UEFA Give Premier League May 25 Deadline To Submit Plans For Resuming 2019/2020 Season Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

The Premier League has been given a deadline of May 25 by UEFA to provide a detailed plan on when and how it is to finish the season, according to The Times.

The English top-flight has been on hold since March 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic but the Government is backing it to resume behind closed doors.

There is a working plan for the Premier League to resume on June 8 and UEFA are now understood to have told leagues across Europe that it needs to know by May 25 if the competitions will restart, when they plan to do so and which format they will use.

A UEFA document, seen by The Times, reads: “National associations and/or leagues should be in a position to communicate to Uefa by May 25 the planned restart of their domestic competitions, including the date of restart and the relevant competition format.”

It adds that leagues can end the season now if “specific economic and financial justifications, which would make continuing the season to its conclusion financially imprudent or which could put at risk the long-term financial stability of the domestic competition and/or clubs”.

The prospect of playing games at neutral venues has been mooted but many Premier League club chiefs are said to be opposed to that idea, believing it would damage the integrity of the competition.

Ajax Denied Title As Dutch Season Declared Void Without Promotion And Relegation

Due to Coronavirus pandemic, Ajax have been denied the Eredivisie title after the Dutch 2019/2020 season was ended early, despite the league's announcement that current standings will be recognised as final.

The Eredivisie was ended following an announcement from prime minister Mark Rutte that stated that all matches are forbidden until September 1st 2020.

As a result, the current table has been made final, although Ajax will not be awarded the title for finishing first with the Eredivisie not having a designated champion for the first time in the league's 64-year history.

The decision to finalise the table was made after UEFA asked the Dutch federation to maintain the current standings to decide which teams are awarded spots in European competition.

Ajax will head straight to the last round of Champions League qualification despite being level on points with AZ Alkmaar, who will enter in the second round of qualifiers.

In a normal scenario, Ajax would have gone straight into the group stages if the winner of the current competition qualified via winning its own league, but Ajax is now expected to go into the qualifiers as a result of the uncertainty surrounding this season's Champions League.

Feyenoord, meanwhile, will head to the Europa League group stage as they sat third, while PSV and Willem II will enter the Europa League in the third and second round of qualifiers respectively.

The decision to award Willem II with a Europa League spot is a controversial one as the fifth-placed club played one more match than sixth-placed FC Utrecht, who sat three points behind with a far superior goal difference.

FC Utrecht also could have qualified for the Europa League via the KNVB Cup, but the competition's final against Feyenoord will not be played.

Additionally, ADO Den Haag and RKC Waalwijk will remain in the Eredivisie next season after the Dutch federation opted to not promote or relegate any teams based on this season's results.

The decision was made by the KNVB on Friday following a club vote after the federation stated that it was not an option to increase the league to 20 teams from the current 18.

With the decision, Cambuur and De Graafschap will remain in the second division despite being on course for promotion to the Eredivisie.

RKC Waalwijk were well on their way to relegation, sitting on just 15 points after 26 matches, while Cambuur were well tipped to go up as they maintained a four-point lead on top of the second division.

Protests are expected in the coming days as a result of the decision, with the second division sides denied the chance to move up.

Kieran McKenna Reveals That Manchester United Planning For Players To Return To Training In May

Kieran McKenna 

The assistant coach of Manchester United Kieran McKenna has revealed the club are optimistic of their players returning to training in May, but have several back-up plans if the coronavirus lockdown is extended.
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A ball hasn’t been kicked in the Premier League since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the 2019/2020 season was suspended indefinitely last month, just as United were starting to gain significant ground on the top four courtesy of an 11-match unbeaten run in all competitions.

Manchester United are hoping their players can return to training in May, unless the Government lockdown is extended.

Manchester United are hoping their players can return to training in May, unless the Government lockdown is extended
United, like most top fight clubs, have given each of their players individual and group fitness plans to adhere to during the lockdown, which will be next reviewed by the government on May 7th 2020.

And United are working on the premise that they might be able to welcome the squad back to their Carrington training centre if some restrictions are eased – as the likes of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have done in Germany.

It is claimed there are a number of Premier League sides currently planning to welcome their players back to training in just two weeks, on May 9th 2020.

But McKenna insists the Red Devils have alternative strategies in place in the event the lockdown is extended.

At the moment, we are working towards, touch wood, the lockdown loosening after the next deadline and being able to return to some sort of training, McKenna said on the United app.
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••• Barcelona Will Face The Same Issue Manchester United Is Facing When Lionel Messi Leaves The Club
••• Gareth Bale Insists That Leagues Should Not Return Until Coronavirus Is Put Under Absolute Control
We are working to that schedule at the moment but, if we have to push back again, we have got a plan B and plan C already prepared.

A ball hasn’t been kicked in the Premier League since March because of the coronavirus crisis, and a return date, or whether the season will ever be resumed, remains unknown.

The Premier League has given no firm indication of whether the season will be completed to its conclusion and all manner of speculation has abounded in the weeks since the decision was taken to halt football in this country.

If football does get given the green light to resume soon, McKenna believes finishing the league campaign should be the priority ahead of the FA Cup.

He said: I think everyone is probably aware that the league has to take precedence in terms of if there was a limited timescale. That is something that has been discussed.

Obviously the FA Cup is important for the country and important for us as a club as well. The schedule is looking tight towards the end of the season. It seems the European competitions are really keen to start in August as well.

So that probably tightens the schedule a little bit.

‘I can’t tell my players to put their pregnant wives at risk by playing’ - Charlton boss Lee Bowyer claims this season will NEVER be finished.

What is not in question is all players will need a training block to get back up to speed.

McKenna, though, said: They are maintaining a higher level of fitness and certainly training at a higher level than an off-season, so we don’t expect there to be too much of a drop-off in terms of fitness and general conditioning.

