England’s Six Nations clash with Italy is set to be staged behind closed doors after the Italian government introduced a blanket ban on spectators at sporting events because of the Coronavirus outbreak.
The measure, designed to combat the spread of the virus, will be in place until April 3 and dictates that all sports matches can only go ahead if they are held behind closed doors.
England had been due to play Italy at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome on March 14. The outbreak has already caused significant disruption to the tournament, with Ireland’s meeting with Italy postponed last month and yet to be rearranged.
Italian domestic football has already seen numerous postponements, including that of Wednesday night’s Coppa Italia semi-final tie between Juventus and AC Milan.
Only four Serie A matches went ahead as planned last weekend, and the league now faces having to play out a significant period of the season’s conclusion in front of empty stadiums.
Last week's Europa League tie between Inter Milan and Ludogorets was played behind closed doors at the San Siro.
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