The German Bundesliga season can resume this month, Chancellor Angela Merkel has confirmed. It will become the first major league in Europe to return to competition, with a date for resumption to be confirmed by the German Football League (DFL) on Thursday. All matches will be played behind closed doors. With nine games remaining, Bayern Munich are top of the table, four points above Borussia Dortmund.
The Football Association of Zambia has confirmed to the Confederation of African Football that they intend to resume their domestic football season next month, subject to approval by health authorities in the country. CAF had set Tuesday as the date by when countries should confirm whether they will continue or stop their domestic seasons suspended to curb the spread of the covid-19.
Gernot Rohr, coach of the Nigeria men’s national team, has said months-long talks between himself and the Nigeria Football Federation over the renewal of his contract have not been finalised. The German told BBC Sport Africa “we have still not taken a decision”, two weeks after a proposed contract was sent the way of the France-based coach.
Liberia have followed Ethiopia in declaring their football season over following the coronavirus outbreak. The 2019/20 Liberia Premier League season, which started in November, was declared null and void following an emergency executive committee meeting. “There is no champion, no promotion, no relegation. We start a new league and determine a new champion for the 2020/2021 league season,” Mustapha Raji, President of the Liberia Football Federation.
The Ethiopian Football Federation has announced that all league competitions in the country are cancelled due to Coronavirus pandemic. The decision was arrived at following a discussion in person and via video conference with all respective parties, including the Ethiopian Premier League.
USA Women co-captains Alex Morgan and Megan Rapinoe said they will appeal against their defeat in a lawsuit for equal pay with the men’s national team. A California judge threw out the players’ claims that they were underpaid in comparison with the men’s team.
Youssef Hossam has been banned for life by the Tennis Integrity Unit after being found guilty of multiple match-fixing and other corruption offences. The TIU found that the Egyptian, 21, had committed 21 breaches of anti-corruption rules between 2015 and 2019.
Former Chelsea forward Salomon Kalou has been suspended by his club Hertha Berlin after filming himself flouting social distancing rules on his return to training. Kalou appeared to make light of the coronavirus pandemic live on social media as the Bundesliga attempts to return to action later this month. The Ivorian also filmed himself interrupting a team-mate’s test while screening it live on Facebook – an act that was branded “absolutely unacceptable” by the German league.
Clubs in the top two German divisions have returned 10 positive results from 1,724 coronavirus tests, says the German football league. Clubs have been training in groups, with the tests taken before a planned return to training as teams. Measures including “the isolation of the affected person” have been taken, said the DFL. Top-flight side Cologne have had no further Covid-19 infections after three people tested positive last week.
Former Canada goalkeeper Karina LeBlanc has spoken of the emotions she experienced when forced to stay away from her newborn daughter for two weeks. The 40-year-old was admitted to hospital with breathing difficulties a week after her daughter Paris was born. Doctors then told her she needed to self-isolate because of concerns she had contracted coronavirus while being treated.
Former England captain Sir Bill Beaumont has been re-elected as the chairman of World Rugby for another four years. The 68-year-old defeated his former deputy, ex-Argentina skipper Agustin Pichot, by 28 votes to 23. French Rugby president Bernard Laporte has been elected vice-chairman.
The United States women’s football team’s bid for equal pay has been dismissed by a court, with the judge rejecting the players’ claims they were underpaid compared to the men. The lawsuit was filed by 28 women’s national team players last year against the US Soccer Federation (USSF). They had been seeking $66m in damages under the Equal Pay Act.
Germany’s Bundesliga will have to wait another week to find out about a possible restart date as the government has delayed a decision over resumption. The league has been suspended since mid-March because of coronavirus. Chancellor Angela Merkel said that any decision on if and when sports activities could resume would now be taken on Wednesday, 6 May. “It is absolutely necessary that we remain disciplined and stick to health guidelines,” she said.
Chelsea have asked foreign-based players to return to England by Sunday. Several players, including Brazilian midfielder Willian, were allowed to travel home after coronavirus led to the league’s suspension on 13 March. But now the Premier League is exploring whether it can resume the season in June, Chelsea want to be prepared should the green light be given.
Paris St-Germain have been awarded the Ligue 1 title after it was announced the season would not resume because of the coronavirus pandemic. PSG were 12 points clear at the top of the table, with a game in hand, when French football was suspended indefinitely on 13 March. Earlier this week the French government cancelled the 2019-20 sporting season. The club said they wished to dedicate the title “to healthcare staff and all the everyday heroes on the front line”.
Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and ex-FIFA general secretary Jerome Valcke will be tried in September in a corruption case linked to media rights for FIFA tournaments. The case involves a third, unnamed man, and relates to alleged criminal mismanagement, incitement to criminal mismanagement and falsifying documents. The trial will take place in the Swiss city of Bellinzona.
Quarterback Jameis Winston – who was replaced by Tom Brady at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers – has signed a one-year contract with the New Orleans Saints. The 26-year-old will be competing with Taysom Hill, who signed a $21m deal on Sunday, to be second-choice quarterback behind Drew Brees.
Manchester United have received permission to install 1,500 barrier seats – standing with rails – at Old Trafford as a trial measure. United will install the new section in the north-east quadrant for the 2020-21 season after Trafford council approval. If the trial proves successful, the club will look to install barrier seats in other areas of the stadium.
European leagues have until 25 May to tell UEFA whether they want to complete or cancel their seasons. Football is suspended in all European countries apart from Belarus because of the coronavirus pandemic. The deadline set by UEFA is referred to in a set of guidelines on ‘eligibility principles’ for European competitions that the governing body’s president and general secretary have sent out to football bodies.
The Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 seasons will not resume after France banned all sporting events, including behind closed doors, until September. Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said the 2019-20 sporting season was over as he announced plans to ease France’s coronavirus lockdown on 11 May. French football’s governing body had hoped to resume the season on 17 June and finish the campaign on 25 July. Football was suspended indefinitely in France on 13 March.
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