Coronavirus: Barcelona release statement on impact of virus

Barcelona have released a statement as to how the current coronavirus epidemic is affecting the club and have outlined six areas where change is expected in the coming weeks. They include the playing of games behind closed doors and the cancellation of their academy's World Cup tournament among others. They also say those who paid for travel to Mallorca will be reimbursed.

Their game against Napoli next week will be played behind closed doors as will the next two rounds of LaLiga as we await further measures that might be implemented. On Tuesday, president Josep Maria Bartomeu joked that with no fans at least he wouldn't be jeered during matches.

6-point statement released by Barcelona

1) As a consequence, for the next two weeks at least all games at professional, amateur and youth level will be played behind closed doors. The Club will refund all ticket holders for all those events affected by this measure and those who have paid for travel to Mallorca at the weekend with Barça Desplaçaments.

2) The Club has also decided to cancel the Barça Academy World Cup Tournament which was to be played during Easter Week, Barça Academy activities in China, Japan, Jordan, Dubai and Kuwait and also some events related to Barça Academy Clinics, following the advice of the local health authorities.

3) Away trips planned for the youth teams for tournaments and friendlies during the months of March and April have also been cancelled.

4) The Social Area has also decided to suspend all activities related to the game to be played on 22 March at Camp Nou against Leganés such as the Llotja Oberta event, the photo of boys and girls with the first team and the Barça Heroes project that rewards various young members in the U12 age group with the chance to accompany the first team players out on to the field before a game. With regard to supporters’ club events, the 25th anniversary celebrations for the PB Alcorisa and the meetings of Aragón, La Rioja and Navarra scheduled for the 14 March in Alcorisa (Terol), the meeting of the Balearic Island Supporters’ Clubs on 13 March, the night before Mallorca v FC Barcelona have all been postponed.

5) Barça Foundation activities and programmes will also be affected. The Bekaa festival for the Women’s International Day has been postponed, the programme in schools in Lebanon has been stopped and various events of the Solidària Masia and the campus that was to be put on Lloret together with the Guitart Foundation and Villavecchia Foundation and the visit of the visit of players and the Robot Pol to hospitals have been postponed.

6) On an internal level, the rest of the Club’s normal activities will continue although employees are asked to follow the preventative hygiene measures that were explained to employees in an informative session given by the epidemiologist Dr. Magda Campins and the man responsible for workers’ health at FC Barcelona, Dr. Jaume Padrós. The Club has also limited work related travel to the essential.