Wales: Austria and USA friendlies called off due to coronavirus
Cardiff, Wales 13/10/19. General View of the Cardiff City Stadium. Wales v Croatia UEFA Euro 2020 Qualifier at the Cardiff City Stadium. Lewis Mitchell/YCPD/Alamy Live News.
Wales’ friendlies with Austria and the USA have been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
The two fixtures, due to be played on March 27 and March 30 at the Liberty Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium have been cancelled.
Fans who purchased tickets for the two fixtures will receive a full refund.
The Wales C fixture, scheduled to take place at Caernarfon Town’s The Oval on March 24, has also been cancelled.
A statement yesterday from FAW CEO Jonathan Ford said: “We are disappointed to see any postponement or cancellation of matches but understand that the health and safety of all fans, players and stakeholders are paramount.”
The FAW released a statement on March 13, to confirm the cancellation of the three fixtures: “
“The FAW can announce that the upcoming match between Wales and Austria on 27 March 2020 at the Liberty Stadium has been cancelled due to the COVID-19 outbreak.
“The upcoming Wales C international against England C at the Oval on 24 March 2020 has also been cancelled.
“The FAW has made this decision in light of recent developments, with the aim of putting the health and safety of all fans, players and stakeholders first and foremost.
“With the health of our players, coaches, staff and fans as our main priority, U.S. Soccer has decided it was in the best interest to cancel the majority of our upcoming domestic and international camps at all levels, including our senior Men’s and Women’s National Team games in March and April, due to the outbreak of COVID-19,” said U.S. Soccer Chief Medical Officer George Chiampas. “
“We have been in communication with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as well as state and local departments of public health, and after those conversations and continuously monitoring the situation, we strongly believe this is the best decision considering the ongoing worldwide health situation.”
Yesterday, UEFA announced that their Elite Round matches due to be played this month had been postponed.
(Featured Image: Lewis Mitchell)
