Follow live coverage where the Premier League has agreed to postpone the season until at least 4 April at in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak. The Independent has been told that several clubs have pushed for a suspension and that there is a minority of officials who will argue that the campaign should be voided altogether.
Uefa have confirmed that all Champions League and Europa League games next week, including Bayern Munich vs Chelsea and Man City vs Real Madrid, have been cancelled. This comes after Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta tested positive for the virus as has Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.
England’s cricket tour of Sri Lanka has been called off while elsewhere, Formula One have cancelled the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. A member of McLaren’s team tested positive for Covid-19, leading the constructors to withdraw from this weekend’s planned race. F1 later announced the race would not go ahead. Follow the latest updates here:
Follow all the latest updates as coronavirus continues to wreak havoc on the sporting world.
The biggest stories from overnight are Arsenal head coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi testing positive for the disease.
A statement from Arsenal read: "Arsenal personnel who had recent close contact with Mikel will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. We expect this to be a significant number of people from Colney, including the full first-team squad and coaching staff, as well as a smaller number of people from our Hale End Academy which we have also temporarily closed as a precaution.
We expect those who did not have close contact with Mikel to return to work in the coming days. In the meantime our Colney and Hale End training centres will undergo a deep clean and our other club sites are operating as normal."
A statement from Chelsea read: "Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with [Hudson-Odoi] in the men’s team building will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. These will include initially the full men’s team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff."
We expect those who did not have close contact with Mikel to return to work in the coming days. In the meantime our Colney and Hale End training centres will undergo a deep clean and our other club sites are operating as normal."
A statement from Chelsea read: "Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with [Hudson-Odoi] in the men’s team building will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. These will include initially the full men’s team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff."
Chelsea coach Frank Lampard will no longer carry out a press conference today, either.
Another significant story from overnight is the postponement of Formula One's Australian Grand Prix.
The season-opening race was set to take place this weekend, but was pulled after McLaren withdrew due to one of their team members testing positive for coronavirus.
The season-opening race was set to take place this weekend, but was pulled after McLaren withdrew due to one of their team members testing positive for coronavirus.
In a wrap of yesterday's news:
La Liga suspended its season for two weeks.
La Liga suspended its season for two weeks.
Tennis' ATP tour suspended its season for six weeks, meaning the Miami Open and Monte Carlo Masters join Indian Wells in being cancelled.
Man City vs Real Madrid and Juventus vs Lyon in the Champions League will not go ahead next week.
Uefa will meet next week to discuss the possible postponement of Euro 2020.
The NBA season was suspended indefinitely.
Sampdoria player Manolo Gabbiadini tested positive for coronavirus.
Boxing matches featuring Shakur Stevenson and Michael Conlan will take place behind closed doors in New York.
Those are the main headlines from yesterday, though there have been many developments across all sports.
The Premier League has called an emergency meeting and The Independent has been told that some clubs will push for the season to be suspended, while a small number of officials will argue the season should be voided.
In golf news, the PGA Tour’s Players Championship at Sawgrass was cancelled on Thursday night after the completion of the first round, owing to coronavirus concerns.
Organisers had already announced that the remaining three rounds across the weekend would take place without fans in attendance, in an effort to reduce the risk of the virus spreading. But a text message was sent to all players late on Thursday to confirm that the tournament – widely regarded as the ‘unofficial fifth major’ – would not resume in the morning.
“We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavouring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
“But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.”
“We did everything possible to create a safe environment for our players in order to continue the event throughout the weekend, and we were endeavouring to give our fans a much-needed respite from the current climate,” the PGA Tour said in a statement.
“But at this point – and as the situation continues to rapidly change – the right thing to do for our players and our fans is to pause.”
The PGA also confirmed that the next three weeks of the Tour schedule will be cancelled, which includes the Valspar Championship at Copperhead, the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship in the Dominican Republic and the Valero Texas Open, meaning there will be no golf played until the Masters on 9 April.
The Formula E season has been suspended for two months.
