Hernandez explained.

"We train at different times to avoid contact. The changing rooms are also arranged differently. We don't occupy the same pitches.

"But as soon as it's over, we'll quickly go and shower and eat at home. This is another way to get the machine up and running again."

Further measures to prevent the spread of the virus were taken on Tuesday, affecting a plethora of sports and leagues.

More events were subject to postponements, while games taking place in empty arenas will become a regular sight in the coming weeks.

Here we look at the sporting decisions announced as the world attempts to tackle the outbreak.

In Germany, the rearranged Bundesliga match between rivals Borussia Monchengladbach and Cologne, which was originally cancelled due to Storm Ciara, will now be played behind closed doors on Wednesday.

All sporting activity in Italy is suspended until April 3 by the country's Olympic Committee, in a decision pending government ratification made on Monday. In a statement, the committee conceded it does not have jurisdiction over international competitions. Following that, it was confirmed the Champions League clash between Barcelona and Napoli on March 18 will go ahead behind closed doors. The Italian club insisted reports claiming they wanted the match to be postponed were "fake news".

Wales will follow the advice of Italian authorities on whether Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey will be allowed to leave the country to take part in their home matches with Austria and the United States later this month, amid the lockdown on travel in Italy.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport released a statement insisting there was "no rationale" to postponing sporting events at this stage in the United Kingdom. Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney said the message sporting authorities had received from the government was "let's not panic".

Former Manchester United captain, Salford City co-owner and influential pundit Gary Neville has declared he is not in support of matches behind closed doors. "If it's necessary to shut down stadiums the associations must find a way of delaying the season and playing the games when it is safe to do so to protect the revenues for clubs that require this income to survive," he tweeted.

Matches in Poland's top flight, the Ekstraklasa, will be played without supporters until further notice. The Europa League final is scheduled to be played in Gdansk on May 27.

Ticket sales for Northern Ireland's away Euro 2020 play-off match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 26 have been suspended amid fears over the outbreak.

The owner of Championship club Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis, has confirmed he has contracted COVID-19. He wrote on Instagram: "The virus has 'visited' me and I felt obliged to let the public know. I feel good as I take all the necessary measures and I discipline to the doctors' instructions."

Further measures to prevent the spread of the virus were taken on Monday, affecting a plethora of sports and leagues.

More events were subject to postponements, while the sight of games taking place in empty arenas will be a common one in the coming weeks.

Here we look at the sporting decisions announced on Monday as the world attempts to tackle the outbreak.

Italy - All sporting activity in Italy was suspended until April 3 by the country's Olympic Committee, in a decision pending government ratification. In a statement, the committee conceded it does not have jurisdiction over international competitions such as the Champions League and Europa League.

France - Ligue 1 games are now required to be played behind closed doors or with a limit of 1,000 fans until April 15. Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League last-16 second-leg clash with Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday will be contested behind closed doors at the Parc des Princes.

France - The Six Nations finale between France and Ireland, due to take place at the Stade de France on Saturday, is postponed. England's game with Italy was already off, meaning it is unclear when the winner of the competition will be determined. Scotland's game with Wales in Cardiff is on, and Gregor Townsend's men can move into first place with a win. England and France are level on 13 points, with Ireland on nine having seen two games postponed.

United States - The ATP's Indian Wells Masters and WTA's Indian Wells Open were both cancelled following a confirmed case of the virus in Riverside County, California.

United States - According to ESPN, the NBA is to hold a conference call with the 30 team owners and governors to discuss the next steps for how it handles the spread of the virus in the USA, where there have been 213 confirmed cases.

Asia - FIFA confirmed the AFC qualifiers for the 2022 World Cup, which were scheduled to take place in the international windows of March 23-31 and June 1-9, have been postponed.

Switzerland - Basel announced on Monday that the second leg of their Europa League tie with Eintracht Frankfurt, set to be contested on March 19, cannot be played at their St Jakob Park home due to coronavirus-related restrictions. Switzerland's top-flight, the Super League, is suspended until March 23.

Japan - The postponement of the start of the Nippon Professional Baseball regular season was confirmed at a media conference on Monday.

United States - IndyCar is not expecting any impact on its 2020 schedule as a result of the outbreak.

France - Rugby League side Catalans Dragons are waiting for an official decision from the Perpignan prefecture or government regarding Saturday's Super League game with Leeds Rhinos after the country's ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people.

The CONI announcement on Monday confirmed a suspension, subject to government ratification, that many had expected.

