Valencia CF and Atalanta play in an empty stadium during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg match in Valencia, Spain, March 10, 2020. /VCG
The impact of coronavirus on major sports events rippled into more countries and competitions on Tuesday as governments, organizers and leagues moved to avoid the risk of large gatherings.
France, Spain close doors
The day after Italy canceled all domestic sports, the French, Spanish, Germans and Portuguese announced matches will be played in empty stadiums while some games in the Netherlands were canceled.
La Liga announced that fixtures in the country's top two tiers will go ahead in front of empty stands for the next fortnight until April 15, after the government on Sunday issued a ban on gatherings of more than 1,000 people.
Barcelona had earlier confirmed their Champions League tie against Napoli at the Camp Nou on March 18 would be played without spectators.
Neymar (C) of Paris Saint-Germain splits Borussia Dortmund players as the two sides meet in the UEFA Champions League round of 16 first-leg match in Dortmund, Germany, February 18, 2020. /VCG
Paris Saint-Germain's Champions League match at the Parc des Princes against Borussia Dortmund on Wednesday had already been forced behind closed doors.
Other high-profile but fan-free fixtures will include Saturday's Ruhr derby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke, and Bayern Munich's Champions League clash with Chelsea next week.
Portugal's Primeira Liga will also go behind closed doors with immediate effect with no date given for reopening stadiums to fans.
In Greece, where "mass gatherings" were banned last week, Thursday's torch lighting ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics will be held without spectators.
Algeria and the Czech Republic also joined the growing list of countries banning events with crowds.
Jurgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, during a training session in Liverpool, UK, March 10, 2020. /VCG
Klopp, Guardiola voice concerns
No restrictions have yet been placed on games played in Britain and Liverpool will host Atletico Madrid on Wednesday in front of a capacity crowd of more than 50,000, with nearly 3,000 fans expected to travel from Spain.
Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp said, "I don't know enough about how much it would help with the football games. The problem with football games is if you are not at the stadium you are in closed rooms watching, maybe together. I'm not sure what is better in this case," ahead of his side's Champions League last-16, second-leg match.
At the same time, Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola admitted he did not like the idea of matches being played in empty stadiums, but he believed it is only a matter of time before English clubs face further restrictions.
"We are here for the people. If it's just one or two games, OK, but not longer," he said. "We play for them and if they cannot be there, then there is no sense. I wouldn't love it."
He continued, "But if (European governing body) UEFA or the government say we have to play without spectators, we will do it. The health is the most important thing and we have to take care of the situation."
The teams line up in front of an empty stadium ahead of the Serie A match between Parma Calcio and SPAL in Parma, Italy, March 8, 2020. /VCG
Serie A season might not finish
The Italian football federation (FIGC) has admitted on Tuesday that the Serie A season might not finish because of the coronavirus outbreak and put forward several alternatives which included a playoff system to decide the champions and relegation.
The FIGC confirmed in a statement that Serie A would stop until at least April 3 following a government decree issued on Monday as Italy began an unprecedented, nationwide lockdown imposed to slow Europe's worst outbreak of coronavirus.
One possibility would be to have playoffs to decide the champion and relegation to Serie B, the statement said.
A second would be to declare the current standings to be final – which would result in Juventus winning the title by one point from Lazio – and a third would be to not declare a champion this season.
Josip Ilicic of Atalanta celebrates to an empty stand after scoring his team's second goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League round of 16 second-leg match between Valencia CF and Atalanta in Valencia, Spain, March 10, 2020. /VCG
Athletes line up behind such measures
LeBron James, the biggest star in the NBA, backtracked on his initial reaction last week when he said: "I ain't playing if I ain't got the fans in the crowd."
On Tuesday, the LA Lakers forward changed his tone.
"You gotta listen to the people that's keeping a track of what's going on and if they feel that's what's best for the safety of the players, the safety of the franchise, the safety of the league, to mandate that, then we're going to listen to them," he said.
In Italy, Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo said that "scared" Serie A players wanted the league stopped earlier because of the coronavirus crisis.
In the final Serie A game before the league halted until at least April 3, Caputo scored and held up a handwritten message on a piece of paper, urging fans: "Everything will be fine. Stay at home."
(With input from agencies)