Field of dreams: LaLiga players to battle it out in charity esports clash this weekend
March 20 – Spanish players will be in action this weekend but it will be in the virtual world of esports rather than the physical world of LaLiga.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Monchengladbach players volunteer to wage cut to support lower paid club employees
March 20 – Players, coaches and directors of German top-flight club Borussia Monchengladbach, who sit fourth in the table, have agreed to defer their wages to help less advantaged employees in football’s latest humanitarian gesture to counter Covid-19 .
FC Sion boss Constantin fires 9 players for refusing part-time contracts
March 20 – Just days after the head of Switzerland’s FA stood up at the UEFA Congress and warned of the dire consequences of Covid-19 on football in his country, Swiss top-flight outfit FC Sion have reportedly terminated the contracts of nine players, including captain Xavier Kouassi, former Swiss international Johan Djourou and ex-Arsenal and Barcelona midfielder Alex Song.
Brazilian clubs open up facilities to health services
March 20 – A number of Brazilian clubs have joined the fight against the corona pandemic by opening up their facilities to health services.
PMG pulls out of KV Oostende acquisition
March 20 – American investment company Pacific Media Group (PMG) has pulled out of a deal to acquire a majority stake in struggling Belgian top-flight club KV Oostende.
Japan suspend relegation but keep promotion, expanding J1 to 20 teams for 2021
March 20 – Japan’s J.League, that was just one game and two days old before its season was suspended by the spread of coronavirus, has announced that there will be no relegation for the 2020 season from the top tier.
SIGA Strives: 5-year partnership signed with UNICRI to prevent crime in sport
March 20 – SIGA and the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute (UNICRI) have entered into a 5-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to prevent corruption and other crimes in Sport.
Concacaf add U-17 women and mens Futsal to list of suspended championships
March 20 – Concacaf has decided to suspend two more national teams tournament in light of the spread of Covid-19 within the region.
David Owen: Covid-19 has been disastrous for Infantino’s grand designs
March 18 – One early victim of the coronavirus crisis has been FIFA President Gianni Infantino’s authority.
Man Utd commit to paying casual workforce whether games are played or not
March 19 – With the Premier League having announced that all matches are currently suspended until April 30, Manchester United have announced they will pay wages to their casual workforce whether games are played or not.
English leagues extend suspension to end of April with no season end-dates set
March 19 – English football, already wiped off the map until April 3 because of the continued spread of coronavirus, will now be suspended until April 30 following a crisis video conference of the sport’s various authorities today.
Tebas says Europe’s leagues could be back playing by mid-May
March 19 – Despite Covid-19 decimating football across Europe, there is light at the end of the tunnel with La Liga President Javier Tebas saying major leagues are preparing to resume in mid-May and finish by the end of June as long as the climate is right.
FIFA puts CWC on hold with no new dates set; makes $10m donation to WHO
March 19 – As expected FIFA has confirmed the postponement of Gianni Infantino’s much-trumpeted revamped Club World Cup but hasn’t decided when to play the tournament instead of next year.
Nigerian FA suspends activity as coronavirus impact reaches Africa
March 19 – Nigeria has become the latest country to suspend all football activities in the global fight against the coronavirus.
Bournemouth losses triple to £32.4m as annual turnover dips again
By David Owen
March 19 – AFC Bournemouth, the Russian-owned south coast club enjoying an extended Premier League adventure under manager Eddie Howe, have announced an increased annual loss.