Lyon Vs Juventus Labeled As The Source Of The Spread Of COVID-19 In France

Lyon players celebrate the winning goal against Juventus in the first leg of the last 16 of the Champions League at Groupama Stadium, February 26, 2020. (Photo: Twitter @ChampionsLeague)

JAKARTA - The Champions League match, first leg, round of 16 between Lyon vs Juventus on February 26, 2020, was labeled as "match zero" or the culprit of the spread of the corona virus or COVID-19 in France.

According to L'Equipe, the match may have played an important role in the spread of COVID-19 in France. A retired doctor based in Lyon, Marcel Garrigou-Grandchamp said the match which Lyon won 1-0 through Lucas Tousart's single goal should not have been held.

One of the reasons, said Garrigou-Grandchamp, was because the Juventus supporters who came to the Groupama Stadium at that time did not only come from Piedmont, but all over Italy.

He also considered that UEFA had been careless in allowing the match to go on. "The match should not have been held," he told L'Equipe, quoted by the Italian Football.

L'Equipe lays out a chart of the spread of COVID-19 in the region. They also considered the statement of Italy's representative at WHO, Walter Ricciardi, about how the Atalanta vs Valencia match played an important role in the spread of the corona virus in the Lombardia region, Italy.

Meanwhile, another French media, Le Parisien, pointed to the PSG vs Borussia Dortmund match on March 11 to have a similar impact.

At that time, the PSG vs Dortmund match was indeed held without spectators. However, the supporters gathered outside the Parc des Princes stadium to support their beloved team to fight to win 2-0 (3-2 on aggregate) and ensure qualification for the quarter-finals.