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.
UEFA will refund Euro 2020 ticket buyers if they can’t make 2021 dates
March 19 – UEFA has confirmed that provide full refunds will be paid to fans who bought tickets for Euro 2020 if they are unable to reschedule for next year, saying sticking with the original dates would have been far too dangerous because of Covid-19.
Spurs report £68m profit as Levy flags ‘most serious’ Covid-19 hurdle
By David Owen
March 19 – Tottenham Hotspur have disclosed another sizeable annual profit, though chairman Daniel Levy has warned that the current coronavirus pandemic amounts to the biggest hurdle the club has faced in two decades.
EFL to release £50m fund for clubs, SPL’s Hearts ask players to halve wages
March 19 – The English Football League, which represents the three professional divisions immediately below the Premier League, is to release a £50 million short-term relief fund to help cash-strapped clubs hit by the coronavirus outbreak.