All the latest news concerning the world of football and the Covid-19 outbreak…

With the worldwide impact of the Covid-19 outbreak, commonly known as coronavirus, extending to football, we are tracking the knock-on effect on both Roma and the global football community…

This article is updated daily with new developments.

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MARCH 24

GERMANY: The Bundesliga confirms that games will not resume before April 30 at the earliest.

JAPAN: Organisers officially announce that the Olympic Games - including the two football tournaments - will not take place in Tokyo this year. The Games have been postponed until 2021.

MARCH 23

SWITZERLAND: UEFA confirm the postponement of the Champions League, Europa League and Women's Champions League finals - adding that "no decision has yet been made on rearranged dates."

MARCH 22

CHINA: Marouane Fellaini becomes the first Chinese Super League player to confirm he has tested positive for the virus.

MARCH 21

ITALY: Milan confirm technical director Paolo Maldini and his son Daniel both have been diagnosed as positive for coronavirus.

SPAIN: Espanyol striker Wu Lei confirms he has tested positive for coronavirus.

ITALY: Juventus confirm player Paulo Dybala has tested positive for Covid-19.

MARCH 19

• England and Turkey postpone all games in their domestic leagues until further notice

ENGLAND: The Premier League and Football League agree to postpone all professional football in the country until April 30, at the earliest. The Football Association have also waived a rule previously requiring all domestic games to be finished by June 1, paving the way for a potential late finish to the current 2019-20 campaign.

TURKEY: The Turkish Football Federation confirm that the Turkish Süper Lig has been postponed until further notice.

MARCH 18

• Espanyol the latest club to confirm widespread positive cases
  

SPAIN: Espanyol announce that six members of the first-team playing and technical staff have tested positive for Covid-16. “All have mild symptoms and are complying with medical recommendations,” a statement on the club website reports.

SOUTH AFRICA: The South African football association suspend all matches until at least April 4.

MARCH 17

• UEFA postpone European Championships until 2021
• CONMEBOL follow suit - Copa America will now take place next year
• Juventus confirm further players have tested positive for coronavirus

ITALY: Juventus confirm midfielder Blaise Matuidi has tested positive for Covid-19.

PARAGUAY: CONMEBOL also confirm the decision to postpone this summer's Copa America. The tournament will now also take place in the summer of 2021, and on the same dates as EURO 2021 - June 11 - July 11.

SWITZERLAND: Following a meeting with stakeholders across the continent, UEFA agrees to postpone the European Championships by a year, from 2020 to 2021. "The health of all those involved in the game is the priority," the body said in a statement.

GERMANY: Hertha Berlin confirm that one of their players has tested positive for Covid-19.

ITALY: Juventus confirm that 10 members of its women's team are in voluntary isolation.

BRAZIL: Flamengo coach Jorge Jesus confirms that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

MARCH 16

• Mexico the latest national league to postpone all games
• Australian league continues, but behind closed doors

ENGLAND: The National League, the top division of the non-league pyramid in England, announces the postponement of all matches.

MEXICO: Authorities confirm the suspension of all games from Monday onwards. Cruz Azul beat Club America 1-0 in the final game that took place before the suspension came into effect.

AUSTRALIA: The Australian football federation confirm that the remaining six rounds of the A-League season will go ahead - but all games will take place behind closed doors.

MARCH 15

• First cases of Covid-19 in La Liga are confirmed

SPAIN: Valencia subsequently confirm a further four players and staff have been diagnosed as positive for coronavirus.

SPAIN: Valencia defender Ezequiel Garay confirms via Instagram that he has been diagnosed with Covid-19. The Argentine is the first La Liga player to receive a positive test.

ENGLAND: With only non-league matches going ahead this weekend in England, one manager of a National League team slammed the decision, accusing league organisers of only thinking about money. Eastleigh manager Ben Strevens said: "There’s no way whatsoever these games should have been played.”

