Barcelona to face Napoli behind closed doors amid coronavirus fears
Barcelona’s Champions League last-16 second leg match with Napoli, scheduled for 18 March, will take place without spectators due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus, a club spokesman said on Tuesday, according to The Guardian.
The match – which will take place at Camp Nou after a 1-1 draw in Naples – is the latest Champions League fixture to be affected by the spread of the virus, with Paris Saint-Germain’s Wednesday return with Borussia Dortmund set to go ahead without supporters, as will Tuesday’s match between Valencia and Atalanta.
The Spanish Health Ministry had said sport fixtures expected to draw crowds from zones designated as high-risk for coronavirus, such as northern Italy, would be played without spectators.
On Monday, all domestic sporting activity at all levels in Italy was suspended until 3 April at the earliest, including all matches in Serie A. The last round of Serie A matches were played behind closed doors, including Sassuolo’s 3-0 win over Brescia on Monday, where striker Francesco Caputo celebrated after scoring by showing a message to TV cameras which read: “Everything will be OK. Stay at home.”
The Bulgarian Football Union has already suspended ticket sales for the qualifying play-off semi-final against Hungary – also scheduled for 26 March.