ARCHIVED - La Liga affected as Spanish football moves behind closed doors

Sports events are under scrutiny as Champions League and Europa League fixtures face disruption

The national government of Spain is beginning to intensify its measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in any way possible, and with public scrutiny falling on some apparent contradictions involving events which are allowed to go ahead as planned and those which are not, one of the latest innovations announced on Tuesday morning seriously affects the La Liga football program.

It has been decided that all matches in the Spanish “La Liga Santander” (first division) and “La Liga SmartBank” (second division) will be played behind closed doors for at least the next two weekends, the first fixture affected being the one which sees the visit of Eibar to face Real Madrid in the Santiago Bernabéu on Friday 13^th March. All of the clubs in the two leagues have been informed and little resistance is expected in the light of the disruption for supporters which already surrounds numerous imminent Champions League and Europa League matches.

It had already been announced that no spectators would be present to witness Valencia attempt to overturn a 4-1 first leg deficit against the northern Italian side Atalanta, although on Wednesday as things stand at present over 2,000 Atlético Madrid fans will be allowed to watch their team take on Liverpool at Anfield. On Thursday two Spanish clubs face Italian opposition in the Europa League: Sevilla host Roma (the suspicion being that the lack of supporters may actually favour Sevilla given their recent travails at home!), while Getafe’s away match against Inter Milan is up in the air, with the possibility remaining that it could be re-scheduled to take place at a neutral venue in Switzerland.

It is still too early to say with certainty whether Manchester City-Real Madrid and Barcelona-Napoli will go ahead as planned next week.

Unfortunately the Region of Murcia does not boast any teams in the top two tiers of Spanish football, but the ban on spectators extends to the lower divisions and as a result this weekend's fixtures are not open to the public. The games affected include Cartagena-Recreativo de Huelva at 18.00 on Sunday and UCAM Murcia-Sevilla Atlético at 12.00 on Sunday, while Real Murcia and Yeclano's fixtrues away from home at Sanlúcar de Barrameda and Don Benito respectively are also affected, as are those in lower divisions.

In addition, basketball fans will not be able to attend the UCAM CB - Estudiantes march in the Palacio de los Deportes in Murcia on Sunday at 17.00 and the Futsal fixtures between ElPozo Murcia and Levante and Ribera Navarra and Jimbee Cartagena are also affected. 

Image: La Liga (YouTube)

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