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Torino match at Lazio abandoned after visitors fail to travel due to Covid-19 outbreak

Torino's match at Lazio on Tuesday was abandoned after the visitors did not travel to Rome due to a Covid-19 outbreak within the squad. 

Health authorities in Turin did not allow Torino to travel for the match, which came just four days after the club's game against Sassuolo was postponed because of the outbreak.

Though Torino did not travel, Lazio still turned up to the stadium and named a line-up before the game was officially abandoned 45 minutes after its scheduled kick-off.

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What happens next?

Because Serie A did not allow the match to be postponed, Lazio will likely be awarded a 3-0 win through a forfeit. 

Torino, however, will be allowed to appeal the result, which their president Urbano Cairo has indicated the club will do. 

What has been said?

Speaking to LaPresse, Cairo said: “You cannot defend the league and its integrity by ignoring objective reality, a reality that says we cannot move, nor leave the city.

"It’s all so logical that one plus one is two, instead here in order to reach two, they are going through a thousand steps.

“The only logical consequence was to postpone the match. Now we await the decision of the sporting justice system.

“Obviously, we will seek every possible avenue to appeal.”

Will Torino succeed in their appeal?

Based on recent precedent, Torino have a decent chance of overturning their forfeit loss. 

Juventus were awarded a 3-0 win over Napoli back in October after a similar incident, with Naples health authorities refusing to allow Napoli to travel due to a number of Covid-19 cases.

However, Napoli won their appeal and will be allowed to replay the match against the defending Serie A champions.

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