Juventus vs AC Milan pre –match press conference abandoned

Serie A giant abandons their pre-match press conference ahead of their Sunday face-off against Inter Milan.

Sunday’s most awaited, high-profile face-off between two football’s major powerhouses Juventus and Inter will be among the six Italian league matches to be played behind closed doors due to the outbreak of COVID-19 (coronavirus) in Italy. Serie A giant has also abandoned their pre-match press conference.

Italy’s Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora, recently mentioned that all the sporting events in the country’s most-affected places have been banned until March 1. However, for some events, the government has approved of “the possibility to play them behind closed doors”.

The match will be played among five Serie A games in the north of the country, which has been facing a tough hit by the virus and will be played in the most discreet manner. The remaining four are Udinese against Fiorentina, AC Milan at home to Genoa, Parma against SPAL and Sassuolo versus Brescia.

“In compliance with the restrictions currently in force, Maurizio Sarri’s conference, on the eve of the Juventus v Inter match, will not take place,” the Serie A champions said in a statement.

To which Milan replied saying, “in compliance with the measures” they would not be conducted any press conference before their game against Genoa in the San Siro on Sunday.

On the other hand, Manchester City rivals Inter Milan’s Europa game against Ludogorets, a Bulgarian club, which also took place very discreetly at San Siro on Thursday. Currently, Italy is facing the largest coronavirus epidemic in Europe with 650 people infected and 17 deaths.

The other Four Serie B matches will also be played in a discreet manner. The teams includes Cittadella versus Cremonese; Chievo against Livorno; Venezia hosting Cosenza and Virtus Entella welcoming Crotone.

While a 22-year-old player from Italy’s third division club US Pianese is still recovering in hospital in Siena post-testing positive for coronavirus.

“At the moment, excluding the infected player who is hospitalized, all the players, technicians and managers are in quarantine,” the Tuscan club said in a statement.