
The worldwide COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in the Australian Government banning large non-essential gatherings, a move which will see organised football either shut down or played behind closed doors from Monday.
The FFA has committed to this weekend's Round 23 matches being played open to the public, but from round 24 A-League matches will be closed to the public. The impact of this closure is also going to be felt in the National Premier Leagues where the Wanderers youth team play in the NPL 2 competition. The W-League semi-finals are not yet impacted, while the Grand Final will be a TV only event.
Across the planet many major sports competitions have been completely suspended or already playing without fans. In the United States the MLS, National Basketball and Hockey leagues have been suspended. The Asian Champions League has already been impacted as well as World Cup Qualifiers. In Europe it is expected that the Euro 2020 competition will be pushed back to 2021 and the Copa America is in doubt, along with Australia's participation as an invitation country.
While it remains to be seen if the A-League will be suspended, it is highly unlikely that the public closure will be reversed before the scheduled end of the season. A-League fans may be waiting until October before they can attend an A-League match in person again.
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