The Soccer Match that Kicked Off Italy's Coronavirus Disaster

The downfall of Italy 

It was a magical night in Milan, Italy. Atalanta B.C. from Bergamo, Italy just south of Milan. Atalanta B.C. was having a cinderella esque season at the moment; the team was playing Champions League Soccer for the first time in its history. They had qualified for the Round of 16, which is the first knockout round in the Champions League. Their opponent were Valencia C.F. from Valencia, Spain. There was already Coronavirus in Italy, but this sporting event rapidly increased the cases.

Some of the reasons that this sporting event was such a good vector for contaging people was because of the magnitude of the event. The game was not held in Atalanta's regular stadium. The game was moved to the San Siro where the stadium held twice as many people. With a sold out crowd of 44 thousand and the streets surrounding the stadium packed, the sporting event led to Italy's downfall.

On the night of the game, February 19th, Italy only had three confirmed cases. By March 8th the town of Bergamo alone had 997 cases. Despite the effects of the game, Atalanta still had to go play at Valencia's homeground in Spain. Atalanta took care of business although it was the last time they played. The sports world came to a halt to comply with public safety protocols as the number of deaths continued to rise.

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-soccer-match-that-kicked-off-italys-coronavirus-disaster-11585752012?mod=searchresults&page=3&pos=15