Portugal: 1st and 2nd division games to be played behind closed doors

Football matches of the I and II League will take place behind closed doors next weekend, announced the Portuguese Football Federation (FPF). The decision comes after the Government requests the suspension or postponement of events in open spaces with more than 5,000 people and closed door events with more than 1,000 participants, to stop the new coronavirus.

The emergency group created by the President of the FPF has determined that the next matches of professional football competitions will take place behind closed doors. The matches of the non-professional senior national football competitions “may not have more than 5,000 people in the stands, in compliance with the Directorate General for Health recommendations,” they state in a statement.

In addition, the FPF has also suspended all national football and futsal competitions between March 14th and 28th and to order all matches in national futsal competitions to be held behind closed doors. The FPF signals that “the emergency group will continue to monitor the situation and may review – extending or reducing – the measures now implemented.”