Valencia and Atalanta prepare for first empty-stadium Champions match

Record ID: 1462865

  • Title: Valencia and Atalanta prepare for first empty-stadium Champions match
  • Date: 9th March 2020
  • Summary: VALENCIA, SPAIN (MARCH 9, 2020) (REUTERS) ENTRANCE TO VALENCIA CF HEADQUARTERS PLAYERS SEEN FROM DISTANCE GOING TO TRAINING SESSION VALENCIA CF LOGO PLAYERS GOING TO TRAINING VALENCIA FEMALE SOCCER TEAM TRAINING SESSION PLAYERS ARRIVING FOR TRAINING ATALANTA'S BUS ARRIVING AT HOTEL VARIOUS OF PLAYERS GETTING OFF BUS AND ENTERING HOTEL ATALANTA SIGN ON BUS ATALANTA´S BUS DRIVING AWAY ATALANTA´S FANS WAITING TO SEE PLAYERS STADIUM MESTALLA VALENCIA EXTERIOR OF STADIUM MESTALLA VALENCIA CLOSED GATES VALENCIA CF ACCESS GATES CLOSED VALENCIA CF LOGO ON GATES SECURITY STAFF LOCKING GATE
  • Embargoed: 23rd March 2020 16:42
  • Keywords: Atalanta Champions League Coronavirus Soccer Valencia
  • Location: VALENCIA, SPAIN
  • City: VALENCIA, SPAIN
  • Country: Spain
  • Topics: Soccer,Sport
  • Reuters ID: LVA001C4BYQ7Z
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:Valencia CF players trained behind closed doors on Monday (March 9) ahead of their match against Italian club Atalanta, the first Champions League match ever to be played in an empty stadium.
    Atalanta confirmed last week the decision was made because of the coronavirus and an order from the Spanish Health Ministry.
    Atalanta, based in the northern Italian city of Bergamo, said they had received a letter from UEFA, European soccer's ruling body, saying that "the match can go ahead but must be behind closed doors with no ticket holders".
    Atalanta players arrived in Valencia on Monday morning and were expected to train without the presence of media.
    The Italian club said all their fans who had bought tickets for the match, the second leg of the round of 16 tie, will be reimbursed. Atalanta, playing in the Champions League for the first time, lead 4-1 from the first leg.
    Spain's health ministry said last week that fixtures expected to draw crowds from zones designated as high-risk for coronavirus, such as northern Italy, would be played without spectators.
    Italy has said that all games and sports events in the country can only go ahead without fans until April 3 in a bid to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
    (Production: Margaux Frowein, Oscar Corrons, Anna Valderrama, May Ponzo)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2020. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
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