Author: Chief Editor

Barcelona will bring legal action against a former vice-president who has made accusations of management corruption, the La Liga champions announced on Monday. Last week Barcelona furiously denied accusations from Emili Rousaud, who was one of six directors to resign on Thursday, that someone at the club had “put their hands in the till”. “The Board of Directors categorically denies any action that could be described as corruption and have agreed to bring the corresponding criminal action accordingly,” Barca said in a statement. “FC Barcelona cannot tolerate allegations that seriously damage the institution’s image. The criminal action to be taken…

Former Manchester United star Marouane Fellaini was discharged on Tuesday after three weeks in a Chinese hospital being treated for coronavirus, his club said. The 32-year-old Shandong Luneng midfielder, the only player known to have contracted the disease in the Chinese Super League (CSL), will now spend 14 days in quarantine for further observation. The Belgium international said on March 22 that he had tested positive for the virus, having just returned to China, but assured fans that he was feeling fine. While in the hospital in the city of Jinan, Fellaini posted videos of himself on Instagram exercising in…

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba is bemused as to why he remains a constant source of criticism despite missing most of the campaign through injury. The 27-year-old has been restricted to just eight appearances this season due to a persistent ankle injury. Former Liverpool captain and manager Graeme Souness has been one of the most outspoken critics of Pogba since he returned to United from Juventus for a then-world record £89 million ($112 million) fee in 2016. However, Pogba claimed he did not even know who Souness was. “I didn’t even know who he was, really,” Pogba told the official…

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates have donated half of their bonus for qualifying for the Euro 2020 finals to help amateur football in the country that has been hit by the coronavirus shutdown. The Portuguese football federation said on Monday the money would go towards a fund that it hopes will reach 4.7 million euros ($5.1 million) to help amateur clubs survive the crisis. The federation last week decided to end the already-suspended amateur season with immediate effect, declaring the season null and void without champions, promotion or relegation. No decision has been taken on resuming professional football but…

Chelsea manager Frank Lampard believes the Blues can be proud of their response to the coronavirus crisis. The London club quickly offered the use of a hotel at their Stamford Bridge stadium to health workers once Premier League matches were suspended last month and have promised to match all donations made to domestic abuse charity Refuge during a six-week fundraising campaign. Unlike a number of other Premier League clubs who have attracted criticism for using the UK government’s furlough scheme to pay non-playing staff, Chelsea has so far decided against using public money. “I’m very proud to be the manager…

A month has now passed since the last football matches were played before packed stadiums in Europe, and the havoc wrought by the coronavirus pandemic means that nobody can say with any certainty when the sport might return. A crowd of 50,000 filled Ibrox Stadium in Glasgow on Thursday, March 12 to see Rangers lose 3-1 to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League. Other matches that night were played behind closed doors, or postponed altogether, as Italy announced its death toll from the virus had passed 1,000. Fast forward 31 days and the figures make for grim reading throughout Europe,…

Former Manchester United captain Gary Neville believes the Premier League may force clubs who are looking to cut player wages during the coronavirus crisis to accept transfer embargoes. Clubs in England’s top-flight have requested players take up to a 30 percent pay hit in cuts and deferrals to help soften the estimated £1 billion ($1.2 billion) blow of potentially failing to complete the season. A number of Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, have also been fiercely criticised for using public money to shore up the wages of non-playing staff before cutting the salaries of players. Liverpool quickly reversed their decision…

Xherdan Shaqiri believes Liverpool have the potential to get even better after enjoying an “unbelievable year” in 2019 that included Champions League glory in Madrid. The Reds have crowned kings of Europe for a sixth time thanks to a 2-0 victory over domestic rivals Tottenham, their success in the Spanish capital helping ease the pain of narrowly missing out on the Premier League title to Manchester City. It was a second Champions League success for Shaqiri, who had previously lifted the trophy during his time with Bayern Munich, helping make amends following Liverpool’s defeat to Real Madrid in the 2018…

Eintracht Frankfurt midfielder Gelson Fernandes says players “feel lucky” to be back in training and he thinks the Bundesliga could restart in late May. German teams were the first from Europe’s top leagues to return to training, with precautions in place, after the coronavirus pandemic caused football to be suspended. The Bundesliga halted on March 13, will not resume before 30 April. “When we come back, it will be behind closed doors,” said Fernandes. “I think that will be in late May. It’s impossible to think that in June, July, August, we’d be playing in front of 50,000 people. That…

With stadiums dark, match shirts folded in closets and most players confined at home, football’s sponsors have lost all visibility and are growing restless. European clubs are struggling to offer their ‘partners’ a return on their investments as sport grapples with the coronavirus pandemic. “We’re trying to do activities with our players for our sponsors, who are even more demanding since the lockdown. But it’s very complicated because of the health crisis,” one club marketing manager told AFP. The stars, the surest way for sponsors to attract an audience, are at home, many back in their native countries. Worse, there…