Premier League and English Football League matches will reportedly be played without fans under the government’s plans to fight the spread of coronavirus.
The measures are part of the Government’s crisis plan for football, which could be put into action as early as Thursday morning.
A meeting of the Government’s Cobra committee on Thursday morning is expected to move the UK’s response to the coronavirus pandemic from the ‘contain’ to the ‘delay’ phase.
And that will see the crisis plan for football unveiled, according to the Times.
The publication says that under the plan, the current football season will not be postponed.
Instead, fans will be shut out and matches in the Premier League and English Football League will be played behind closed doors – as has happened in the Spanish La Liga and French Ligue 1.
Season-ticket holders and holders of tickets for individual games will be able to stream coverage of matches, while broadcasters will be able to show more than one game during the current television slots on Saturdays, Sundays and Mondays.
However, there will be no relaxing of the regulations preventing matches being shown at 3pm on a Saturday.
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And games will not be shown in pubs so as not to encourage congregation of people in public places.
The Times reports that the plan could be implemented when the number of UK coronavirus cases passes 500. On Wednesday night the number stood at 460.
Juventus defender Daniele Rugani became the highest-profile footballer so far to be confirmed as having coronavirus when his club revealed the news on Wednesday night.
Serie A has already been suspended but the news has thrown the Bianconeri’s Champions League last-16 second leg against Lyon scheduled for next Tuesday into serious doubt.
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