Italy-wide sport ban leaves Serie A race in chaos
All sporting activity in Italy has been suspended until 3 April by the Italian National Olympic Committee (CONI) due to the coronavirus spread, with football set to be the most-impacted sport.
The CONI announcement 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 3 April, 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.
After the news, here are the biggest clubs' Serie A and Coppa Italia matches set to be affected:
Juventus:
Bologna v Juventus, 14 March
Juventus v Lecce, 22 March
Juventus v Milan (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC
Lazio:
Atalanta v Lazio, 16 March
Lazio v Fiorentina, 21 March
Inter:
Inter v Sassuolo, 16 March
Parma v Inter, 23 March
Napoli v Inter (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC
Milan:
Lecce v Milan, 16 March
Milan v Roma, 23 March
Juventus v Milan (Coppa Italia semi-final second leg), TBC
With no matches set to take place until 3 April, 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 13 June, 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 leads 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.
Also effected among the wider sporting events previously postponed through March and early April is the Guinness Six Nations:
RUGBY UNION
Italy v England, 15 March
