Argentina end league season and take opportunity to restructure competitions
April 28 – Argentina has become the latest country to cancel its domestic league as a consequence of the global health crisis.
News
Liverpool postpone £60m Anfield expansion for a year
April 28 – Liverpool’s projected £60 million expansion of their Anfield Road stadium is being placed on hold for at least a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Robert Herbin, the Sphinx at the heart of St Etienne’s glory years, dies aged 81
By David Owen
April 28 – Robert Herbin, who was a key player in one great Saint-Etienne team and coach of another, has died at the age of 81. Born in Paris, the tactically-astute defensive midfielder played 23 times for France, but it was his exploits with the team in green that came to epitomise French football in the 1960s and 1970s for which he will be remembered.
No winners, some losers. Dutch void Eredvisie season but not all clubs are happy
By Andrew Warshaw
April 27 – Any chance of Dutch football finishing the season is over after the 2019-20 campaign was officially wound up due to the coronavirus pandemic with those in favour and against expressing strong views over the decision.
Belgian chaos as Pro-league prevaricates and clubs fail to win renewed licenses
By Samindra Kunti
April 27 – Belgium’s Pro League has again postponed the decision to rubber-stamp Club Brugge’s coronation as champions because of the evolving lockdown measures in the country. A return to action, however, remains improbable and contradicts a previous recommendation to cancel the season.
FIFA releases $150m to MAs to help counter financial effect of Covid-19
April 27 – FIFA is dishing out $150 million to its 211 member associations over the next few days in the first stage of a relief effort to help them handle the financial impact of the coronavirus.
Canal+ and beIN stand by LFP with €50m payment support for its clubs
April 27 – Canal+ and beIN SPORTS and have reached an agreement outside their existing broadcast rights contract that will see them accelerate much needed payments to France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) and its clubs regarding the rights to matches already aired.
Everton starlet Kean gets social and a £160k fine
April 27 – English top-flight club Everton say they are “appalled” after images were released of their Italian striker Moise Kean holding a house party in direct defiance of the UK’s Covid-19 lockdown restrictions – the latest flaunting of the rules by a Premier League player.
Bundesliga secures media cash release for clubs, but risks penalties if restart is cut short
April 24 – Germany’s Bundesliga has secured agreements with its major broadcast partners that will enable the league to release money to all Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 clubs.
UEFA to keep Euro 2020 title for its 2021 competition
April 24 – Next year’s European Championship will continue to be called Euro 2020 despite being postponed to 2021.
Liverpool mayor calls for probe into whether Atletico CL visit was a virus super spreader
April 24 – The mayor of Liverpool City Region has called for an investigation into the Champions League clash between Liverpool and Atletico Madrid as debate over a possible link between positive Covid-19 cases in the city and last month’s fixture intensifies.
Coronavirus: Egyptian FA locks down all football for further 15 days
April 24 – Egypt has extended the suspension of all football activities in the country for another 15 days as a containment measure against the spread of the coronavirus.
Scots ponder options after UEFA gives leagues clearance to close off leagues
April 24 – Scotland looks set to become one of the first leagues to benefit from UEFA’s agreement to allow for special cases in ending domestic seasons prematurely.
UEFA’s Foundation for Children mark 5 years and 1m youth reached in 100 countries
April 24 – UEFA may be concentrating on how it grapples with the effects of Covid-19 but away from the pandemic, today marks the fifth anniversary of the organisation’s Foundation for Children, using football as a tool to aid vulnerable kids particularly in less-privileged parts of the world.
Kenya on brink of being kicked out of 2022 qualifiers for failure to pay former coach
April 24 – Kenya is on the verge of being banned from World Cup qualifiers saying they do not have the funds to meet today’s deadline to pay former coach Adel Amrouche (pictured).