The voices of the players and both coaches could clearly be heard at an empty San Siro as Inter Milan beat Ludogorets 2-1 on Thursday to advance into the last 16 of the Europa League.
Cristiano Biraghi and Romelu Lukaku scored for Inter after Cauly had given Ludogorets a surprise lead. Inter progressed 4-1 on aggregate.
No fans were allowed into the stadium as a precaution as authorities try to contain a spreading virus that has made northern Italy the focal point of the outbreak in Europe. The epicenter of the outbreak is in the Lombardy region.
“I’ve experienced games without any fans allowed in when I was Italy coach and it’s a strange atmosphere which isn’t easy because it feels more like a training session,” Inter coach Antonio Conte said. “But the boys had the right approach and even after conceding we reacted immediately.”