FIFA says $1bn spend on women’s game will not be impacted by Covid-19
April 21 – FIFA has said that the coronavirus pandemic will not touch the world federation’s ambitious plans to invest $1 billion in the women’s game.
UEFA starts round of key meetings with Ceferin still confident seasons can complete
April 21 – On the eve of three days of pivotal meetings with all of European football’s main stakeholders, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says leagues across the Continent are ready to play behind closed doors in a bid to limit the impact of Covid-19.
Player depression stats have doubled since start of lockdown, says FIFPro
April 21 – The global players’ union FIFPro has warned of a massive rise in the number of players reporting symptoms of depression or anxiety since the sport was brought to a shuddering halt by Covid-19.
Belgian court winds up Lokeren with €5m debt outstanding
April 21 – Sporting Lokeren has been declared bankrupt by a local commercial court after the Belgian club failed to find new investors to solve its debt crisis.
Virus spread: Did Liverpool vs Atletico CL match accelerate the city’s infection rate?
April 21 – Amid persistent accusations that the British government, unlike much of Europe, reacted far too late in trying to halt the spread of Covid-19, speculation over a possible link between positive cases in Liverpool and the club’s Champions League match with Atletico Madrid last month has intensified.
England 4th in ranking of overseas players; Brazil, France and Argentina dominate
April 21 – Brazil remains top of the list of countries with most expatriate players plying their trade outside their countries, but England – whose players are historically reckoned to be the poorest travellers – are a surprising fourth in the ranking.
Ozil and two others stall on agreeing Arsenal pay cuts, say reports
April 21 – German midfielder Mezut Ozil, who has long divided opinion on the field, is reported to be one of three Arsenal players to have rejected taking a pay-cut after the club became the first to agree a virtual across-the-board wage reduction as a result of Covid-19.
New Infantino links to Swiss judiciary raise more questions of integrity and impartiality
By Andrew Warshaw
April 20 – Yet another significant twist has emerged over undocumented dealings between FIFA president Gianni Infantino and Switzerland’s judiciary authorities.
CAF suspends its flagship club competitions
April 20 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed its two major clubs finals in May because of the coronavirus pandemic.
EFL Championship clubs face financial meltdown in post-Covid-19 new world
April 20 – The English Football League’s announcement that games in its three divisions will return behind closed doors once government Covid-19 restrictions allow, will not solve what is an increasingly worrying financial health picture for the three tiers of professional football below the Premier League.
India’s I-League set to draw line under season with Mohun Bagan as champions
April 20 – Kolkata giants Mohun Bagan will be declared Indian champions if the national federation confirms a recommendation by the I-League committee to cancel the remainder of the season in light of India’s nationwide lockdown.
CSL’s Wuhan Zall return home after 3 months of ‘wandering’
April 20 – Wuhan Zall, the Chinese Super League team based at the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, have made an emotional return to their home city after more than three months’ forced isolation.
Brighton owner says relegation would be unfair if Premier League season fails to resume
April 20 – Relegation from the Premier League will probably be scrapped if the season ends with no more play because of the coronavirus outbreak, according to Brighton and Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom.
Denmark’s Midtjylland plans for drive-in match days once league returns
April 20 – A Danish club has come up with an ingenious way of letting fans watch games live when the league there eventually resumes: Drive-in football.
Mexico’s Liga MX ends promotion/relegation for 5 years. Ascensio MX to be development league
April 20 – Liga MX’s 18 clubs, meeting via video conference, have suspended promotion and relegation between the top tier and second tier, Ascenso MX, for the next five years.