At the moment, we are working off the premise that we’ll have a short window of training, maybe three weeks or so, before we return.

The absence of football has allowed the likes of Paul Pogba and Marcus Rashford to get closer to full fitness.

Pogba has not featured since Boxing Day, playing just eight times throughout an injury-hit season, while Rashford has been out since mid-January with a back problem.

Manchester United will at least be boosted by the returns of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and other injured stars when the campaign resumes.
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Manchester United will at least be boosted by the returns of Paul Pogba, Marcus Rashford and other injured stars when the campaign resumes
On the prospect of having them available again soon, McKenna added: “Yeah, it would be nice. Obviously, those are two massively talented players who you are talking about and we have not really had them all season.

Luke (Shaw) and Anthony (Martial) were picking up injuries in the first half of the season, with Scott (McTominay) picking up injuries, all missing most of the season, and obviously Marcus being a big miss as well, so we haven’t really had a full complement to pick from all season.

If we can get to a point where we get everybody back in, then it’s certainly good competition for places in some positions, and also a chance to rotate, which we haven’t always had the possibility to do.

Manchester United Is Ready To Sell Paul Pogba At £70m

Latest report from Manchester United shows that the club is set to sell Paul Pogba at just £70m ahead of the next transfer window.

Throughout this season, Pogba has been linked with a future move to Real Madrid or Juventus, potentially for a fee in excess of £100m.

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However, the financial implications of the coronavirus pandemic is expected to result in the majority of clubs adjusting their respective stances to suit the market.

According to the Daily Star, this has led to United being prepared to cash in on the World Cup winner, who is also said to be attracting interest from Inter Milan, for £70m.

The France international has spent much of the campaign sidelined with an ankle injury, restricting the midfielder to just eight appearances in all competitions.

Although United have the option to extend the 27-year-old's contract by an extra 12 months, it remains unclear whether the North-West giants will take advantage of that clause.

This would help the club financially during Coronavirus pandemic.

UEFA Announcing That Women's European Championship 2021 In England Moved To July 2022

Aleksander Ceferin 

The UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin announced that; We are ensuring that our flagship women's competition will be the only major football tournament of the summer, providing it with the spotlight it deserves.

UEFA has confirmed the Women's Euro 2021 in England will be postponed until July 2022.

The 16-team tournament, originally scheduled for next summer, will now take place between July 6 and July 31, 2022, with the same venues - including Old Trafford and Wembley - planned to host matches.

The postponement was widely expected following the decision to move the Tokyo Olympics to July 2021, with organisers keen to avoid two women's tournaments taking place in the same summer.

UEFA has already postponed Euro 2020 until the summer of 2021 amid the coronavirus pandemic, and president Aleksander Ceferin says moving the women's tournament gives it "the spotlight it deserves".

In a statement, Ceferin added: When we had to take an urgent decision on the postponement of UEFA EURO 2020, we always had the impact on UEFA Women's EURO 2021 in mind.

We have carefully considered all options, with our commitment to the growth of women's football at the forefront of our thinking. By moving UEFA Women's EURO to the following year, we are ensuring that our flagship women's competition will be the only major football tournament of the summer, providing it with the spotlight it deserves.

UEFA's chief of women's football, Nadine Kessler, said: The core question guiding us together with the English FA was: What is best for women's football?

With the Olympics now being confirmed for summer 2021, we firmly believe that moving to 2022 is in the best interests of the tournament, the players, the fans, women's football partners and everybody involved in all areas and at all levels of the game.

UEFA Women's EURO is Europe's biggest women's sport event. It is also among the biggest sports events in the world, and therefore needs and deserves a platform of its own.

This decision puts us in a position to deliver a tournament that attracts global attention, maximises media coverage and increases stadium attendances, and is therefore helping us to meet our core objective of inspiring the next generation of footballers.

2022 also allows for further promotion and partner activation, which would have been much more difficult in what is now a crowded summer in 2021. It is a clear sign of commitment to our dedicated partners who have joined us since we decided to separate the sponsorship for women's football from men's football.

UEFA also confirmed that Euro 2020 would remain the official name of the tournament.

Options for the rearrangement of the European Under-21 Championship, due to be held next summer in Hungary and Slovenia, will be discussed at a meeting of UEFA's national teams competitions committee on May 11, for ratification by the executive committee on May 27.

UEFA says rearranging the competition for the summer of 2022 allows European leagues to be completed before the tournament.

Organisers of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games - due to be staged between July 27 and August 7 - were involved in the discussions with UEFA and the Football Association (FA).

The FA's director of women's football, Baroness Sue Campbell, said: "The sporting calendar must adapt whilst the world tackles something much bigger than sport. In these unprecedented times, it should be reiterated that the health of our communities remains the absolute priority for us all.

As a result, following discussions with UEFA, we fully support their decision to postpone UEFA Women's EURO 2021. We agree that this decision will ultimately benefit the tournament, creating its own window in the football calendar. It will also allow us all more time following this challenging period to deliver an unforgettable event befitting of a home EURO.

We have made excellent progress in the planning of the tournament to date, and particularly want to thank our host cities and venues for their ongoing commitment and support.

Qualification for the championships is still ongoing, with England having already qualified for the finals as hosts.

Finally, the statement released by UEFA has confirmed that the women's European Championship will be played in July 2022.

All LaLiga Players Are Mandated To Take Covid-19 Test On Tuesday

The new report from Spanish federation has made it compulsory for every LaLiga player to do Coronavirus test before teams will be allowed to return to training.

After Wednesday's meeting between the Spanish Federation and La Liga, which also hosted top medical personnel, a plan was developed for an eventual return to play. The meeting was said to be 8 hours and the first, and most important, measure which was decided upon was how to begin a return to team training.

