City v Arsenal game postponed as coronavirus hits sport

Wednesday night's match between Manchester City and Arsenal has been postponed over coronavirus fears after the owner of recent Gunners opponents Olympiacos contracted Covid-19, the Premier League has said.

But another Premier League club, Wolves, are incensed UEFA has not called off their scheduled trip to Olympiacos on Thursday to play in the Europa League.

The Premier League announced just after midnight on Tuesday that the fixture at City's Etihad Stadium would be postponed due to the fact Olympiacos owner Evangelos Marinakis visited Arsenal for the clubs' Europa League tie on February 27.

Marinakis, also the majority owner of Nottingham Forest, met several Arsenal players and staff, the Premier League said in a statement.

Arsenal said those players were now self-isolating for 14 days and were thus unavailable for Wednesday night's game, triggering the Premier League's decision to postpone.

As the effect of the coronavirus began to grip sport worldwide, the Premier League said: "Following medical advice, Arsenal FC and Manchester City FC consider it is necessary to postpone their fixture due to be played this evening to give time to fully assess the situation. The Premier League has therefore agreed that tonight's game will be rearranged."

The League said the postponement was linked directly to Marinakis's infection, and there were currently no plans to postpone other matches.

Despite Marinakis' diagnosis and his position at Forest, the English Football League also says there are no immediate plans to postpone any fixtures.

Wolves, meanwhile, are angry that UEFA denied their appeal to postpone their scheduled Europa League last 16 first leg tie at Olympiacos after Marinakis announced his diagnosis.

UEFA said instead the game would go ahead behind closed doors, a scene becoming more common in sport in various countries.

Spanish club Getafe's president Angel Torres railed against UEFA for its perceived inaction, and said his side would refuse to comply with the governing body's insistence they travel to virus hotspot northern Italy on Thursday to play Inter Milan.

Wolves, however, will respect UEFA's decision and play their no-spectators match in Athens, but urged the governing body to "consider alternative options moving forwards, as this will not be the last fixture to be affected by coronavirus".

"Our position is that the trip poses unnecessary risks to our players, staff, supporters and the families of all who travel, at such critical and uncertain times," the Wolves statement read, adding the club was also concerned for their opponents' mental and physical wellbeing.

A Forest statement said Marinakis had shown no symptoms when in Nottingham last week, during which time he attended the club's home game against Millwall on Friday night and reportedly met with the first-team squad.

Confirming matches across its three divisions would continue as normal for the time being, an EFL statement said: "The League is in dialogue to fully ascertain the set of circumstances that existed when Mr Marinakis visited (Forest) last week and in conjunction with the club will make a determination on what measures are to be taken – if any – when full details are known."

Earlier on Tuesday, Arsenal said in a statement to the PA news agency none of its personnel who had met Marinakis had reported symptoms.

Later, however, the club said it was taking a cautious approach, saying in a statement: "We have been taking medical advice and tracing any individuals who had what the (Government) guidelines define as close contact with him at the game 13 days ago.

"As a result of this exercise we identified that a number of players met the Olympiacos owner immediately following the game.

"The medical advice we have received puts the risk of them developing Covid-19 at extremely low. However, we are strictly following the Government guidelines which recommend that anyone coming into close contact with someone with the virus should self-isolate at home for 14 days from the last time they had contact."

The Wolves-Olympiacos match is one of many European ties that will take place without spectators.

Manchester United's Europa League last-16 first leg at Austrian side LASK on Thursday and the second leg of Chelsea's Champions League last-16 clash away to Bayern Munich on Wednesday, March 18 are among them.

So too the second leg of Rangers' Europa League tie at Bayer Leverkusen on Thursday, March 19.

On the international front, the Republic of Ireland's Euro 2020 play-off semi-final against Slovakia in Bratislava on March 26 will be played behind closed doors.

The Bosnia and Herzegovina federation has confirmed ticket sales for this month's Euro 2020 play-off match with Northern Ireland, which were set to go on sale on Wednesday, have been suspended.

England's friendly against Italy at Wembley on March 27 is set to go ahead as normal, but Italy's match against Germany in Nuremberg four days later will be played behind closed doors.

France will also play this month's friendlies at home to Ukraine and Finland without spectators.

At least the next two rounds of Spanish LaLiga matches will be played without fans.

Games across the French leagues will be played behind closed doors until April 15, as will the 25th round of fixtures in Portugal's top-two leagues.

Italy's Serie A was one of the first leagues to be suspended following the outbreak.

The Italian Football Federation admitted the season may not be completed, which would leave the options of not having champions this season, making the current standings final or scheduling play-offs to determine the title winners and relegated clubs.

UEFA said it had received no requests from national associations to postpone Euro 2020, which starts in Rome on June 12.