More than 40,000 fans attended the Champions League clash between Italy's Atalanta and Spain's Valencia in February.
Experts believe that the Champions League match between Atlanta and Valencia in San Siro as one of the reasons why Bergamo became the central spot of the coronavirus in Italy. The match was played two days before the first case of locally transmitted Covid-19 case in Italy.
Speaking during a live Facebook chat with the Foreign Press Association in Rome, Bergamo Mayor Giorgio Gori said: "We were mid-February so we didn't have the circumstances of what was happening. If it's true what they're saying that the virus was already circulating in Europe in January, then it's very probable that 40,000 Bergamaschi in the stands of San Siro, all together, exchanged the virus between them.
"As is possible that so many Bergamaschi that night got together in houses, bars to watch the match and did the same. Unfortunately, we couldn't have known. No one knew the virus was already here. It was inevitable."
The official attendance for the game was 45,792 as almost 2,500 fans of Valencia also travelled to the stadium for the game.
While Italy is one of the worst hit countries due to the coronavirus outbreak, India Prime Minister Narendra Modi ordered a 21-day lockdown on Tuesday to fight the pandemic.
He said this is an essential step to fight coronavirus decisively. He added that saving lives is priority as of now.
"With folded hands, I request you to stay put wherever you are," said Prime Minister Modi. He added that he is mindful of the economic ramifications of it. However, this is a smaller concern.
PM Modi warned, that if the citizens don't follow a complete lockdown for the coming 21 days, the nation will go back 21 years and many families will be devastated.