The group decided that all players, staff, and club employees who work with the squad from each club in La Liga will have to take a COVID-19 test on Tuesday afternoon to determine whether or not they are infected with the Coronavirus. The test will be required before teams can begin to think about returning to daily training.

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••• Result Of New Research Shows That Crystal Palace Is The Oldest Professional Football Club In Existence

••• Premier League Clubs Kept To Finishing 2019/2020 Season

In a report from MARCA, not all club doctors were comfortable moving forward as they could not guarantee the safety of the players. May 4th and May 11th have been proposed as potential return to training dates, with clubs receiving about 15 days before the matches would start. Many doctors also felt the amount of time for training was insufficient and would lead to many players getting injured quickly.

In a report from Cadena Cope, La Liga are said to have acquired the test material legally from a private enterprise and did not require government authorization. The club doctors are clear about the protocol if an individual tests positive during the training phase of a return, but not during the competition.

There needs to be continued discussions and a clear plan on what to do if a player tests positive during the competition before any party can move forward.

National League Cancel Remaining 2019/2020 Matches Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

The League announced after a meeting in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that all remaining normal season matches in the National League and its regional divisions have been cancelled because of coronavirus.

The League announced in a statement on Wednesday afternoon that, after a club vote, there was widespread support for the cancellation of the rest of the 2019/20 campaign.

All three National League divisions have been suspended since March 16 due to COVID-19.

The statement added that ‘the options concerning the sporting outcomes of the 2019/2020 season remain under careful and timely consideration, and further updates will be given in due course’.

Michael Tattersall, the National League’s chief executive, said: “At a time when the entire country is wrestling with the devastating impact of Covid-19, the cancellation of the remaining normal season matches brings a degree of certainty to our Clubs coping with the business implications of the virus.”

Gareth Bale Insists That Leagues Should Not Return Until Coronavirus Is Put Under Absolute Control

Gareth Bale 

In his statement, Gareth Bale has suggested that he feels football should only return once the coronavirus pandemic is properly dealt with, and fans need to look at the bigger picture when discussing having the sport back. Bale is currently on lockdown in Madrid, and is clearly in no rush to return to the pitch.

La Liga has been suspended since March 12, with no return currently in sight.

Real Madrid players are currently training on their own and holding zoom calls to keep team morale high.

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Players from La Liga have been told they can return to group training, provided they keep up with government protocol in Spain.

But Bale insists teams need to take their time before returning to action, and indicated he feels the league must be scrapped entirely if needed.

Bale explained he is missing football as much as anyone, but admitted he is enjoying the extra time at home with his family. I feel like... you have to look at the positives, Bale said.

Normally we're travelling every couple of days for away games, we're in hotels the night before home games, being able to be home with the kids, my wife and the family, spending time with them and not having to go to work every morning, it's been nice to spend time with them.

Everyone wants to play football, but the most important thing is everyone stays safe, we don't come back too early and we make sure everything is done safely so we avoid the second wave of this virus.

The difficult thing, you hear everyone saying they want to get the season finished and do this and that. But you need to look at the bigger picture, the most important thing is everyone's health. With football, everyone misses it and wants to play, everyone wants to watch.

But the bigger picture is there will be many more seasons of football, Champions Leagues, leagues and cups, the important thing is getting this right now, if we can get that right, it'll make football last much longer in the future and we won't have a problem like this in the future.

Result Of New Research Shows That Crystal Palace Is The Oldest Professional Football Club In Existence

The New research done by Peter Manning  shows that Crystal Palace football club was founded in 1861, a year before Notts Countywere established

Presently, Crystal Palace wants the football association to recognised them as the oldest professional football club in existence as they believe they are a year older than Notts County, who currently hold the title.

Peter Manning 

Old Research shows that Palace was founded in 1905 but new research carried out by author Peter Manning now suggests the club was established in 1861 as a founding member of the Football Association, before it played its first match in March 1862.

According to the Football Association, non-league Sheffield FC are the World's oldest club having been founded in October 1857, while Notts County are the oldest League club having been established in November 1862.

According to reports by Manning, he told Palace's official website: "The Crystal Palace was the world's first major theme park and it was owned and run by the Crystal Palace Company. Everything within the Palace and its grounds was part of the Crystal Palace's and the Crystal Palace Company's business, including the Crystal Palace Cricket Club, set up in 1857, the emergence of the football club in 1861, through to the setting up and the taking of a majority share stake in the professional football club in 1905."

Manning said further that "Without the Crystal Palace and the Crystal Palace Company there would have been no Crystal Palace Football Club. It was always one club and always part of the Crystal Palace Company's business. As the founding of the football club dates back to 1861, it can claim to be the oldest professional league club in the world."

In light of the research done by Manning the Premier League side have announced it will now be celebrating its 160th anniversary next year.

Therefore, Steve Parish - Crystal Palace chairman said: "As a lifelong supporter of Crystal Palace, it's amazing that we have a legitimate claim to be the oldest professional league club still in existence, that we were in the very first FA meetings, and that our history dates all the way back to the Victorian cricketers of 1861 at the Palace even involving the great W.G. Grace.

The chairman said further that "I would like to thank Peter Manning for the incredible work he has undertaken researching the definitive history of the club. It's a fascinating tale and one I hope supporters will very much enjoy seeing brought to life in this film."

Base on the research by Manning, I thereby believe that Crystal Palace Football Club is the oldest football club being in existence in the World. 

See pictures below;

Roma Players, Coach and Staff Agree to go Without Pay for the next Four Months Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

Roma Players and Coach

In the history of football in the World, Roma players and coaching staff have done what other football clubs have never done by giving up four months wages and top up furloughed staff's salary as chief executive Guido Fienga praises their 'superb gesture'.

