Serbia shuts down all football

In response to a state of emergency being declared by the government of Serbia due to the spread of the coronavirus, COVID-19, the Serbian Association of American Football, SAAF, has suspended all football-related activities.

Serbia declared a state of emergency Sunday, March 15 to halt the spread of the new coronavirus, shutting down many public spaces, deploying soldiers to guard hospitals and closing the borders to foreigners.

Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić said the new restrictions were necessary to “save our elderly” in this country of some seven million, which has detected around 50 infections of COVID-19 so far with limited testing. Schools, kindergartens, universities, gyms, and sports facilities have been closed down.

SAAF website:

“In accordance with the decisions of the competent institutions, all competitions under the jurisdiction of the Serbian Association of American Football are suspended until further notice. The Serbian Association of American Football is in contact with the authorities of the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the Sports Federation of Serbia and will inform its members in greater detail about the next steps to be taken as soon as possible.”

So far, 50 infected citizens have been registered with the coronavirus in Serbia.