03
OFF FIELD
BEHIND
CLOSED DOORS BY ZAAHID NANABHAY
By mid-February, Italy which would become one of the virus hotspots in the world, announced certain matches would be played behind closed doors in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus. From tthis moment, one could already tell something was bitterly wrong. Be that as it may, a new normal was
SOCCERZELA.CO.ZA
fast approaching but not before we dealt with, and got over total suspension. By the end of February 2020, football in Asia had pretty much come to a standstill, and like the trends of the virus itself, the continent’s plight was soon to be felt across the globe. At the same time in other parts of the world, behind-closed-doors and where no handshaking before games became the norm, football’s governing bodies were left with one choice and one choice only: suspend football across the board.
following a meeting between all 20 clubs. 03 March: Italian Super Cup fixtures postponed. 11 March: French and Spanish cup games postponed. Selected UEFA Champions League games postponed. Juventus’ Daniel Rugani tests positive for the virus. 5 Valencia players test positive.
Significant dates
12 March: CONMEBOL Qualifiers postponed. LaLiga suspended. MLS suspended. 121 Juventus members placed into self-isolation. Mikel Arteta tests positive. Manolo Gabbiadini tests positive. Eredivisie suspended. Serie A suspended.
02 March: The Swiss Football League is suspended until 23 March
13 March: AFCON Qualifiers postponed. UEFA suspends all
ISSUE 6 JUNE 2020
