Italian Footballers' Association chief calls for suspension of season

Damiano Tommasi, president of the Italian Footballers' Association, wants all football in Italy to be suspended, following reports that several regions in northern Italy will be placed on lockdown.

Multiple news outlets in Italy have claimed that Lombardy, which includes the cities of Milan and Bergamo, and 11 neighbouring provinces will be locked down as part of a new government decree to control the spread of coronavirus.

In such circumstances, nobody would be allowed to leave or enter those areas except for emergencies or unavoidable work commitments.

Italy has 5,061 confirmed cases of coronavirus, which has killed 233 people in the country.

The spread of the illness has led to all games being played behind closed doors until April 3.

However, amid concerns the enforcement of lockdowns would prevent teams from travelling, Tommasi has called for the season to be brought to a halt.

Tommasi wrote on Twitter: "Let's stop the league!! Do we need anything else? Stop football!! #healthcomesfirst"