Serie A and the Coppa Italia had already been heavily affected by postponements and matches being played behind closed doors, with Sunday's Derby d'Italia played in front of an eerily empty stadium.

A government decree had already confirmed there were to be no spectators at any sporting events until April 3, but the latest announcement followed a significant increase in coronavirus cases, with 7,375 Italians having been infected.

Many wider sporting events in Italy had already been postponed, but the suspension is arguably set to have the biggest knock-on effect in football, as it throws the Serie A title race – and relegation tussle – into chaos due to an ever-growing fixture pile-up.

Following Monday's news, here are the biggest clubs' Serie A and Coppa Italia matches set to be affected:

Juventus:

Bologna v Juventus, March 13

Juventus v Lecce, March 21

Juventus v Milan (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC

Lazio:

Atalanta v Lazio, March 15

Lazio v Fiorentina, March 20

Inter:

Inter v Sassuolo, March 15

Parma v Inter, March 22

Napoli v Inter (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC

Milan:

Lecce v Milan, March 15

Milan v Roma, March 22

Juventus v Milan (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC

With no matches set to take place until April 3, a deadline that could feasibly be pushed back even further, teams will resume the Serie A season with between 12 and 14 matches still to play.

With Euro 2020 set to begin on June 12, it leaves just 70 days between the two key dates, though facilities will have to be handed over to UEFA well before the tournament's kick-off.

If Champions League and Europa League matches continue to go ahead as planned, some Italian teams could have many as 20 matches across all competitions to cram into their schedules.

Juventus lead the way in Serie A on 63 points, and look set to be pushed the distance by Lazio. The Rome-based club are just a point shy, while Inter have fallen adrift of the top by nine.

Among the wider sporting events previously postponed through March and early April were: 

CYCLING

Tirreno-Adriatico, March 11-17

Milan-San Remo, March 21

Giro di Sicilia, April 1-4

SKIING

Alpine Skiing World Cup finals, March 18-22

RUGBY UNION

Italy v England, March 14

Klopp told reporters ahead of Wednesday's Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Atletico Madrid he would accept any decision taken relating to holding fixtures behind closed doors.

Fans will be present for Liverpool's clash with Atletico, but elsewhere in Europe all Serie A matches have been halted until next month while a host of other leagues are playing matches without supporters.

"Whatever will be decided, we will respect," Klopp said about the prospect of matches being played behind closed doors. 

"It's clear that we will accept that but I don't know how much sense it will make in this moment.

"We need time to find a solution. How can we get that time and avoid different situations? I don't know enough about how much [closing stadiums] for the football games could help.

"The problem is if you are not in the stadium then you are in close rooms and watching it maybe together, I am not sure what is better in this case – I mean that.

"It's not about me as a manager, it's about being a human being. Some things are more important than football and we realise that in this moment. We all have families, friends, kids, parents who we want to be well." 

After answering initial questions on the virus, Klopp took exception to being asked by a Madrid-based reporter whether he was worried about his players.

Klopp said: "Are you from Madrid? Are you concerned in your city? 

"Playing football is not special, it is just a game, we are not the society, we are part of it and we should all be worried at the same time.

"That's exactly the thing I don’t like, you sit there and ask this, but fly from Madrid to here. They are closing schools and universities and you are obviously concerned, and that is the question. But you think now football is worth travelling for.

"It is our common problem and we cannot sort it with football. We play football, that is our part, what we have to do.

"Your job is to transport information and I hope you do it better than you ask questions. It really gets me angry when you ask me a question and suggest I have a problem that you don't have. We have all the same problem. 

"You talk to people every day to people from close range which I don't do, so are you worried? The players at the moment are all healthy. What we do with not shaking hands is setting a sign, not [because players are more at risk]. 

"It's good for you and it is good for me not to shake hands. It's a sign for society, for everyone. Are we all not in the same boat?"

Everton head coach Ancelotti has spoken with Klopp amid the coronavirus pandemic and said the German had concerns over his side’s continental fixture going ahead in front of a full stadium on March 11.

Liverpool went out of the Champions League after the second leg of their last-16 tie ended in a 4-2 aggregate defeat, their last match before top-level football was widely halted due to the outbreak.

Ancelotti told Corriere dello Sport: "I heard from Klopp the other day, he told me that going ahead with the game in those conditions was a criminal act. I think he was right."

Former Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Milan boss Ancelotti predicts there will be an economic "downsizing" after the virus has passed, with football feeling the effects of that.

