Football news - Juventus vs Inter Milan and four other Serie A matches postponed due to coronavirus

Juventus' highly-anticipated clash against Inter was due to be played behind closed doors in Turin, but the Italian football authorities have decided to postpone the game and four others, citing fears over player and fan safety.

However, a football official, speaking off the record to Reuters, said broadcasters and fans did not want the matches to be played in empty stadiums and the clubs themselves were concerned about the loss of gate receipts.

AC Milan v Genoa, Parma v SPAL, Udinese v Fiorentina and Sassuolo v Brescia have all been called off this weekend, but Lazio v Bologna, Napoli v Torino, Lecce v Atalanta and Cagliari v Roma will go ahead as planned.

Nearly 900 people have tested positive for the coronavirus in Italy, and cafes and schools have been closed as daily life has ground to a halt.

Serie A said in a statement that the decision was made "considering the succession of numerous urgent regulatory interventions by the Government to respond to this extraordinary emergency to protect public health and safety."

The five postponed fixtures have been rescheduled for Wednesday, May 13.

Four matches were cancelled last weekend including Inter Milan's home game against Sampdoria.

More than 300 people have been infected with the virus in northern Italy of which 12 have died.