TheCable

About five Seria A matches scheduled for this weekend have been called off amid the coronavirus fear.

A potential title showdown between Juventus and Inter Milan, which was supposed to have been played behind closed doors, was among the games that were postponed.

Other games called off are AC Milan v Genoa, Parma v SPAL, Sassuolo v Brescia, all scheduled for Sunday, and the match between Udinese and Fiorentina, on Saturday, the league said in a statement.

The matches will now be played on May 13, 2020.

The remaining five Serie A fixtures – Lazio v Bologna, Napoli v Torino, Lecce v Atalanta, Cagliari v Roma and Sampdoria v Hellas Verona – are still scheduled to take place as planned.

But Italian officials are yet to decide on Sampdoria’s match on Monday.

The Coppa Italia final had been scheduled for May 13, but reports in Italy have suggested that the game will now be played on May 20.

Juventus currently sit top of Serie A table with six points clear of third placed Inter Milan, but Roberto Mancini’s men have a game in hand over the Bianconeri, which could now have an even larger bearing on who wins the title.

Last weekend, four games were cancelled as officials looked to stymie the spread of coronavirus, including Inter Milan’s game against Sampdoria.

Italy has been the country with the largest coronavirus outbreak in Europe with more than 650 people infected and 17 deaths.

On Friday, three players from third-division club US Pianese tested positive for coronavirus.