Football

Gianluca Vialli fears England vs Italy friendly won't go ahead due to coronavirus


Gianluca Vialli has admitted he does not know whether Italy’s friendly with England will go ahead because of the coronavirus.

Italy legend Vialli, now part of Azzurri boss Roberto Mancini’s backroom staff, has cast serious doubt on the Wembley friendly on March 27 going ahead.

Former Chelsea player/boss Vialli admits it would be a serious blow to his country’s Euro 2020 preparations but there is a growing concern because Italy has been so badly hit by the killer virus.

Italy’s government has said all sport in the country, including England’s men’s and women’s Six Nations matches and all Serie A games, will be played behind closed doors until April 3.

Serie A games have already been postponed, while Valencia’s Champions League home game against Italian club Atalanta is expected to be behind closed doors, and there are doubts over other sporting events.

Gianluca Vialli says this month’s scheduled friendly against England is an important part of Italy’s Euro 2020 preparations

Northern Italy has been one of the worst hit parts in Europe.

When asked whether the England friendly would be played, Vialli said: “I don’t know.

“We assume the game is going to go ahead unless we are told otherwise but it is difficult for us.

“We would like to know what to do in order to prepare for Euro 2020 in the best possible way.

Tourists wearing protective masks in an empty Castle Square in Turin, Italy

“We’ve scheduled this game but we need to be realistic and recognise that the governments and the sports authorities will decide what we have to do and we will do that.

“We have to take it one day at a time. At the moment we have to assume that everything is going to go ahead but we recognise that it all could change.”

The English FA has tried to play down fears of the game being postponed but this week’s Nations League draw has highlighted the growing crisis facing football.

Eight of the 55 national team managers – including Scotland boss Steve Clarke – did not even travel to Amsterdam with the Scottish FA admitting they did not want to take an “unnecessary risk.”

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UEFA has even told its own staff not to travel in the next fortnight unless their journeys are absolutely essential, putting a block on meetings and get togethers. There was even a scaled down staff in Amsterdam.

There have been 107 deaths caused by coronavirus in Italy, which has the most serious outbreak in Europe.





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