Atalanta vs Valencia UCL tie termed "biological bomb" that infected Italy with coronavirus

first leg of Atalanta vs Valencia clash (played on February 19, 2020) was played at San Siro in Milan with almost a third of Bergamo's population present at stadium along with close to 2,500 away fans from Spanish club Valencia. UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Atalanta vs Valencia second-leg clash was later played behind closed doors at Mestalla in Spain on March 11, 2020.

Atalanta vs Valencia match was played behind closed doors as Italy coronavirus pandemic was still in its infancy. However, recent reports in Italy claim that Atalanta vs Valencia first-leg tie was 'Game Zero' for coronavirus outbreak in city of Bergamo which has claimed lives of thousands. Bergamo mayor Giorgio Gori has even gone on to term Atalanta vs Valencia match as a "biological bomb".

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Earlier this week, during a live Facebook chat with Foreign Press Association in Rome, Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori claimed that Atalanta vs Valencia match could have been source for major coronavirus outbreak across city. In a heartfelt mess, Gori was quoted as saying "We were mid-February so we didn't have circumstances of what was happening. If it's true what y're saying that virus was already circulating in Europe in January, n it's very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in stands of San Siro, all toger, exchanged virus between m. As is possible that so many Bergamaschi that night got toger in houses, bars to watch match and did same. Unfortunately, we couldn't have kwn. one knew virus was already here. It was inevitable."

Just a week after first match in Milan, first case was reported in city of Bergamo. Soon after that, a journalist from Valencia tested positive for virus. As per official reports in Italy, almost 7,000 people in province of Bergamo had tested positive for COVID-19 with more than 1,000 casualties. Meanwhile, Spanish region of Valencia saw total number of infected people cross 2,600 mark. In addition to that, Valencia FC confirmed that 35 percent of ir entire staff (including players Eliaquim Mangala and Ezequiel Garay) tested positive for COVID-19. Atalanta FC reported ir first positive case in form of goalkeeper Marco Sportiello on Tuesday.

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