The Asian Football Confederation announced on Wednesday that the matches of the Chinese clubs scheduled to be held at home in February and March in the AFC Champions League group stage matches will be transferred out of the country and played as out-of-home matches due to the Corona virus that has hit China for weeks.
A statement on the Al-Ittihad website said that the decision was taken after consultations with the Chinese Federation for the game "as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety and welfare of the participating players and clubs."
Up to now, the virus has killed more than 130 people in China and infected nearly 6,000 in China, and it has appeared in 15 countries around the world.
This has canceled many championships and sporting events that were scheduled to be held in China or transferred abroad as a result of the epidemic.
The federation decision will affect four Chinese clubs, the same from South Korea. In Group F, the South Korean FC Seoul was supposed to be a guest of Beijing FC on February 11th, but the match will take place in Seoul on the same day.
As for the fourth group, Ulsan Hyundai will meet at home with Shanghai Shenhua instead of Shanghai on the 18th of next month, while in the seventh, Suwon Samsung Blue Wings and Gwangju Evergrande will meet on the twelfth of February in Suwon, south of Seoul, instead of Gwangju.
As for the eighth group, Shanghai SIBG will travel to meet Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors on February 19.
The AFC said it would make its decision later on return matches and other matches.