Coronavirus sport news – live: Premier League suspended as Champions League and Europa League matches also cancelled
Follow latest updates as coronavirus continues to take its toll on the sporting world
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Follow live coverage where the Premier League has agreed to postpone the season until at least 4 April at in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The Independent has been told that several clubs have pushed for a suspension and that there is a minority of officials who will argue that the campaign should be voided altogether.
Uefa have confirmed that all Champions League and Europa League games next week, including Bayern Munich vs Chelsea and Man City vs Real Madrid, have been cancelled. This comes after Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta tested positive for the virus as has Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
England’s cricket tour of Sri Lanka has been called off while elsewhere, Formula One have cancelled the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. A member of McLaren’s team tested positive for Covid-19, leading the constructors to withdraw from this weekend’s planned race. F1 later announced the race would not go ahead. Follow the latest updates here:
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The Premier League had previously taken their lead from the government, which had been adamant that closing stadiums was reactionary, and not actually that beneficial.
That stance has been undercut by participating figures like Arteta and Hudson-Odoi actually contracting the virus, as it illustrates a host of other problems beyond the actual benefit of shutting down mass gatherings like football matches.
Watford manager Nigel Pearson has criticised Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson for his handling of the coronavirus situation.
The move to postpone the Boston Marathon comes after the Paris and Rome Marathons were cancelled, while there is no decision yet on the London Marathon, due to take place on 26 April.
↵Here's a look at all of the key developments in the world of football so far:
Fixtures in the National League are set to go ahead as originally planned.
The league held a board meeting on Friday afternoon following the suspension of all Premier League and EFL fixtures until early April, and came to the decision to allow fixtures to take place with crowds in attendance.
Breaking: Bundesliga suspended due to coronavirus outbreak in Germany
Germany's top tier had put off suspending the league, but the decision now means all of Europe's top five leagues will not play games for the foreseeable future - including the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Ligue 1.
The decision to postpone the Bundesliga season comes just hours before Fortuna vs Paderborn, which was scheduled to kick off at 7:30pm tonight.
What is the financial cost of the Premier League being suspended?
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