Elite Football Suspended As Coronavirus Hits Sport

Both the Premier League and the EFL have suspended all football matches until at least 3rd April as coronavirus cancellations hit English football and various other sports.

All elite football in the country has been suspended, with the Premier League, EFL and Barclays FA Women’s Super League matches all postponed. Meanwhile, England’s international games against Denmark and Italy at the end of March have also been called off. The Scottish football season has also been postponed indefinitely.

The announcements come as Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea player Callum Hudson-Odoi both tested positive for the coronavirus, while a host of other clubs have confirmed that players are in self-isolation.

An unprecedented cancellation and postponements of other sporting events has also taken place in an attempt to stem the spread of the virus.

UEFA will host a video conference meeting on Tuesday 17th March to discuss the crisis, but has already announced that next week’s Champions League and Europa League fixtures have been postponed. France has also confirmed that Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 games have been postponed.

In cricket, England’s Test series in Sri Lanka has been cancelled, while golf’s THE PLAYERS Championship has been abandoned after players originally completed the first round in Florida. Motorsport’s Formula 1 and Formula E have called off events. The former cancelled the Australian Grand Prix on Thursday, while the latter has suspended races for two months, in a move that will have an impact on races in France, South Korea and Indonesia.

This follows the decision to suspend the NBA season, which was taken after a Utah Jazz player tested positive for coronavirus.

Meanwhile, having carefully monitored the ongoing impact of the coronavirus, and in line with the UK Government’s latest recommendations, Sport Industry Group has taken the decision to postpone the Sport Industry Awards 2020 from Thursday 30th April to Thursday 3rd September.