Roma Players and Coach

Roma players who were led by captain Edin Dzeko have come forward to aid the club's financial troubles amid the coronavirus crisis by pledging to forgo up to four months of their wages.

Roma Captain: Edin Dzeko 

Dzeko, along with team boss Paulo Fonseca and his backroom team, have also pledged to pay the remainder of the wages to the club's staff who have been placed on furlough.

The noteworthy act of good will from the players and manager came after they contacted the club's top hierarchy by letter.

The letter read thus: 'We players are ready to start playing as soon as possible, giving the maximum to achieve our goals, but we also realise that all this will not be enough to face the economic consequences of the current emergency.

With the hope of doing something that will help the company to better restart the Roma project that we all share, we offer this financial proposal.'

Fienga was full of praise for the gesture adding more detail on the offer.

We always talk about unity at Roma,' he said. 'In volunteering to cut their salaries for the rest of the season, the players, the coach and his staff, have all proved that we really are in this together.

'Edin Dzeko, all the players and Paulo have demonstrated they understand what this club stands for and we also thank them all for their superb gesture towards the employees at this club.'

Premier League Clubs Kept To Finishing 2019/2020 Season

The 20 clubs remain committed to finishing the 2019/2020 season, which is on indefinite hold due to the coronavirus pandemic, to avoid a financial loss estimated by the league's Chief Executive Richard Masters at more than £1billion.

Finishing the Premier League season by June 30 in order to avoid player contract disputes was not raised when English top-flight clubs gathered by conference call on Friday.
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Clubs looked at various scheduling models for how they could end the campaign at Friday's meeting, but the PA news agency understands the issue of completing by June 30 was not raised by anyone present.

It had been reported that as many as nine clubs were keen to complete the campaign by then. They were said to be concerned by the legal implications of the campaign running past that date, which is when standard player contracts expire.

World governing body FIFA has proposed that contracts be extended by mutual agreement until a club's season actually ends. The world players' union, FIFPRO, has previously said it expects agreements to be reached at a national level on this subject.

It is understood a collective approach on this matter by Premier League clubs is a work in progress at the moment.

Burnley manager Sean Dyche admits the subject of player contracts remains "a grey area".

"There will be players who have been at clubs for a long time and they'll feel that club's been very fair to them, whether that's through their contracts or the way they've been treated."

"They might think 'well, extenuating circumstances mean we have to be more flexible'. There will be some who think 'no - that's not for me. I've got to protect myself'. I think it's a grey area."

There is a general acceptance among Premier League clubs that matches will be played behind closed doors if the competition can resume, with restrictions on mass gatherings likely to remain in force for the foreseeable future.

However, there is no guarantee yet that all matches will be available for supporters to view at home.

The Country will remain on lockdown until at least May 7, but the Premier League and other sporting Competitions will watch with interest to see whether any change in guidance after that allows them to think about a resumption.

A Premier League spokesperson said following the meeting: "We are acutely aware of the distress Coronavirus is causing and our thoughts are with all those directly affected by the pandemic.

In common with other businesses and industries, the Premier League and our clubs are working through complex planning scenarios.

We are actively engaging with stakeholders, including broadcast partners, and our aim is to ensure we are in a position to resume playing when it is safe to do so and with the full support of the Government.

The health and well-being of players, coaches, managers, club staff and supporters are our priority and the league will only restart when medical guidance allows.

Today's shareholders' meeting provided an opportunity to discuss possible scheduling models. It remains our objective to complete the 2019/2020 season but at this stage all dates are tentative while the impact of Coronavirus develops.

In response to the pandemic, the Premier League, our clubs and players have provided vital support for communities and the NHS and will continue to do so after matches recommence."

Premier League clubs continue to hold discussions with players over conditional wage deferrals and cuts, after Southampton became the first club to strike a deferral agreement with their players last week.

Barcelona Will Face The Same Issue Manchester United Is Facing When Lionel Messi Leaves The Club

Guillem Balague 

Guillem Balague - the Spanish football expert, predicts that Barcelona will face a barren period in terms of success like Manchester United do when Lionel Messi left the club. Barcelona face financial problems which will only be worsened by the coronavirus pandemic. Balague says there will be less money through sponsorship and commercial deals for Barcelona in the coming seasons.

Recall that Lionel Messi will turn 33 years old in June and has been linked with an exit from the club in recent months.

The Superstar forward, Messi sees his current contract at the Nou Camp expire at the end of next season. Due to this "there are a lot of things to sort out before the elections next summer."

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• New Barcelona Signing Francisco Trincao Admits That He Regards Lionel Messi As One Of His Idols

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Balague says Barcelona have failed to make big decisions in the boardroom that they should have in the last few years. He claims the club needs a change in direction but that will not happen until the 2021 presidential elections.

But Balague can still see Barcelona struggling on the pitch after that, especially when Messi leaves, just like Manchester United do.

This issue has caused Manchester United  failure to win the Premier League in the past seven years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired in 2013 and have often missed out on Champions League qualification.

Balague said on his YouTube channel that "in two or three years, or even more, we won't see the same amount of expenditure in the market as we've seen in recent years. It means that it will all be about making the club stable financially, so no big expenses.

With all that in mind, with the lack of direction of the club, with a board that have basically backed the players up above anything else, you have a club not taking big decisions that they should. They run the risk of having a few years like Manchester United.

The post-Messi could be really, really terrible unless people come in and do the kind of things that they have to do.

Remember, even though they're bringing in €1billion to the coffers, that money won't be readily available in sponsorship and commercial deals as it has been in recent times.

So they have to readjust the figures and the budgets, and remember one thing they can hardly touch is the wages of the players which counts for over 70 per cent.

A really terrible situation in terms of the finances but also the lack of directness as well.

The direction of the club suggests that they need a change and that change will come when the elections arrive.

