Paris: French Ligue 1 game between Strasbourg and defending champions Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), scheduled to be played Saturday, has been postponed due to the concerns over coronavirus, the French Football League (LFP) has confirmed.
“Following an order from the Bas-Rhin authorities concerning the spread of the coronavirus, the meeting is postponed,” the LFP said in a statement.
The French champions were scheduled to travel to Alsace to face Strasbourg Saturday evening, but the local authorities have called off the match due to the rapid growing spread of the deadly virus in the region.
“The arrival of 26,000 at the Stade de la Meinau, a quarter of which would come from the Haut-Rhin region, is likely to promote the spread of COVID-19,” the local authorities said in a statement.
It is the first French league match to be postponed because of the virus.
The French healthy ministry reported Friday that the number of confirmed infections had jumped by 190 to 613, while two more deaths were added to the total toll to nine.
The postponement means that the runaway Ligue 1 leaders will have an extra day of rest before their Champions League last-16 return leg against Dortmund at the Parc des Princes March 11. The PSG lost to the German powerhouse 1-2 in the first leg.
IANS