FC Barcelona v Napoli to be played behind closed doors

The Champions League game to be played on 18 March between FC Barcelona and Napoli will be played behind closed doors at Camp Nou. The decision was taken after a meeting on Tuesday morning between FC Barcelona representavtives and those of the Catalan Regional Government (Generalitat de Catalunya). The Club has followed the recommendations of the Generalitat from the meeting which took place in the Department of Health of the regional government. 

"It is a decision that the Club has taken for health reasons, not just for the country but for the entire continent which is what is important and the Club will apply this decision with the support of the Catalan people. As such it is a decision that has been taken solely on health grounds" said Joan Guix, the Health Secretary of the Catalan Regional Government after the exponential rise in coronavirus cases in the last few hours. "The objective is to reduce the number of infections and one of the first things to take into account is avoiding large gatherings, maintain safe distances and in this there is an added motive as not just the team but all the fans that could also attend the game come from Italy, where on Monday borders were closed on health grounds," added Joan Guix. 

On Monday, the Italian authorities announced that all domestic sporting events, including Serie A, are suspended until 3 April at the earliest.