- Spain's top soccer division, La Liga, has been suspended after Real Madrid confirmed one of its basketball players had tested positive for the coronavirus.
- Madrid's soccer players and basketball players share the same training facility.
- "Given the circumstances that are coming to light this morning, referring to the quarantine established in Real Madrid and the possible cases in players from other clubs, La Liga considers it appropriate to continue to the next phase of the protocol of action against COVID-19," the league said.
- "As a result it agrees to postpone at least the next two match days."
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Spain's top soccer division, La Liga, has been suspended after Real Madrid confirmed one of its basketball players had tested positive for the coronavirus.
Madrid's soccer players and basketball players share the same training facility.
"Real Madrid CF announces that a member of our basketball first team has tested positive for coronavirus," a club statement on Thursday said.
"The recommendation of remaining in quarantine has been followed with immediate effect, with this measure applied to both the basketball and football first teams, given that the two squads share the facilities at Real Madrid City.
"In addition, a decision has been made to close our training ground and it is recommended that all Real Madrid staff who work at Real Madrid City remain in quarantine."
With Madrid's players in quarantine, La Liga then confirmed it would postpone the next two rounds of matches.
"Given the circumstances that are coming to light this morning, referring to the quarantine established in Real Madrid and the possible cases in players from other clubs, La Liga considers it appropriate to continue to the next phase of the protocol of action against COVID-19," the league said.
The next two match days, at least, will be postponed, the league added, but will be "reevaluated after the completion of the quarantines decreed in the affected clubs and the other possible situations that may arise."
Real, who is second in La Liga, was set to welcome Eibar to the Santiago Bernabeu on Friday, March 13.
A number of other sports events across the world have also been postponed in an effort to combat the virus, which has killed 631 people.
Italy's Serie A has been postponed until April 3, whilst the NBA and the MLS have also been put on hold.
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