"We are all living a life that we were not used to and that will change us profoundly," he said. "I'm sure we will all have to downsize, starting with football.

"Today, the priority is health, limiting the contagion. When you start again, when you finish, the dates - believe me, I don't care. At the moment, that's the last thing on my mind.

"I hear talk about cutting salaries, suspension of payments. They seem like inopportune solutions.

"Soon the economy will change, and that's at all levels: The TV rights will be less, players and coaches will earn less, tickets will cost less because people will have less money.

"I repeat, what matters now is to fight the virus effectively. Then, of course, if it will be possible to continue the season... otherwise, amen."

Further measures to prevent the spread of the virus were taken on Tuesday, affecting a plethora of sports and leagues.

More events were subject to postponements, while games taking place in empty arenas will become a regular sight in the coming weeks.

Here we look at the sporting decisions announced as the world attempts to tackle the outbreak.

In France, Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games will be played behind closed doors until April 15. France's minister for sport Roxana Maracineanu had on Monday said games could be played with a limit of 1,000 fans, but the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) confirmed on Tuesday that no fans will be permitted. Earlier, Maracineanu called for fans to show "responsibility" and avoid "any damaging impact on public order" when Paris Saint-Germain play Borussia Dortmund behind closed doors in the Champions League on Wednesday.

The friendly between Germany and Italy, set to take place on March 31 in Nuremberg, will now be played behind closed doors, the German Football Association (DFB) confirmed. Additionally, there will be no fans at the Bundesliga game between Hoffenheim and Hertha Berlin on March 14.

Also in Germany, the rearranged Bundesliga match between rivals Borussia Monchengladbach and Cologne, which was originally cancelled due to Storm Ciara, will now be played behind closed doors on Wednesday.

Gladbach CEO Stephan Schippers expressed his concern at a news conference, saying: "From a commercial perspective, you can't plan for something like this. 

"We will lose €2million per game. We have insurance against games that are called off, but not if they are played behind closed doors. That will hurt all clubs, including Borussia, financially.

"Fans have the right to be reimbursed. The settlement process will be discussed, but for now we need to see if more games will also follow. In that sense, we will find the right solution."

All sporting activity in Italy is suspended until April 3 by the country's Olympic Committee. In a statement, the committee conceded it does not have jurisdiction over international competitions. Following that, it was confirmed the Champions League clash between Barcelona and Napoliat Camp Nou on March 18 will go ahead behind closed doors. The Italian club insisted reports claiming they wanted the match to be postponed were "fake news".

The PGA of America and PGA Tour have rejected suggestions the US PGA Championship, which is to be held from May 14-17 at TPC Harding Park, could be moved from San Francisco after this week's tennis tournaments in Indian Wells were cancelled. 

"They [PGA of America officials] are fully planning on proceeding with the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco," PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said. "There is no plan at this point in time for the PGA Championship to be held here. It's going to be held at TPC Harding Park."

However, the MotoGP Grand Prix of the Americas, which was scheduled for April 3-5 in Austin, is postponed and will instead take place in November.

In the first indication that coronavirus could impact the NCAA men's basketball tournament, also known as March Madness, in the United States, the Ivy League announced its postseason tournament is cancelled. Yale have been declared Ivy League champions and will represent it in March Madness.

Wales will follow the advice of Italian authorities on whether Juventus midfielder Aaron Ramsey will be allowed to leave the country to take part in their home matches with Austria and USA later this month, amid the lockdown on travel in Italy.

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport released a statement insisting there was "no rationale" to postponing sporting events at this stage in the United Kingdom. Rugby Football Union chief executive Bill Sweeney said the message sporting authorities had received from the government was "let's not panic".

Matches in Poland's top flight, the Ekstraklasa, will be played without supporters until further notice. The Europa League final is scheduled to be played in Gdansk on May 27.

Ticket sales for Northern Ireland's away Euro 2020 play-off match against Bosnia-Herzegovina on March 26 have been suspended amid fears over the outbreak.

The Euro 2020 play-off match between the Republic of Irelandand Slovakia in Bratislava on March 26 will be played with no fans present on the instruction of the Slovakian government, with all supporters who bought tickets to be refunded.

The owner of Greek side Olympiacos and Championship club Nottingham Forest, Evangelos Marinakis, has confirmed he has contracted COVID-19. He wrote on Instagram: "The virus has 'visited' me and I felt obliged to let the public know. I feel good as I take all the necessary measures and I discipline to the doctors' instructions."