Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi is “fully recovered” from coronavirus, says Blues manager Frank Lampard. The England international, 19, became the first Premier League player to test positive for Covid-19 earlier this month.
Ajax’s Abdelhak Nouri back home with family after 2017 heart attack….
Ajax’s Abdelhak Nouri, who suffered brain damage after an on-pitch heart attack in 2017, is out of hospital and communicating with his family at home, his brother has told Dutch television. The midfielder, 22, was placed in an induced coma after the incident in a pre-season game in Austria in 2017. “He sleeps, eats, sneezes and burps but is very dependent,” his brother Abderrahim told De Wereld Draait Door.
Odion Ighalo offered £400k-a-week deal by Shanghai Shenhua….
Manchester United loanee Odion Ighalo has been offered a two-year contract extension worth more than £400,000 per week by his parent club Shanghai Shenhua. The Chinese club want to reward the Nigerian striker for his good form at United, where has scored four goals in his first three starts. The 30-year-old’s loan in England expires on May 31 but it is likely to be extended until June 30 because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Justin Gatlin, 38, says he can win gold at Tokyo Olympics….
Former Olympic and world 100m champion Justin Gatlin says he can win gold at the Tokyo Olympics despite him likely being 39 when the postponed Games take place. The Olympics, due to begin in July, were postponed this week because of the coronavirus pandemic. American Gatlin, 38, won gold at Athens 2004 and the world title in London in 2017 after a second doping ban.
Coronavirus: Africa Athletics Championships postponed….
The 22nd edition of the Africa Senior Athletics championships has been postponed to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Some of Africa’s best track and field athletes were scheduled to converge in Algiers, Algeria, between 24 and 28 June this year for the championships. But a statement shared by the host Algeria Athletics Federation (FAA) on their website stated, “Following the magnitude of the pandemic and the containment and awareness measures decided by the public authorities, the two sports authorities decided to postpone these championships to the summer of 2021.”
Swimmer Le Clos says Olympic delay tough….
Olympic swimming champion Chad le Clos has urged fellow South Africans to “stay at home” and “stay active” in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Le Clos, 27, who won 200m butterfly gold at London 2012, says he is “in the shape of his life” and believed he was on target to add to his tally of four Olympic medals overall at the Tokyo Games, which have been postponed to 2021.
Coronavirus: East African gambling sales down 99%….
The gambling sector in East Africa is in a “total mess” following the collapse of global sport in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, a Ugandan betting company has said. Betting markets have dramatically shrunk in light of the suspension of the world’s leading football leagues, which has left little for people to gamble on. But in east Africa, the market has been particularly hard-hit because few in the region bet online.
Coronavirus: Bundesliga top four make 20m euro cash pledge to other German clubs….
The four Bundesliga clubs in this season’s Champions League have pledged 20m euros to support fellow German teams during the coronavirus. Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen will forego their share of the national media revenue and donate the remainder from their own funds. The German Football League (DFL) will decide how the money will be distributed.
Kidnapped Nigerian footballers freed….
Two Nigerian footballers – one a Super Eagles international – have been released after being kidnapped on Sunday. Enyimba FC, for whom midfielder Ekundayo Ojo plays, said that both he and Abia Comet’s Benjamin Iluyomade had “regained their freedom.”
Coronavirus: Conor McGregor pledges 1m euros of protective equipment….
Conor McGregor has pledged one million euros worth of personal protective equipment for hospitals in Ireland. In a private twitter exchange with Irish Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe, published by McGregor, the UFC star said he planned to buy the equipment on Wednesday before distributing it around hospitals in Dublin. It comes a day after the Dublin native, 31, called for the government to fight back against the coronavirus by introducing an immediate lockdown.
Coronavirus: Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund stars to take pay cut….
