Soccer: Romanian matches to be played without spectators due to coronavirus

BUCHAREST (Reuters) – All Romanian league matches will be played without spectators attending until further notice because of the coronavirus outbreak, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) said.

The FRF also said in a statement it has suspended ticket sales for the 2021 European Under-21 Championship qualifier between Romania and Denmark on March 31.

Romania confirmed last month its first case of coronavirus in a man from the southern county of Gorj and more than a dozen other cases have been reported since.

Bulgaria, Romania’s southern neighbor, said on Sunday that all league matches in the next two rounds will be played behind closed doors because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The announcement came a few hours after the Balkan country confirmed its first cases of coronavirus.

A raft of sports events globally have been called off due to the coronavirus.

European soccer’s ruling body UEFA has banned players and match officials from shaking hands in line with recommendations made by the World Health Organization.

Reporting by Angel Krasimirov, editing by Ed Osmond

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source: reuters.com