Juventus' Cristiano Ronaldo runs on the pitch in an empty stadium due to the novel coronavirus outbreak during the match against Inter Milan in Turin, Italy on Sunday. Photo: AFP

 

Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Monday announced the suspension until April 3 of all sporting events in the country, including the top-flight Serie A football league, as Italy grapples with the coronavirus crisis.

The final Serie A game before the government announcement saw Sassuolo beat Brescia 3-0 behind closed doors in Reggio Emilia on Monday.

After scoring his opening goal Sassuolo striker Francesco Caputo held up a handwritten message on a piece of paper, urging fans, "Everything will be fine. Stay at home."

A few hours later the prime minister used similar words as he announced a countrywide lockdown. 

"I am going to sign a decree that can be summarized as follows: I stay at home," Conte announced in a dramatic evening television address.

The unprecedented measures limiting travel and banning public gatherings across the country of more than 60 million people came after 97 more deaths took Italy's toll to 463.

The measures include the closure of schools, universities and the suspension of sports competitions.

"There is no reason why matches and sporting events should continue and I am thinking of the football championship," said Conte.

"I'm sorry but all the fans must take note of it, we will not even allow gyms to be used for sports activities," he added.

The decree allows the possibility of organizing matches under international jurisdiction behind closed doors, such as ties in UEFA's Champions League and Europa League.

Juventus are due to host Lyon in the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie in Turin next week. Inter ­Milan are due to host Spain's Getafe in the Europa League on Thursday while Roma welcome Sevilla a week later.

Earlier Monday, Italy's National Olympic Committee, which has authority over all national sports federations, had recommended "sporting activities at all levels" be suspended until April 3 to help contain the virus outbreak and called for a government decree to enforce the request. 

The decree, which goes beyond sport and provides for draconian new measures to combat the coronavirus, will come into force on Tuesday throughout Italy, the second most-affected country after China. 

Since Sunday, there had been growing calls to stop sports competitions and in particular Serie A, with lower football leagues already paused. 

Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora called for the suspension of Serie A while Italian Footballers' Association president Damiano Tommasi tweeted that "stopping football is the most useful thing for our country right now." On Monday several Italian federations, such as those in swimming and winter sports, announced the end of competitive activities, joining rugby and volleyball which had already been suspended.