Follow live coverage where the Premier League has agreed to postpone the season until at least 4 April at in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The Independent has been told that several clubs have pushed for a suspension and that there is a minority of officials who will argue that the campaign should be voided altogether.
Uefa have confirmed that all Champions League and Europa League games next week, including Bayern Munich vs Chelsea and Man City vs Real Madrid, have been cancelled. This comes after Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta tested positive for the virus as has Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
England’s cricket tour of Sri Lanka has been called off while elsewhere, Formula One have cancelled the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. A member of McLaren’s team tested positive for Covid-19, leading the constructors to withdraw from this weekend’s planned race. F1 later announced the race would not go ahead. Follow the latest updates here:
Breaking rugby news: Wales vs Scotland in the Six Nations has been cancelled.
Breaking news in the world of golf: The Masters has been postponed.
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Here is the full story on the Giro d'Italia:
The Giro d'Italia, the second biggest race in cycling, has been postponed.
The NBA has said its hiatus due to coronavirus will likely last a month.
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Wolves captain Conor Coady admitted it was "strange" playing behind closed doors in the Europa League this week.
Aston Villa are doing their bit.
All Premier League fixtures have now been postponed until 3 April at the earliest due to the coronavirus outbreak.
UFC London is still set to take place as planned next Saturday.
A statement from West Ham: "Due to members of West Ham personnel being in direct contact with the Arsenal manager at our game at Emirates Stadium at the weekend, the Club is taking a precautionary approach and those individuals are now self-isolating, in line with Government health guidelines."
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This ranges from the Scottish Premiership all the way down to grassroots football.
The Old Firm Derby between Rangers and Celtic was due to take place this weekend.
"The IOC and the organising committee are not considering cancellation or a postponement - absolutely not at all," Seiko Hashimoto, an Olympic bronze medalist, told a news conference on Friday in Tokyo.
The International Olympic Committee and Tokyo organisers have stayed on message since the viral outbreak in China three months ago spread across Asia and then the globe: The games will open as scheduled on 24 July.
"I just can't see having no people there. In other words, not allowing people," Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. "Maybe, and this is just my idea, maybe they postpone it for a year."
The fixture is the only one that will go ahead on the final day of the championship, with both Italy vs England and France vs Ireland already postponed over coronavirus fears.
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Full story on England matches here:
This mean England's matches against Italy and Denmark at the end of March will not go ahead.
A statement from the EFL reads: "The FA, Premier League, EFL and Barclays FA Women’s Super League and FA Women’s Championship have collectively agreed to postpone the professional game in England until 3 April at the earliest.
"This action, which will be kept under constant review, has been taken due to the increasing numbers of Clubs taking steps to isolate their players and staff because of the COVID-19 virus.
"The postponements include all matches in the Championship, League One and League Two, as well as all Academy and youth team fixtures.
"In addition, Clubs are being advised to suspend indefinitely all non-essential activities which include, but are not limited to, player appearances, training ground visits and fan meetings."
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Breaking: The Premier League has been suspended until 3 April.
A statement is expected from the Premier League any moment now.
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The Premier League had previously taken their lead from the government, which had been adamant that closing stadiums was reactionary, and not actually that beneficial.
That stance has been undercut by participating figures like Arteta and Hudson-Odoi actually contracting the virus, as it illustrates a host of other problems beyond the actual benefit of shutting down mass gatherings like football matches.


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