MILAN (REUTERS) - Italy's sport minister Vincenzo Spadafora asked the national football association to consider stopping top-division Serie A matches after the country ordered a virtual lockdown across a swathe of its wealthy north to tackle the coronavirus outbreak.

Until now Italy's football association FIGC has said Serie A matches could be played without spectators, adding that any events would be stopped should any player test positive for the virus.

In a post on his Facebook account, Spadafora said it did not make sense to put players, referees and fans at risk while the authorities were asking citizens to make "huge sacrifices" to stem the contagion.