SIGA Strives 13: Integrity body and UNESCO partner to build case for government money
April 24 – UNESCO has partnered with the Sports Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) to build a ”business case for sport integrity”.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Neville to quit England job in July 2021 but no clarity on who will lead GB in Tokyo
April 24 – England women’s head coach Phil Neville will leave the job in July 2021 at the end of his contract, the English Football Association (FA) confirmed today.
UEFA says leagues can void if no play possible; releases €70m cash lifeline for clubs
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – UEFA has officially acknowledged that domestic leagues may not be able to finish this season if governments prevent them, but if that’s the case has urged leagues to ensure their qualifying clubs for its two competitions next season are selected on proper sporting merit.
Germans, Swiss and Italians progress restart plans, governments permitting
By Samindra Kunti
April 23- With governments across Europe implementing or considering a phased easing of strict lockdown measures, domestic leagues are cautiously coming up with different scenarios for season restarts, but those plans remain subject to the approval of health authorities.
Overcrowding prompts UEFA to push women’s 2021 Euros in England back to 2022
April 23 – UEFA have confirmed that next summer’s women’s European Championship in England has been postponed for a year as a result of the knock-on effect of Covid-19.
As doors close on Premier League attendance, could they open for TV viewers?
April 23 – The English Premier League is reported to considering screening games on free-to-air channels if and when the season returns amid concerns fans will visit friends who have Sky Sports or BT Sport and risk contracting Covid-19.
Watford players agree wage deferrals
April 23 – Watford’s first-team players have agreed to wage deferrals, becoming the third Premier League club to do so in a bid to tackle the financial fallout of the Covid-19 crisis.
Rare win for Swiss prosecutors as court rules they can still proceed in Al-Khelaifi case
April 23 – beIN Sports boss and Paris St Germain supremo Nasser al-Khelaifi has failed in a bid to have three prosecutors recused from a case against him in Switzerland that is part of a wider bribery investigation of FIFA.
English National Leagues end season but leave promotion and relegation decisions open
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – The fifth and sixth tiers of English football – immediately below the four professional leagues – have voted to end the regular season at its current point but have controversially left open what happens with promotion and relegation which are still “under careful consideration”, fuelling an ongoing debate lower down the pyramid.
Skills Skool: Laguna United and Santa Monica Surf go head-to-head in social media challenge
April 23 – Matches may be off from grassroots through to professional levels, but two youth clubs in California are filling the competitive gap with a skills challenge played out between age group teams via social media. Having whet the appetite with their opening skirmish, they are opening up the challenge to clubs from around the world.
Phil Neville’s term as England women’s coach looks set to end
April 23 – Phil Neville is to step down as England women’s coach when his contract ends next summer, according to British reports.
Arsenal players under fire for breaking social distancing guidelines
April 24 – Twenty-four hours after Premier League Tottenham Hotspur made headlines for all the wrong reasons after two of their players were reported for breaking social distancing rules, north London rivals Arsenal are in the dock for the same reason.
beIN urges Premier League to think hard before rubber stamping Newcastle’s Saudi sell-out
By Andrew Warshaw
April 22 – In a highly unusual move, the English Premier League has been urged by one of its major broadcast partners as well as one of the world’s leading human rights organisations to consider blocking a Saudi-backed consortium’s bid to buy Newcastle United.
KNVB moves to end season now as Dutch ban holding big events before Sept 1
By Andrew Warshaw
April 22 – In another blow to UEFA’s hopes of domestic leagues across Europe being completed, the Dutch Football Association has all but scrapped the rest of the season after a government ban on public events was extended until September 1 to prevent a resurgence of Covid-19 infections.
WHO issues warning over planning for an international 2020/21 season, say reports
April 21 – The World Health Organisation (WHO) has reportedly advised UEFA that football should not return to action until the end of next season in light of the coronavirus.