Paris (AFP)

After the lockups and postponements, the quarantined teams in their country. Already hit hard by the restrictions linked to the epidemic of new coronavirus, world sport sees the specter of chaos looming, with the difficulties of movement of the players themselves.

European football was just beginning to digest the announcements of behind closed doors in a mess to limit the movement of supporters that a new problem appeared Wednesday on the eve of the first leg of the Europa League's knockout stages.

Thus, AS Rome announced that it would not go to Spain for its match against Sevilla FC, Madrid having prohibited, from March 11 to 25, all flights from Italy, European country most affected by the Covid-19 virus epidemic, with 631 deaths out of more than 4,300 deaths.

For his part, the president of another Spanish team, Getafe, Angel Torres, assured that his players would not travel to Italy to face Inter Milan on Thursday, also in the Europa League, for fear of "entering a home of coronavirus ". "If we have to lose the match, we will lose it," said Angel Torres on Tuesday evening.

Wednesday afternoon, UEFA had not yet communicated on any rescheduling, which would further complicate the Italian calendar. In Rome, the government has indeed announced the suspension of all sports competitions, and therefore of Serie A, until April 3. However, the Italian championship will not a priori be able to encroach on the summer, because Euro-2020 must start on June 12.

- no stopover in Moscow -

Three other Europa League matches, including Linz-Manchester United, were to take place behind closed doors on Thursday, as was the Champions League clash between Paris SG and Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday, with matches welcoming spectators becoming the exception, as Glasgow Rangers-Bayer Leverkusen.

In France, the final of the Coupe de la Ligue, PSG-Lyon, scheduled for April 4, was postponed to May, in the hope of avoiding a closed session at the Stade de France.

Team travel restrictions are also disrupting the Euroleague women's basketball quarterfinals on Wednesday. The Montpellier club had to give up traveling to Ekaterinburg, Russia, where it was to play the first quarter-final of its history in the queen European competition, the players being unable to stop in Moscow which imposes a period of isolation from fourteen days to anyone from France in particular. The Fiba still had to rule on the sports consequences to be drawn from it, but the problem may arise again for the players of Asvel Lyon-Villeurbanne, who have an appointment in Orenburg on March 18.

For men, the next meetings of Italian clubs in Euroleague (Milan) and Eurocoupe (Venice and Bologna) must be relocated.

- flame without audience -

While the Argentine Motorcycle Grand Prix, scheduled from April 17 to 19, was postponed Wednesday from November 20 to 22, the fourth round affected by a season which was to start on March 8 in Qatar for all categories, from new worries joined Wednesday F1, which is to inaugurate hers this weekend in Australia.

Two members of the American team Haas and one of the British McLaren voluntarily placed themselves in isolation after presenting flu-like symptoms.

Tennis also continues to be affected: the International Federation announced Wednesday the postponement, to a date yet to be determined, of the final phase of the Fed Cup initially scheduled for mid-April in Budapest.

Postponements, cancellations and behind closed doors are increasing within five months of the Tokyo Olympic Games (July 24 - August 9), the largest sporting event in the world, where 11,000 athletes are expected and for whom 4.5 million tickets have been sold. In Japan, the virus infected 560 people, 12 of whom died.

The Japanese minister in charge of the Olympic Games judged Wednesday "inconceivable" to postpone or cancel the Games, even if a member of the organizing committee, Haruyuki Takahashi, raised the hypothesis according to the Wall Street Journal.

For the first time in three decades, the Olympic flame will be lit without spectators on Thursday at Olympia in Greece, the cradle of the Ancient Games.

© 2020 AFP