MARCH 14

• Two more Fiorentina players test positive
• Germany's friendly with Italy postponed

GERMANY: Italian football federation confirms its forthcoming friendly against Germany is also off, after the German government banned gatherings of more than 100 people.

ITALY: Fiorentina confirm two further players, German Pezzella and Patrick Cutrone, along with a physiotherapist, have tested positive for Covid-19.

EGYPT: The African football federation announces that all Africa Cup of Nations fixtures scheduled for the end of this month are postponed.

MOROCCO: Moroccan Football Federation announces a suspension to all football activity.

MARCH 13

• Premier League suspends all games until at least April 3
• Sampdoria confirm further four players have Covid-19
• UEFA postpone all next week's Champions League & Europa League games
  

ITALY: Sampdoria confirm players Omar Colley, Albin Ekdal, Antonino La Gumina and Morten Thorsby have been diagnosed with coronavirus. Fiorentina subsequently confirm forward Dusan Vlahovic also has the virus.

EGYPT: CAF announce that qualifying matches for the Africa Cup of Nations, U-20 Women's World Cup and Africa Women Cup of Nations are postponed until further notice.

GERMANY: The DFL announce that the Bundesliga is suspended until April 2, including this weekend's fixtures.

ENGLAND: The FA have confirmed England’s friendlies against Italy and Denmark at Wembley Stadium, both scheduled for the end of this month, have been postponed.

SCOTLAND: The Scottish FA announce that all domestic professional and grassroots football is suspended until further notice.

ENGLAND: Premier League announces all games are suspended until April 3 "at the earliest".

SWITZERLAND: UEFA confirm all Champions League and Europa League matches scheduled for next week are now postponed.

ENGLAND: Chelsea's Callum Hudson-Odoi tests positive for coronavirus. The club announce: "Chelsea personnel who had recent close contact with the player in the men’s team building will now self-isolate in line with Government health guidelines. These will include initially the full men’s team squad, coaching staff and a number of backroom staff."

ENGLAND: Everton become the latest Premier League club to go into isolation, after a player reports symptoms consistent with those of coronavirus.

FRANCE: Authorities vote to suspend Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 until further notice in the wake of the outbreak.

MARCH 12

• Real Madrid go into quarantine, La Liga season suspended for two weeks
• Dutch, United States and Czech leagues among those to also stop
• Sampdoria forward Manolo Gabbiadini tests positive
  

ENGLAND: Premier League announces it will "convene an emergency club meeting tomorrow morning [Friday] regarding fixtures after Mikel Arteta tested positive for Covid-19."

USA: The National Women's Soccer League cancels all preseason activities leading up to opening match on April 18.

ENGLAND: Arsenal close training ground after head coach Mikel Arteta tests positive for Covid-19.

ENGLAND: Premier League issue statement confirming “all Premier League matches will go ahead as scheduled this weekend after latest Government update.”

BRAZIL: CONMEBOL confirm a temporary suspension of the 2020 Copa Libertadores, beginning with the matches currently scheduled for March 15.

ENGLAND: Manchester City announce the postponement of their Champions League match with Real Madrid after the Spanish club was put into quarantine after a member of their basketball team tested positive for Covid-19.

UNITED STATES: Concacaf confirm the suspension of the Concacaf Champions League with immediate effect.

UNITED STATES: United Soccer League announce decision to suspend the 2020 season for a minumum of 30 days.

CZECH REPUBLIC: Czech Republic confirm that all matches in the first and second divisions are officially postponed until further notice.

IRELAND: The Irish football association announce the postponement of all football matches in the country until March 29.

UNITED STATES: Major League Soccer has suspended match play for 30 days, effective immediately.

PORTUGAL: The Portuguese football federation confirm that all national football and futsal competitions are officially suspended indefinitely.

ITALY: Hellas Verona announce that following the news that recent opponent Manolo Gabbiadini has tested positive for Covid-19, "any scheduled competitive activity is suspended until further notice".