No, there won't be early elections, I think one or two candidates are ready for elections but the club, the board, wants to make sure they actually finish their time in charge without debts.

Because if there were debts then the board would have to pay them, in which case it would really be personal."

The 2020 Champions League Final is under Consideration by UEFA to hold on August 29

UEFA is considering proposals which would see the Champions League final being played on August 29, three months later than originally scheduled.

The Champions League final was due to take place at the Ataturk Olympic Stadium in Istanbul on May 30.

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Under one of the new proposals which UEFA will discuss next week, the final would be moved to Saturday, August 29 at the same venue.

UEFA is looking at two different options for restarting their club competitions.

If domestic seasons restart in June, UEFA hopes it may be possible to play European club games at the same time.

But if they are delayed, it is more likely that European club games would start after domestic seasons have finished.

That opens up the possibility for the Champions League being played as a 'mini-tournament' in August in Istanbul.

Manchester City and Chelsea are still in the Championship League, while Wolves, Manchester United and Rangers are still in the Europa League.

UEFA's proposals will be discussed at its Executive Committee meeting next Thursday.

It is also holding talks with its 55 member associations on Tuesday and the European Clubs' Association and European Leagues on Wednesday.

The Europa League final which was due to be played in Gdansk on May 27 could now be played on Wednesday, August 26.

It Is Time For Barcelona To Sell Dembele, Says Rivaldo

The time has come for Barcelona to offload Ousmane Dembele, says Rivaldo, with the Frenchman having no part to play even before links to Neymar and Lautaro Martinez are taken into account.

The Liga giants invested part of the record-breaking fee they brought in from the sale of Neymar to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 in acquiring a France international winger from Borussia Dortmund.

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• New Barcelona Signing Francisco Trincao Admits That He Regards Lionel Messi As One Of His Idols

Barca were buying into Dembele’s potential and have seen the 22-year-old become a World Cup winner while on their books. He has, however, struggled for form and fitness throughout a spell at Camp Nou and seen his attitude called into question at regular intervals.

Rivaldo

Rivaldo believes a highly-rated youngster has been given enough time to prove his worth, with those lines having been fluffed. With another transfer window set to open at some stage in the near future, Barca have been urged to find a buyer for Dembele and spend again on bringing Neymar back or luring Lautaro away from Inter.

The Blaugrana legend told Betfair: “Ousmane Dembele signed for Barcelona almost three years ago and he has already had enough time to establish himself in the club and prove his value. It's possible that he will never show his quality at the club. He is still a player with huge potential, but I think this summer could be the right opportunity for Barcelona to sell or even exchange him for a player they're chasing already."

“He's been unlucky with injuries, but he might also have tried to give more at some moments. Things haven't gone according to expectations and he might be able to revive his career at another club where he will feel more confident to play at his best."

Barcelona seems to be trying to sign Neymar and Lautaro Martinez, so Dembele will probably struggle to get in the first team next season.

Additionally, Barcelona would need to reduce its squad and earn some money if they really want to succeed in bringing in their current targets. To sign new players, others must leave.

Dembele has made 74 appearances for Barcelona, with 19 goals recorded across those outings, but he faces fierce competition for places and is likely to see a battle for minutes intensify over the summer.

Nick Rust Reiterates That Racing Will Resume Very Soon

Chief Executive of the British Horseracing Authority Nick Rust

British Horseracing Authority chief executive Nick Rust has reiterated that racing will be ready to resume as soon as it is safe to do so.

Fixtures last took place in Britain on March 17, behind closed doors at Wetherby and Taunton, before meetings were initially put on hold until May 1 at the earliest.

That suspension has now been extended, to an as yet unspecified date, and crowds will not be expected on racecourses until at least June, with a phased reintroduction on the Flat taking place behind closed doors.

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Rust said: "As soon as we are clear in our daily discussions with Government that we are able to return we will be ready to do so.

"When we have the right conditions we will be able to resume racing in as good a form as we can, which will be behind closed doors, will mean social distancing and is likely to mean there will be some restrictions on tracks and runners and where we race.

"We have planned for a number of scenarios and we are ready to go. Sport has to listen to what Government is signalling and like any other business it needs to follow the advice from Government, but we are talking to Government every day and making the point that when conditions allow, we are ready to resume."

On the decision not to extend racing behind closed doors before calling a halt to all fixtures ahead of the Government's lockdown measures that were introduced on March 23, Rust said: "I think there were a lot of a views at the time. We can't publish everything that we were party to as the governing body for the sport and the discussions that took place.

"But there was very good reason based on the advice that we did have that we stopped racing at the time. That was a decision taken with leaders across the sport which the BHA board then considered the views of and took a very difficult decision.

"Since that point we have been working to ensure we are getting ready for a return. We have all the plans in place for racing behind closed doors and we did it successfully over effectively a day and a half, because Kelso raced behind closed doors on the Monday.

"We have no doubt we can race behind closed doors. But the key point here is to ensure we followed the Government advice and soundings and there was no support for continuing racing after the clear announcement from the Prime Minister on the Monday of that week with regards to public services and so on.

"Government and parliamentarians were not prepared to come out and support the sport continuing and that was the key."

Rust also defended the staging of the Cheltenham Festival, where over 250,000 people attended across the four days.

He said: "The weekend before Cheltenham we had a full Premier League football programme, we had a Six Nations match at Twickenham, we had Crufts indoors during that week - we were being encouraged to keep up the positive message by running the Cheltenham Festival.

"All the Government's scientific advice, and indeed that of the chief medical officers within the BHA and RCA (Racecourse Association), was that based on all the advice on all the Government advice and based on where we were Cheltenham could go ahead.

