Real Madrid players join Barca and Atletico stars in agreeing pay cut
April 9 – Real Madid have become the latest Spanish club whose players and coaches have agreed to take pay cuts to alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Europe
Dutch plan for June 19 return but not all clubs agree
April 8 – Dutch football is drawing up a roadmap to resume the season that was suspended in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus with a return to action behind closed doors tentatively set for June 19.
Tebas sets three dates for closed doors return of LaLiga, with earliest being May 28
April 8 – La Liga has earmarked three possible dates for the resumption of domestic matches once the green light is given by health authorities.
Clubs to keep players beyond June as FIFA set to realign contracts to new season end
April 7 – The summer transfer window will be amended, the 2019-20 season extended indefinitely and player contracts ending on June 30 put back for a short period under radical proposals about to be announced by FIFA, according to unconfirmed reports.
Bundesliga clubs cleared to return to training, with target of closed door return in May
April 7 – Bundesliga clubs, including reigning champions Bayern Munich, have been allowed to return to training amid strict measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus including the minimum of contact between players.
Ceferin says there is no August 3 deadline and closed doors games are better than no games
April 6 – UEFA has been quick to play down reports attributed to its president Aleksander Ceferin that a deadline of August 3 has been set for the Champions League, which has reached the last-16 stage, and Europa League finals to be completed.
UEFA issues match fixing warning as fixers adapt to Covid-19 restrictions
April 6 – UEFA has issued an intelligence alert to its federations warning that match-fixers are quickly adapting to Covid-19 restrictions, despite the bulk of leagues and games across Europe having been shut down.
Serie A boss warns of litigation ‘avalanche’ if season is not completed
April 6 – The head of Serie A has warned of a potential “avalanche of litigation” if the domestic season is not completed once Covid-19 eases.
Liverpool blow their ‘social’ credentials as club furlough low paid staff to take govt cash
April 6 – European champions and runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool were accused of betraying their “morals and values” after joining a number of other top-flight English clubs in furloughing non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic.
Walker sex party drives could leave Man City star socially distanced
April 6 – England defender Kyle Walker faces disciplinary action from his club Manchester City after reportedly breaking Covid-19 lockdown rules by hosting a party involving two sex workers.
UEFA and leagues say season must be finished as restart date debate suggests July
By Andrew Warshaw
April 3 – UEFA and Europe’s top leagues and clubs have agreed that abandoning the season because of Covid-19 should be the last resort amid hints that clubs may not be allowed into next season’s European club competitions if they don’t qualify in the usual way.
Belgian clubs risk UEFA ban as league refuses to reverse decision to end season
By Samindra Kunti
April 3 – In an unprecedented move Belgium has abandoned the rest of the season and crowned Club Brugge champions, despite UEFA issuing a warning against ending leagues early, and threatening expulsion from the Champions League and Europa League.
PFA backtracks as government tells players to ‘do the right thing…or face the consequences’
April 3 – Millionaire English Premier League stars must “share the financial burden” created by the impact of the coronavirus pandemic, says their union.
‘If we can’t win our league, why should Liverpool be allowed to win theirs?’
By Andrew Warshaw
April 2 – One of the UK’s youngest and most courageous club owners has laid bare exactly what it means for teams outside the country’s four professional divisions to have their seasons closed down and all results expunged.
Beating the bug: English stakeholders locked in talks over pay and season restart options
April 2 – English football’s stakeholders have failed to reach agreement over across-the-board player pay cuts as talks continue to find ways of somehow salvaging the domestic season.