HOLLAND: Eredivisie announce that all matches in the first and second divisions are officially cancelled until March 31.

ITALY: Sampdoria confirm forward Manolo Gabbiadini has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

GERMANY: Hannover player Jannes Horn becomes second German player to test positive for the disease.

ENGLAND: Leicestery City manager Brendan Rodgers confirms that a number of his players have self-isolated, after coming down with symptoms consistent with Covid-19.

SWITZERLAND: UEFA confirms it will hold a video conference next week (March 17) with all major stakeholders, to discuss the ongoing football calendar. In a statement, the governing body noted, "Discussions will include all domestic and European competitions, including UEFA EURO 2020."

SPAIN: Authorities announce that La Liga games have been suspended for the next two weeks.

SPAIN: Real Madrid confirm a member of their basketball team has tested positive for Covid-19. As a result, the club - including its football team, which shares facilities with the basketball side - is put into quarantine.

BOSNIA: The Bosnian FA requests to UEFA that its Euro 2020 play-off game against Northern Ireland is postponed, as coronavirus causes areas of the country to be quarantined. "This means that most of our players would not be able to play a play-off game."

BRAZIL: Brazil’s first two qualifying matches for the 2022 World Cup have been postponed. The five-time world champions were due to kick off their campaign at home to Bolivia on March 27 and then fly to face Peru four days later.

ROMANIA: All league matches are officially suspended until March 31.

MARCH 11

• Roma refused permission to fly to Spain
• UEFA postpone Sevilla v. Roma and Inter v. Getafe
• Juventus defender Daniele Rugani tests positive for Covid-19

ITALY: Inter Milan announce that following the news that recent opponent Daniele Rugani has tested positive for Covid-19, 'all competitive activities have been suspended until further notice'.

QATAR: Four-team Qatar Airways international tournament due to be played in Doha later this month and featuring Belgium, Switzerland, Crotia and Portugal is cancelled.

ITALY: Juventus publicly announce Daniele Rugani has tested positive for Covid-19.

ENGLAND: The England national team announce on Twitter that its two matches in March, including one against Italy, are still scheduled to go ahead. "At present, and in line with current government advice, nothing has changed regarding the status of our games against Italy and Denmark later this month," @England tweeted.

SWITZERLAND: The Roma squad is stopped from travelling to Spain, after authorities deny permission for the plane from Italy to land in Seville ahead of the UEFA Europa League Round of 16 tie. UEFA subsequently postpone the game, along with Getafe’s trip to face Inter Milan. More details here.

ENGLAND: Premier League postpone Manchester City v Arsenal as a “precautionary measure” after a small number of Arsenal players, along with four of the club’s staff, were confirmed to have been in close proximity to the Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis, who was subsequently diagnosed with the virus. Arsenal players go into quarantine.

UNITED STATES: Seattle Sounders FC and San Jose Earthquakes become the first Major League Soccer clubs to postpone matches amid the spread of coronavirus in the United States. Later in the day, the National Basketball Association announces it will suspend all games from Thursday onwards.

GERMANY: Hannover player Timo Hubers becomes the first German professional footballer to test positive for the disease.

FRANCE: The French League Cup Final between PSG and Olympique Lyonnais on April 4 is postponed due to the coronavirus outbreak.

MARCH 10

• Olympiakos owner tests positive for the Covid-19
• League matches in Spain & France to be played behind closed doors
• Italian football federation confirm suspension of Serie A until April 3
  

GREECE: Olympiakos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis announces on Instagram that he has tested positive for Covid-19. “The recent virus has visited me and I felt obliged to let the public know.”

ITALY: The Italian football federation, following a meeting with other key stakeholders, confirm all professional games in domestic leagues are suspended until April 3. More details here.

ENGLAND: Wolves express their surprise after UEFA refuse their request for their Europa League meeting with Olympiakos to be postponed, despite the Greek club's president testing positive for the virus.

