China News Network, March 14th. Beijing time. On the 14th, FIFA issued an announcement saying: based on the current severe situation of coronavirus, in order to avoid potential health risks and maintain the fairness of sports games, it is recommended to postpone International competition held in April.
The announcement stated that the FIFA Board ’s decision on regular terms for clubs to allow players to play in their national teams will not apply to international matches in March and April this year.
FIFA believes that the holding of international games under the current circumstances will not only bring potential health risks to players and the public, but also allow the team to affect the integrity of the game when it is impossible to exhaust the full lineup.
To avoid potential health risks and maintain fairness in sports competitions, FIFA recommends postponing all international competitions scheduled for March and April until public safety and health can be guaranteed. The final decision on this proposal rests with the organizing committees or the regional member associations.
So far, the FIFA World Cup qualifiers in Asia and South America have been postponed after consultations between FIFA and the relevant regional football associations.
The announcement stated that while maintaining close communication with the various football associations and relevant institutions, FIFA will carefully study the new season of the affected tournaments and is confident that the solution can minimize the impact on all parties. (Finish)