Players and directors at Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund have agreed to take a temporary pay cuts. Both German giants said the move was to help the other employees at the club financially during the coronavirus crisis. Players at Union Berlin, 11th in the Bundesliga, announced they will go entirely without their wages. Last week, Borussia Monchengladbach’s players were the first in the country to offer to forgo wages.
Cesc Fabregas explains why he left Arsenal….
Cesc Fabregas says he left Arsenal for Barcelona in 2011 for a number of reasons, including his relationship with some former team-mates, pressure on winning trophies and the club’s lack of recruitment. Fabregas joined Arsenal from Barca as a 15-year-old in 2003 and went on to make 303 appearances across all competitions before returning to the Nou Camp, where he then joined Chelsea, and now plays for Monaco in Ligue 1.
Chelsea’s Willian given permission to return to Brazil….
Chelsea have confirmed that forward Willian is in Brazil with his family during the coronavirus outbreak. The club has allowed him to return to his wife and children after granting the player a leave of absence on appeal following a request to return home on compassionate grounds.
Tom Brady avoids criticising New England Patriots after exiting team….
Quarterback Tom Brady backed New England Patriots chiefs after he was asked whether they could have done more to prevent the end of their 20-year relationship. The 42-year-old helped Patriots to six Super Bowls, but became a free agent in this off-season and signed for Tampa Bay Buccaneers last week. “No, I have a great deal of respect,” responded Brady. “I’m so grateful to Robert Kraft [owner] and coach [Bill] Belichick.”
Cam Newton released by Carolina Panthers….
Quarterback Cam Newton has been released by the Carolina Panthers after nine years with the franchise. Newton, 30, was named the NFL’s most valuable player for 2015 after leading the Panthers to Super Bowl 50 where they lost to the Denver Broncos. He has struggled with shoulder and foot injuries in recent seasons, playing just two games in 2019. Last week the Panthers gave Newton permission to seek a trade but a deal was not agreed.
Pep Guardiola donates 1m euros to fight coronavirus….
Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has donated 1m euros to fight the coronavirus outbreak in Spain. Guardiola, who is at his home in Barcelona, has been working with his lawyers over the past few days to work out the best way of using the money. It will go to a campaign being promoted by the Medical College of Barcelona and the Angel Soler Daniel Foundation. Spain is one of the worst affected countries in Europe.
Olympic and Paralympic Games postponed because of coronavirus….
The Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games have been postponed until next year because of the worldwide coronavirus pandemic. The event, due to begin on 24 July, will now take place “no later than summer 2021”. “I proposed to postpone for a year and [IOC] president Thomas Bach responded with 100% agreement,” said Shinzo Abe, Japan’s Prime Minister. The event will still be called Tokyo 2020 despite taking place in 2021.
Two Nigerian footballers kidnapped….
Two footballers – Super Eagles forward Dayo Ojo and Abia Comets’ Benjamin Iluyomade – have been kidnapped while driving on the Benin-Owo expressway in Nigeria. The pair were travelling from Akure on a break, as the Nigerian league is currently suspended amidst the coronavirus pandemic. A team-mate of Ojo’s from his club side Enyimba, Emmanuel James, was also in the car, but escaped.
Coronavirus: Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta recovers….
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta says he has fully recovered from coronavirus. Spaniard Arteta, 37, became the first Premier League manager to test positive for the virus on 12 March. He had reported feeling unwell after it was confirmed Evangelos Marinakis – the owner of Greek side Olympiakos, who played Arsenal in the Europa League in February – had coronavirus on 10 March. Arteta said: “It took me three or four days to start feeling better, with more energy, to leave the symptoms behind.”
Coronavirus: Lord Coe calls for Olympics postponement….
World Athletics president Lord Coe has called for this summer’s Olympic Games in Tokyo to be postponed. In a letter to International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Thomas Bach, Coe says that an Olympics in July 2020 is “neither feasible or desirable” because of the coronavirus crisis. The IOC has given itself four weeks to decide on the future of the 2020 Games.
