Lyon's supporters wave flags and hold banners during the French Cup semi-final football match between Olympique Lyonnais (OL) and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) at the Groupama Stadium in Decines-Charpieu, centraleastern France, on March 4, 2020.

Strasbourg's match vs. PSG called off over coronavirus concerns

6 years ago

PHILIPPE DESMAZES / AFP / Getty

Strasbourg's upcoming game against Paris Saint-Germain is the latest European fixture to be postponed because of concerns over the coronavirus.

Following an order from the local authorities, Ligue 1 announced it's pushing back Saturday's tilt in northeast France to a later date.

It's the first game in France to be postponed over concerns about the outbreak. France's nationwide ban on public gatherings exceeding 5,000 people previously didn't affect Ligue 1 matches.

PSG didn’t hang around - less than 1 hour after discovering that their match vs Strasbourg tomorrow has been called off due to coronavirus concerns, they’re already on the way back to Paris. pic.twitter.com/H9LpxvIqDL
— Get French Football News (@GFFN) March 6, 2020

The number of cases has grown over the last week, specifically in the region of Alsace, where the city of Strasbourg is located. As of Friday, nine people have died from the COVID-19 virus in France, and more than 600 people have been infected.

Ligue 1 has followed Serie A's lead and canceled games in response to the health crisis. Serie A decided to postpone 10 league fixtures before agreeing to stage games behind closed doors. The Italian government banned fans from attending sporting events until at least April 3.