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As coronavirus continues to spread worldwide, so it tightens its grip on football.

Fixtures have either been postponed or moved behind closed doors in England, France, Switzerland, China, South Korean, Germany, Spain and Italy.

And, on Tuesday, Rangers became the first Scottish club to be affected by the outbreak. Their Europa League last 16 second leg against Bayer Leverkusen will be played without fans next Thursday - if it even goes ahead at all.

For the time being, a selfie ban aside, domestic life in Scotland is set to continue as normal.

This weekend's games, including Rangers vs Celtic at Ibrox, are scheduled to go ahead as planned following advice from the UK and Scottish governments.

What's become abundantly clear over these past few weeks, however, is how quickly and dramatically the situation can develop.

For example, Spain was this week forced into a dramatic policy change after positive cases accelerated sharply almost overnight.

(Image: POOL UEFA/AFP via Getty Images)

The potential for rapid development then hit much closer to home on Wednesday morning, with the Premier League deciding to postpone Manchester City's clash with Arsenal.

These measures could well signpost what lies ahead for Scottish football.

Serie A is the most extreme case in point, with the season suspended until April 3. The Italian football federation have also considered alternative options if the campaign cannot be finished, a thrilling title race all-but forgotten as the entire nation is locked down.

They include holding play-offs, the season being scrapped or declaring the current standings as final.

Play-offs would be to decide the champions, European qualification and who is relegated to Serie B.

To fret over something as ultimately trivial as football when health services in Italy are being stretched, thousands have died in Wuhan and the very real threat of a pandemic seems superfluous.

Relatively unscathed by the infection's march around the globe, we're in a privileged position on these shores to even consider whether Celtic will be awarded nine in a row or not, which clubs could be relegated prematurely or anything else in between.

It doesn't quite feel real here yet, and hopefully never does.

And while the situation in Scotland is contained for now, it's only natural fans will wonder how the situation will affect everyday life. And, for so many, football is a rather important part of everyday life.

So what is the likelihood of measures similar to those implemented in Serie A being taken here?

It must be stressed that there are currently no plans to suspend matches but, as we've seen across Europe, this is a highly volatile and dynamic crisis.

And, of course, what's right for Italy may not necessarily be right here.

Despite reports to the contrary last week, Record Sport understands that, as things stand, the current season will not be declared null and void.

The Premiership title race has become a procession but the battle for survival looks set to go right to the wire.

In the Championship, Dundee United are on the verge of sealing a top-flight return. In League One, just one point separates Raith Rovers and Falkirk at the summit.

And in League Two, Cove Rangers are 13 clear of Edinburgh City.

Aside from a complete cancellation, there's been suggestion that a pools panel style board could rule on likely wins, draws and losses.

(Image: SNS Group)

However, insiders have scoffed at this idea, with one source warning: "Wait for the legal actions that would follow if titles, promotions, relegations and European spots were decided on that basis."

Similar opposition would likely manifest if the current standings were announced as final, which would see Celtic win the league, Hearts relegated and teams denied the opportunity to chase down a Europa League place.

Play offs are another hypothetical scenario, with such a system, of course, already in place to decide promotion and relegation to the Premiership and the lower tiers.

How this would be implemented to decide European qualification is less clear, with a clutch of sides who could still potentially finish in the top four.

With Celtic 13 points ahead of Rangers in second, potentially 16 by next week, the notion of a play-off to decide the title is extremely far-fetched.

Based on action taken elsewhere, matches being played behind closed doors appears the most likely next step if the virus spreads further across Scotland.

But in a nation where gate receipts account for 43 per cent of overall revenue, the outlook for some is grim.

Clubs would be forced to operate without their primary source of income and SPFL chief Neil Doncaster has already warned of "dire financial consequences", urging clubs to check their insurance policies.

Even worse would be games cancelled altogether, especially with UEFA refusing to budge on the prospect of Euro 2020, with Glasgow as a city host, being postponed a year in order to allow late conclusion to domestic football.

While the UK remains in the "containment" phase, clubs and associations are correct to take a measured approach.

What's clear already, however, is that if drastic action must be taken, there are no easy options.