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Sport in Italy shut down until April 3 as Prime Minister orders 'Stay at home'

Sport in Italy has been shut down until April 3 after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed-off on...



Sport in Italy shut down until...
Other Sports

Sport in Italy shut down until April 3 as Prime Minister orders 'Stay at home'

Sport in Italy has been shut down until April 3 after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte signed-off on an Italian Olympic Committee (CONI) recommendation.

It means all games, from Serie A down, will be shelved until the ban is lifted.

 

Sunday's Serie A games were all played behind closed doors, but Italy's Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora blasted Lega Serie A's decision to keep playing, saying it "makes no sense" for football to continue with up to 16 million people quarantined in the country.

Spadafora accused Lega Serie A's president Paolo dal Pino of "an irresponsible act".

Only domestic games fall under the Italian Olympic Committee's jurisdiction, so it's conceivable that future UEFA Champions League and Europa League games could still be played despite the call for a ban.

Inter are due to welcome Getafe to the San Siro on Thursday in the Europa League, with that game to be played behind closed doors. Juventus are due to play host to Lyon in the Champions League next week.

The FIGC's federal council is due to meet tomorrow to decide whether or not to cease all football in the country.

CONI asked the government on Monday to include the professional and amateur sports sectors in the announced economic support to compensate for the closures and inconveniences as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak.

463 people have died in Italy from coronavirus, with more than 7,985 recorded cases at time of writing.

The northern Italian region of Lombardy was the first to be placed on effective lockdown, but Conte has spread that directive to all 14 regions in the country.

 

Conte told a press briefing at Palazzo Chigi, "We can't afford to let our guard down. It's time for responsibility and we all have it.

"The right decision today is to stay home. Our future is in our hands."

Italy's Economy Ministry said in a release on Monday, "The economic measures in the works will be vigorous, commensurate to current needs, but temporary."

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Coronavirus Covid-19 Giuseppe Conte Italian Olympic Committee Italy Serie A