"Of course we thought about it a lot and the mood actually changed that week - I didn't hear massive calls for people not to be racing at Cheltenham on Tuesday, there were massive calls to listen to Government advice, don't move away from that Government advice, there is no reason why you should not be carrying on and you must carry on as we need to ensure Government advice is followed.

"Those are the messages we got. Clearly by the end of that week things were starting to change, the Government had its budget on the Wednesday and there was another statement from the Prime Minister on the Thursday and finally on the following Monday things changed a lot.

"You could see the mood in Government had changed tremendously based on the evidence available to it, but based on the evidence from the Government at the time it was the right decision for the Festival to go ahead."

Anthony Joshua Told Tyson Fury: Come Fight Me

Anthony Joshua tells Tyson Fury: 'It makes sense' to decide 'one dominant figure in the heavyweight division'
"Logically to prove yourself as No 1, I have to fight Tyson Fury. He has to fight Anthony Joshua"

Anthony Joshua has told Tyson Fury "if you really want to say you're No 1, come fight me".

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Every world heavyweight championship belt resides in Britain after Fury brilliantly captured the WBC title from Deontay Wilder in February and Joshua reclaimed the IBF, WBA and WBO gold from Andy Ruiz Jr in December.

Joshua exclusively told Sky Sports that Fury can't claim to be the division's No 1 until they meet in the ring: "Yes, come fight me.

What it will prove, me and him fighting? There will be one dominant figure in the heavyweight division that will have all of the belts and become undisputed.
Anthony Joshua

"If you really want to say you're No 1, come fight me. Let's get it on.

"I've got the rest of the belts so it only makes sense.

"I'm the unified heavyweight champion of the world, he's the WBC champion. What it will prove, me and him fighting? There will be one dominant figure in the heavyweight division that will have all of the belts and become undisputed.

"Logically to prove yourself as No 1, I have to fight Tyson Fury. He has to fight Anthony Joshua."

Fury is first contractually obliged to face Wilder for a third time, pencilled in for October, while Joshua is due to defend his titles against mandatory challenger Kubrat Pulev.

Fury and Pulev share Top Rank as their US-based promoter so Joshua's promoter Eddie Hearn had speculated that a deal could be worked out to move straight into the undisputed title fight between the Brits.

Joshua said: "It would be amazing to tell Pulev 'I think it's best if you step aside for now' and to tell Wilder 'we have bigger fish to fry'.

"'Enjoy your Alabama chicken while we get cracking in the UK!'

"That fight needs to happen because there will never be another time like this again."

However, Wilder refuted any suggestions that he forego his right to another chance at Fury. He told the Premier Boxing Champions' podcast: "No-one should be surprised. I am who I am, Deontay 'The Bronze Bomber' Wilder.

"Why wouldn't I want it?

"He knows that wasn't me. I know that wasn't me. That wasn't the real Deontay Wilder, something was wrong.

"There is more fuel on the fire. This is the final straw."

Joshua and Fury's dream fight for every major belt would, therefore, have to wait until next year.

Joshua said: "It would be amazing to tell Pulev 'I think it's best if you step aside for now' and to tell Wilder 'we have bigger fish to fry'.

"'Enjoy your Alabama chicken while we get cracking in the UK!'

"That fight needs to happen because there will never be another time like this again."

However, Wilder refuted any suggestions that he forego his right to another chance at Fury. He told the Premier Boxing Champions' podcast: "No-one should be surprised. I am who I am, Deontay 'The Bronze Bomber' Wilder.

"Why wouldn't I want it?

"He knows that wasn't me. I know that wasn't me. That wasn't the real Deontay Wilder, something was wrong.

"There is more fuel on the fire. This is the final straw."

Joshua and Fury's dream fight for every major belt would, therefore, have to wait until next year.

"Once that was taken away from him, which Tyson Fury did, I'm not going to go into tactics, but he was able to annihilate Deontay Wilder and expose him for some of his weaknesses.

"Tyson Fury did a great job tactically and I'm looking forward to their rematch."

Deontay Wilder Claims He Didn't See Tyson Fury As A Champion

Deontay wilder 

"People that know boxing know that it wasn't Deontay Wilder on that night. I was a zombie on that night."

Deontay Wilder has admitted that "something was wrong" causing his defeat to Tyson Fury but said "no-one should be surprised" by his desire to fight again.

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Fury floored Wilder twice and stopped him in seven one-sided rounds to become WBC heavyweight champion 14 months after they initially fought to a draw. They are expected to fight again in October.

"In my eyes I don't see Fury as a champion," Wilder told Premier Boxing Champions' podcast. "He ain't the champion yet because we've still got one more fight left."

Wilder insisted his body language was wrong: "When I took off my mask, the things that I was doing. I've been in this sport a very long time so people automatically know how I am. People that know boxing know that it wasn't Deontay Wilder on that night. I was a zombie on that night.

"I wasn't myself. I felt like a zombie.

"I'm still reflecting. I can't believe the things that happened. I'm figuring things out."

Wilder has previously claimed that his ring-walk outfit, weighing 40lbs, tired his legs and contributed to his loss.

The American, previously undefeated in 43 and feted as one of boxing's all-time hardest punchers, intends to pursue his right to a third fight with Fury.

"No-one should be surprised. I am who I am, Deontay 'The Bronze Bomber' Wilder," he said.

"Why wouldn't I want it?

"He knows that wasn't me. I know that wasn't me. That wasn't the real Deontay Wilder, something was wrong.

"There is more fuel on the fire. This is the final straw."

IBF, WBA and WBO champion Anthony Joshua hopes for an undisputed title fight with WBC holder Fury after he defends his gold against Kubrat Pulev.

In the aftermath of Wilder's defeat his head trainer, Jay Deas, said that he disagreed with fellow trainer Mark Breland's decision to throw in the towel.

