Serie A players will not be called to travel to South America this month, as the World Cup qualifiers have been postponed, along with the Copa Libertadores games.
It was not clear how players currently in Europe would be treated when travelling for international duty, particularly those from the hardest-hit areas by the Coronavirus such as Italy and Spain.
“Following consultation with CONMEBOL, FIFA has decided to postpone the upcoming South American qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as follows,” read a statement.
Serie A players will not be called to travel to South America this month, as the World Cup qualifiers have been postponed, along with the Copa Libertadores games.
It was not clear how players currently in Europe would be treated when travelling for international duty, particularly those from the hardest-hit areas by the Coronavirus such as Italy and Spain.
“Following consultation with CONMEBOL, FIFA has decided to postpone the upcoming South American qualifiers for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 as follows,” read a statement.
“Matches originally scheduled to take place during the international window of 23-31 March 2020 are postponed to later dates. Details of the postponed matches will be discussed and announced soon.
“FIFA will continue to assess the situation in relation to COVID-19 and will decide whether further changes to the schedule of South American FIFA World Cup 2022 qualifiers are required, always with the aim of protecting the health and safety of all individuals involved.”
In similar news, the Copa Libertadores – the South American version of the Champions League – has been suspended.
Over 1,000 people have now died in Italy from the Coronavirus and two Serie A players have tested positive, Juventus defender Daniele Rugani and Sampdoria forward Manolo Gabbiadini.