Europe has become the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, with France on Tuesday having joined Italy and Spain in applying strict lockdown measures and European leaders also planning to ban all non-essential travel into the continent.

More than 2,100 people have died in Italy, which was supposed to host the opening game of Euro 2020 in Rome. The head of the Italian football federation, Gabriele Gravina, had already led calls for the Euros to be postponed.

The competition is due to be held in 12 different cities across the continent, from as far apart as Dublin and Bilbao, to Saint Petersburg and Baku. The semi-finals and final were due to be played in London.

Image source, Getty Images

This year's Copa America has been postponed until 2021 due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) have confirmed.

The tournament had originally been scheduled to take place from 12 June to 12 July.

With Euro 2020 delayed by a year, it's being reported that Uefa have now pushed back the Champions League and Europa League finals by a month.

The Champions League final could be scheduled for 27 June, with the Europa League final three days earlier on 24 June.

Frank Keogh
BBC Sport

After last week’s Cheltenham Festival went ahead with 250,000 spectators, British horse racing had continued but with meetings going ahead behind closed doors this week.

Next month’s Grand National was cancelled on Monday evening and racing’s steering group had been in talks about what to do next.

It means Tuesday’s fixtures at Taunton and Wetherby, without spectators, will be the last to be held in Britain for at least six weeks.

Irish racing continues for now, behind closed doors, although this latest development will raise fresh question marks over next month’s Irish Grand National and the Punchestown Festival, which is due to start later in the month.

Quick work from Wikipedia...

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If you're just joining us on a lunch break, it's been a busy morning amid the spread of coronavirus.

The BIG news is that the men's Euro 2020 Championship has been postponed by one year, says the Norwegian FA. More on that here.

The tournament is now due to take place from 11 June to 11 July 2021.

Also today:

Athletics - Diamond League postpones first three meetings of the 2020 season. All athletics activity in England, Scotland and Wales suspended.

Cricket - England cricketer Alex Hales is in self-isolation after developing symptoms. ECB tomeet on Thursday to look at possible rescheduling of the cricket summer. Pakistan Super League is postponed.

Diving - Fina Diving World Series finale postponed.

Equestrian - British Eventing cancels all fixtures with immediate effect.

MMA - Next three fights postponed.

Snooker - World Snooker postpones the Coral Tour Championship.

Surfing - World Surf League cancels or postpones all events until at least the end of May.

Boxing - All British boxing events cancelled until the start of April.

Darts - PDC Development Tour events and Players Championship weekend postponed.

Gymnastics - Women's European Championships and men's event in Baku cancelled.

Trampoline - European Trampoline Championships called off.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

One of many issues to consider when moving Euro 2020 by a year is the availability of stadiums, which are often used for other events such as concerts, particularly during the summer months.

But whilst it is possible other events have been booked for 2021, I was told yesterday that it was highly likely the money Uefa were paying to use the stadiums would exceed anything that could be made from hosting a pop concert.

Alistair Magowan
BBC Sport

The Women's Euros is due to start on 7 July 2021 at Old Trafford, which would be four days before the provisional final of the postponed men's European Championship.

Could the two tournaments run back-to-back? A senior women's football source has told me it is an option which could be considered, although they accept it would be a "challenge".

The other option would be to put the Women's Euros back a year until the summer of 2022, which is now less congested, because the 2022 men's World Cup is due to be held in November.

A benefit of a winter World Cup?

For the first time in his NFL career, arguably the greatest quarterback of all time Tom Brady has just become a free agent.

From Monday (16:00 GMT), the 42-year-old was free to talk to other teams. They can enter contract negotiations with unrestricted free agents, like Brady, before the free agency signing period begins on Wednesday (20:00 GMT).

Both Champions League and Europa League tournaments are at their last-16 stage, with six matchdays remaining, including the final. There are still 14 last-16 ties across the two competitions to be completed.

Playing the quarter-finals and semi-finals as one-off games would cut two fixtures off the remaining schedule.

Playing them over a handful of days as a mini-tournament - in Istanbul and Gdansk, host cities for this season's finals - would concentrate the matches even further, cutting down on travelling and cause the least disruption to the domestic leagues.

It has not been ruled out these games could be played in conjunction with league matches - nor does the Champions League final have to mark the end of the club campaign as tradition dictates.

We still haven't had the decision from Uefa on what to do with the European club competitions.

Here's what was being proposed...

So as it stands, this is what dates we are looking at for next summer's international competition:

Men's Euros: 11 June to 11 July 2021.

Women's Euros: 7 July to 1 August 2021.

Nations League - 2-6 June 2021.

Under-21 Championship: 9-26 June 2021.

World Club Cup also due to be played in June 2021.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

UEFA had been trying to keep everyone tight-lipped over what was happening in their video conference calls today.

The final decision cannot be made until it is signed off by the executive committee.

But the Norwegian FA have ignored the edict.

It is what everyone was expecting.

Euro 2020 is to become Euro 2021.

In short, no.

Uefa has its own TV contracts and sponsors to satisfy, so moving the men's Euros is not without consequences.

Other competitions due to be played in the spring and summer of 2021 that will be impacted include: the Women's European Championship, the Nations League and the European Under-21 Championship.

Uefa wants to make sure these tournaments are played and will want co-operation from the leagues and their clubs to make that happen.

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

The Nations League was supposed to be 2-6 June. The Under-21 Championship was scheduled for 9-26 June. The expanded World Club Cup was also due to be played in June 2021.

No travelling for a while!

The Foreign Secretary has just advised against all essential travel outside the UK for a month.

This period includes when both legs of the Champions League and Europa League quarter-finals were due to be held.

So Euro 2020 is postponed for a year following a video conference with European football's powerbrokers.

Here's a breakdown of what was to happen in those disucssions, the decisions at stake and some of the potential reasons why:

Read more.

Image source, Getty Images

That means the women's Euros - hosted in England and kicks off on 7 July - is due to start four days before the proposed end date of the men's competition (11 July).

What will happen to that event?

The Norwegian FA have tweeted:

"UEFA has decided that the European Championship is postponed to 2021. It will be played from 11 June to 11 July next year. More information coming."

Simon Stone
BBC Sport

A man has been charged for racist behaviour during the Manchester City v Manchester United match.

Anthony Burke (13/11/1978) of Panfield Road, Wythenshawe has been charged with a Racially Aggravated Section 5 Public Order Act.

He will appear at Salford and Manchester Magistrates Court on Wednesday 15 April.

At around 18:55 GMT on Saturday, 7 December police were called to a report of a supporter making alleged racist gestures and sounds towards players during the Manchester derby at the Etihad Stadium.