FRANCE: Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappe is tested for coronavirus as a precautionary measure. The France international is cleared of having the illness.

SPAIN: Valencia’s Champions League match with Atalanta takes place behind closed doors. However, thousands of fans turn up at the Mestalla prior to kick-off, raising concerns about the success of the safety measures.

SPAIN: La Liga announces that matches in the first and second divisions will all be played behind closed doors for the following two weeks

EGYPT: The Egyptian Football Association announces that all matches will be played behind closed doors

MARCH 9

• Roma’s away meeting with Sevilla in Spain to be played behind closed doors
• A number of other matches around Europe also moved behind closed doors

SWITZERLAND: UEFA confirm that the first leg meeting between Roma and Sevilla in the Europa League last-16, set for the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan, will also be played behind closed doors.

ROMANIA: The Romanian Football Federation announces that all league matches will be played behind closed doors until further notice.

ASIA: The Asian qualifiers in March and June for the 2022 FIFA World Cup are postponed to later dates.

MARCH 8

• Pre-match handshakes cancelled
• Italy confirms plan to put 11-worst affected regions on lockdown
  

SWITZERLAND: UEFA issues a directive to prohibit pre-match handshakes between players and officials in all European competitions until further notice.

BULGARIA: All league matches in Bulgaria are to be played behind closed doors for the next two rounds, while all sporting events in two regions of the country are postponed.

MARCH 7

• President of Italian footballers’ association calls for league suspension
• Parma-SPAL delayed as authorities discuss postponing league
  

ITALY: Parma’s game against SPAL – the first Serie A fixture of the weekend – is postponed with players waiting in the tunnel, as authorities discuss their options. All five games over the weekend are eventually played, albeit behind closed doors. Elsewhere, Italian footballers’ association president Damiano Tommasi calls for Serie A to be suspended, as a matter of public and player safety.

SAUDI ARABIA: Nation announces that all professional sports will be played behind closed doors until further notice.

MARCH 6

• Roma launch Covid-19 awareness vide

ITALY: Through AS Roma's foundation, Roma Cares, the club donates 2,000 FFP3 masks, 1,500 blue masks and 60 bottles of sanitizing gel to Rome's Lazzaro Spallanzani Hospital, on the recommendation of the National Civil Protection. The club also announces that from March 10, Roma Cares will begin the process of distributing 2,000 small bottles of sanitizing gel to the customers of the Roma Store in Piazza Colonna.

MARCH 5

• Premier League bans pre-match handshakes

ENGLAND: The Premier League announces that for 'health reasons, there will be no shaking of hands between players and match officials ahead of Premier League matches until further notice'.

MARCH 4

• Serie A confirm all matches to be played behind closed doors until April 3

ITALY: The Italian football association confirms that all professional matches in Italy will be played behind closed doors until April 3, in line with a government directive. Additionally, Serie A confirms games postponed the previous weekend will be played the following weekend - with subsequent matches for all teams delayed.

IN BRIEF

The major Covid-19-related football news prior to the start of March

FEBRUARY 29

• The five Serie A games set to be played behind closed doors are postponed
  

FEBRUARY 28

• Switzerland postpones domestic league in the wake of the outbreak.

FEBRUARY 25

• Five upcoming Serie A matches in affected regions are ordered to take place behind closed doors
• Japan suspend the J-League as precautionary measure

FEBRUARY 23

• Serie A games in Lombardy and Veneto, the worst outbreak-affected regions of Italy, postponed

FEBRUARY 19

• Atalanta’s Champions League game against Valencia takes place in Milan. A journalist from Valencia subsequently is diagnosed with coronavirus.

FEBRUARY 13

• Manchester United signing Odion Ighalo, who had previously been playing in China, trains away from club as precautionary measure

JANUARY 30

• The start of the Chinese Premier League season is delayed due to coronavirus fear.

JANUARY 11

• China confirms first death from coronavirus, as it spreads in city of Wuhan