Wilder said about his team: "We've had a lot of people reach out but you have to be careful. Some people want publicity.

"There are two people that I'm bringing in.

"I'll get my team in order and we can move forward with our game-plan for the third fight.

"Everybody wants what you have, but they don't want to work as hard or sacrifice as much. People get envious. This is one of the things that I had to weed out.

"In life you lose more than you win. Some people don't know how to bounce back from a loss. People want to see someone lose to see how they get up. I lost in the ring but I'm winning in life.

"Sometimes you get used to things, get comfortable with things. You still have hunger, but it isn't the same as when you first tried to get into the rankings and go on to fight for a world title.

"This has allowed that hunger to come back.

"I'm never down about losing because it makes me stronger to come back and overcome."

He plans to seek more advice from legendary heavyweight George Foreman.

"It was good talking to George," Wilder said. "We talked about things from his career, good and bad. Different tricks of the trade. Certain things that he saw in my fight. He wants to show me some methods to strengthen certain parts of my body.

"I will go out to see George face to face and spend time with him."

Wilder is recovering from bicep surgery, caused in the Fury fight, the second time he has had to surgically repair that muscle. He hopes to return to full training by the end of May.

Premier League Clubs Set To Converse Ending 2019/2020 Season by End of June at Meeting on Friday

Representatives from all 20 Premier League clubs will again converse via video conference to discuss the fall out from the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and what happens next.

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There is a strong appetite for the 2019/2020 season to be completed over the next few months, even if it means games are playing behind closed doors and at neutral venues.

But there are growing concerns about playing into July, with players' contracts and commercial deals ending, and the legal ramfications it would bring.

According to The Guardian, a resolution to consign the 2019/2020 campaign to history by June 30, whether or not the entire schedule of games has been completed, will be among the proposals put to the league.

If that proposal is put to a vote, the Premier League would require a 14-club majority to approve it.

New Barcelona Signing Francisco Trincao Admits That He Regards Lionel Messi As One Of His Idols

New Barcelona signing Francisco Trincao has admitted that he regards future teammate Lionel Messi as one of his idols.

During the January transfer window, Barcelona revealed that they had agreed a deal to sign the 20-year-old from Braga for a fee in the region of £27m.

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Ahead of his switch to Camp Nou later in 2020, Trincao has acknowledged that he is big admirer of Messi, as well as Portuguese compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo.

Speaking to Barcelona's official Youtube channel, the forward said of Messi: "I'm really looking forward to meeting him and learning from him, because we are talking about one of the best players in the world."

Despite making just 10 starts and 13 substitute outings this season, Trincao has contributed seven goals and five assists in Portugal's top flight and the Europa League.

Paul Pogba Reveals Why He Became Arsenal Fan As A Child

"I used to love Thierry Henry and, because of him, I was an Arsenal fan"

Paul Pogba, Manchester United midfielder,  has revealed that he was an Arsenal fan as a child, largely due to his favourite player being fellow Frenchman Thierry Henry.

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Pogba joined United from Le Havre as a 16-year-old in 2009, before leaving for Juventus in 2012 and then returning to Old Trafford four years later, for a then-world record transfer fee.

Arsenal's record goalscorer Henry was among a group of players, including Ronaldinho, Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, who Pogba named as his favourites as a young fan.

"I will be honest. So, at the start, I was an Arsenal fan - obviously because of all the French players, you know," Pogba told United's official podcast.

"I and my brother were but my other brother was a Manchester United fan.

"I couldn't say anything so I used to love Henry and because of him, I was an Arsenal fan. Then I changed and went on to choose with my other brother. No Arsenal, I went with the other one, the United fan!"

Pogba has endured heavy criticism for his performances during his second spell at United, despite regularly contributing goals and assists, and winning the 2018 World Cup with France.

The 27-year-old had missed most of the current Premier League season with an ankle injury when it was suspended on March 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

He had been closing in on a return to action as United battled a host of teams - including Arsenal - for a top-four Premier League finish and return to the Champions League.

English Women Football Players Donate Collective Fund To NHS

England Women's football squad have announced a collective donation to the #playerstogether fund.

The fund was established after meetings between Premier League players to discuss the best way to support National Health Service (NHS) and other frontline staff through the coronavirus crisis.

The Lionesses confirmed the move in a coordinated statement released on the social media accounts of the players at 7pm.

“After discussions with a number of Premier League players, we are delighted to confirm that the whole of the Lionesses squad will make a collective donation to the #playerstogether fund,” the statement read.

"The squad have recognised the importance of the statement last week from the Premier League players with regards to setting up the #PlayersTogether fund and the potential impact it can make to support and assist over 150 registered NHS charities," the statement read.

The fund was established by Premier League players including Jordan Henderson and Harry Maguire in the wake of widespread criticism of the perceived inaction of top stars.

The Premier League's initial proposal for a 30 per cent wage cut was dismissed by players, who wished to ensure any contribution would be going directly to NHS and frontline staff.

The fund's contributions will be managed in conjunction with the umbrella group of NHS charities, NHS Charities Together.

Indian Premier League Postpones Indefinitely Due To Extension Of Lockdown In India

This year's Indian Premier League T20 competition is set to be postponed indefinitely amid the COVID-19 pandemic after the country extended a lockdown until at least May 3.

The eight-team League, which was originally scheduled to begin on March 29, was initially deferred until Wednesday before India announced a three-week lockdown last month.

Indian Premier League governing council Chairman Brijesh Patel did not take calls or reply to a Reuters message to comment on the possible dates of the tournament.

One of the franchise officials Reuters reached said they were waiting to hear from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), which met over a conference call on Tuesday.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had earlier acknowledged the difficulty in hosting the tournament amid lockdown and the travel restrictions forced by the global health crisis.