Founder and Chairman of Formula E, Alejandro Agag, said: “Right now is the time to take responsible actions and this is why we have decided to temporarily suspend the season and move forward with introducing measures to freeze races from taking place over the next two months.
"Motorsport plays a major part in our lives and it is important, but what is more important is the health and safety of our staff, fans and their families, as well as citizens in the cities we race.
"The ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be back in full force, once the ongoing health crisis and spread of COVID- 19 has subsided.”
Founder and Chairman of Formula E, Alejandro Agag, said: “Right now is the time to take responsible actions and this is why we have decided to temporarily suspend the season and move forward with introducing measures to freeze races from taking place over the next two months.
"Motorsport plays a major part in our lives and it is important, but what is more important is the health and safety of our staff, fans and their families, as well as citizens in the cities we race.
"The ABB FIA Formula E Championship will be back in full force, once the ongoing health crisis and spread of COVID- 19 has subsided.”
Leeds Rhinos are not travelling to Catalans Dragons for Saturday's Super League rugby match.
A Leeds player entered self-isolation due to showing coronavirus symptoms.
A Leeds player entered self-isolation due to showing coronavirus symptoms.
An English Football League (EFL) spokesman has said: “The EFL Board will meet this morning to make a decision on this weekend’s fixtures and beyond.”
The Athletic are reporting that the EFL will suspend all games.
The Athletic are reporting that the EFL will suspend all games.
England cricketer Ben Stokes has withdrawn from the match against Sri Lanka's President's XI due to an abdominal injury.
The England and Wales Cricket Board have said the injury is unrelated to coronavirus.
The England and Wales Cricket Board have said the injury is unrelated to coronavirus.
A statement from the French Rugby Federation: "The FFR suspends all its competitions, gatherings and training, as well as those of its leagues, departments and clubs, until the sanitary conditions allow their resumption.
"All championships of all categories without exception are suspended, as well as all activities of rugby schools, in order to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19."
"All championships of all categories without exception are suspended, as well as all activities of rugby schools, in order to effectively combat the spread of COVID-19."
Callum Hudson-Odoi of Chelsea has spoken after testing positive for coronavirus.
"As you may be aware, I had the virus for the last couple of days, which I've recovered from," he said in a video on Twitter.
"As you may be aware, I had the virus for the last couple of days, which I've recovered from," he said in a video on Twitter.
"I'm following the health guidelines and self-isolating myself from everybody for the week.
"I hope to see everybody soon and hopefully will be back on the pitch very soon."
The Formula One season has been thrown into doubt by the cancellation of the Australian Grand Prix due to the coronavirus.
Chief executive Chase Carey has said it will be "challenging" to predict when the next race might take place.
"It is a pretty difficult situation to predict," he said. "Everybody uses the word 'fluid' and it is a fluid situation."
Chief executive Chase Carey has said it will be "challenging" to predict when the next race might take place.
"It is a pretty difficult situation to predict," he said. "Everybody uses the word 'fluid' and it is a fluid situation."
The fourth round of the F1 championship in Shanghai in April had already been postponed and organisers in Bahrain, the second stop on the schedule, are looking to stage the race without spectators on 22 March.
But the Bahrain race and the following stop in Vietnam next month now look in jeopardy with personnel stuck in quarantine and global travel restrictions to prove a logistical nightmare for teams.
Holding the Netherlands Grand Prix on 3 May could also prove problematic after authorities cancelled sports events on Thursday and banned gatherings of more than 100 people.
Spain, the next stop on the calendar a week after the Netherlands race, is also battling an escalating coronavirus outbreak.
In cricket news, the Indian Premier League has been suspended until 15 April.
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The Premier League had previously taken their lead from the government, which had been adamant that closing stadiums was reactionary, and not actually that beneficial.
That stance has been undercut by participating figures like Arteta and Hudson-Odoi actually contracting the virus, as it illustrates a host of other problems beyond the actual benefit of shutting down mass gatherings like football matches.