"At the present moment, we can't say anything," the former India captain told New India Express newspaper at the weekend.

"Airports are shut, people are stuck at home, offices are locked down, nobody can go anywhere. And it seems this is how it's going to be till the middle of May.

"Where will you get players from, where do players travel. Its just simple common sense that at the moment, nothing is in favour of any kind of sport anywhere in the world, forget Indian Premier League."

Tottenham Have No Plans To Sell Harry Kane This Summer

Tottenham do NOT plan to sell Harry Kane this summer, amid talk of £200million Manchester United transfer.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that Spurs would be willing to allow their prized asset to join Premier League rivals Manchester United in exchange for £200million.

There have been fresh doubts over Kane’s long-term future at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium over the last few weeks following an Instagram Live chat where the England captain refused to rule out leaving his boyhood club, saying he would not stay at Spurs ‘for the sake of it’ and made clear his ambition to win top trophies.

“I love Spurs, I’ll always love Spurs but I’ve always said if I don’t feel we’re progressing as a team or going in the right direction, I’m not someone to stay there for the sake of it,” he told former Tottenham midfielder Jamie Redknapp.

“I’m an ambitious player, I want to improve, get better and become one of the top, top players. It all depends on what happens as a team and how we progress as a team.

“So it’s not a definite I’m going to stay there forever, but it’s not a no either.”

Chairman Daniel Levy was said to be unhappy with vice-captain Kane over his suggestions of a possible move away from the north London club, as well as recent comments about voiding the season.

Manchester United have been linked with a strong interest in the England skipper and it has been claimed that Kane could move to Old Trafford, with Levy putting a £200million price tag on his head.

The Red Devils have been in need of a striker since they sold Romelu Lukaku last summer, with Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial only having limited success in the centre-forward position.

Odion Ighalo has impressed since moving to Old Trafford on loan from China in January, but he’s not a long-term option, whereas Kane could still have a decade left at the top level.

If a £200m deal was struck for Kane, it would beat the world record £198m Paris Saint-Germain paid for Barcelona star Neymar in 2017.

But it is understood that, despite the reports and speculation over his exit, Tottenham are not considering selling their star man as it stands.

Serie A Players Mandated To Do Coronavirus Test In May Before Restarting The Season.

Serie A players to be tested for coronavirus in May as Italian Football Federation aims to finish 2019/20 season

The Italian Football Federation aim to begin testing all players in Serie A for coronavirus in May before restarting the season.

Serie A football was suspended indefinitely on March 9 as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, which has resulted in the deaths of more than 19,000 people across Italy.

The entire country has been in lockdown for five weeks in total but plans are afoot to restart the football season behind closed doors.

With 12 full rounds and four outstanding fixtures still set to be played, there is no confirmed date when football will return – but the IFF are looking to get the campaign completed over the summer months.

There have been a number of players at various clubs who have suffered with COVID-19.

All players in the top-flight will be tested before they are allowed to return to training.


“As soon as the conditions are right, we’ll finish the championship,” said federation president Gabriele Gravina.

Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, he added: “Soon, there will be a meeting. We will establish the procedure which we will then communicate.

“We will start, I hope, at the beginning of May with tests to ensure that players are negative and training can follow.

“Will we play through the summer? We don’t have a deadline but the idea is to finish the championships.”

Champions Juventus are currently top of the table, one point ahead of Lazio and nine clear of Inter Milan in third.

Arsenal First Squad Vote Against £25m Pay Cut

Arsenal squad vote AGAINST £25m pay cut – despite incentives – as financial woes mount during COVID-19 crisis

Arsenal’s first-team squad have rejected the chance to take a £25million pay cut over the next 12 months, with a number of first team players unhappy.

The 12.5% pay cut was proposed by the club’s hierarchy in order to lessen the economic effects caused by the deadly coronavirus pandemic which has afflicted the entire world.

More than 120,500 people have died across the globe, with the UK set to become the most badly hit country in Europe

Manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19 last month and the Premier League was duly suspended indefinitely – with no games played after March 9.

While Arteta has thankfully recovered, the financial implications of the virus have hit the north London side hard and they have not collected a single gate receipt since March 7 when they were fortunate to take all three points against London rivals West Ham United.

The club had hoped to get their players to agree to a drop in their salaries between April 2020 and March 2021.

However, The Telegraph claim the squad voted on the matter on Monday afternoon and have rejected this proposal.

The proposal included an incentive which meant any player who agreed to the cut and then signed a new deal in the fate would receive the educated balance back as well as their new salary.

Another incentive was that any player sold after the virus has subsided would receive their wage cut back in full.

But the report by the Telegraph suggests the players do no anticipate much movement in the transfer market this summer given the financial implications of the virus, with the club’s top earners refusing to budge.

A 12.5% cut would equal around £25m, with the club’s wage bill standing at around £230m annually.

This includes Mesut Ozil’s £350,000-a-week wages, while Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alexandre Lacazette are in the bracket below the top-earning German playmaker at near £200,000 a week.

The PFA have advised players only to accept pay cuts if it is in the form of a deferral.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has said there are some ‘positive signs’ from the latest data that show the UK is ‘starting to win this struggle’ against coronavirus but warned: “We are still not past the peak.”

Speaking at Monday’s Downing Street press conference, Mr Raab praised people for staying at home during the Easter weekend and added: “Our plan is working. Please stick with it and we’ll get through this crisis together.”

Mr Raab said: “At the end of last week we were concerned that people might start ignoring the advice or cutting corners given the temptation to go out into the sunshine.

“In fact the overwhelming majority of people stayed at home and understood the importance of doing so.

“By staying home this weekend, you’ve saved lives.

“Thank you, your efforts are making all the difference. And please keep them up – we’ve come too far, we’ve lost too many loved ones and we’ve sacrificed too much to ease up now.”