Abidjan (AFP) – Former Ivorian striker Didier Drogba and one of the country's biggest music groups Magic System distributed aid on Friday to 200 families in a poor area of Abidjan as part of the effort to fight the coronavirus crisis. Drogba joined Salif Traore, known as A'Salfo, the Magic System frontman, for the second […]

Buenos Aires (AFP) – Former Barcelona and Liverpool footballer Mauricio Pellegrino has been appointed coach at Argentines Velez Sarsfield, the club said on its social media, replacing former Manchester United and Real Madrid defender Gabriel Heinze. "Mauricio Pellegrino is returning home! Welcome Flaco!" said Velez on its official Twitter account on Thursday night, using their […]

London (AFP) – Premier League clubs remain committed to finishing the top-flight season, but did not set a June 30 deadline to complete the fixture list at their latest meeting on Friday. With the Premier League postponed since March 13 due to the coronavirus, it had been suggested a firm closing date for the season […]

Berlin (AFP) – The Bundesliga hopes to get the go-ahead from the German government to resume in May, yet a debate is raging as to whether there will be enough testing available for the coronavirus to keep players safe. League football was suspended in mid-March in Germany until at least April 30 to help limit […]

Doha (AFP) – Qatar has detected three more coronavirus cases among workers on World Cup stadiums, organisers said Thursday, bringing the number of infections among those involved in 2022 tournament construction to eight. The Gulf nation has reported seven deaths from the COVID-19 disease and 4,103 cases in total, announcing the first infections in stadium […]

London (AFP) – Premier League clubs will debate how to finish the season on Friday, with reports that a June 30 deadline will be proposed amid the coronavirus crisis. Bosses at the Premier League are under pressure to thrash out the best way to conclude the 2019-20 campaign after the pandemic caused chaos with the […]

London (AFP) – Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has demanded an investigation into the Scottish Professional Football League, accusing the organisation of making an "absolute mess" of its end-of-season proposal. Dundee on Wednesday reversed an earlier intention to reject the SPFL's contentious plans to end the Scottish season below the Premiership level due to the coronavirus […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea will provide 78,000 free meals to Britain's National Health Service and charities that support the elderly and vulnerable during the coronavirus crisis, the Premier League club said Thursday. The Blues' donation will help NHS staff working long hours across five hospitals. "We are and have always been committed to supporting our […]

London (AFP) – Brighton chairman Tony Bloom fears English football will pay a heavy price as a result of the coronavirus-enforced shutdown unless the sport's key stakeholders unite. The Premier League and the three divisions below it are all suspended indefinitely as Britain remains on lockdown. With clubs losing revenue but still having to pay […]

Berlin (AFP) – Playing behind closed doors with cardboard cut-outs of fans on the Moenchengladbach terraces will take some getting used to if German football resumes in May, says one of the few Bundesliga stars to have already played in a near-empty stadium. "Everyone will have to come to terms with this unusual situation as […]

Madrid (AFP) – The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) proposed on Thursday that La Liga's current standings decide which teams qualify for European competitions if the season has to be cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. La Liga and UEFA have not given their approval to the plan, with both governing bodies insisting they are still […]

Paris (AFP) – UEFA will hold an Executive Committee meeting by videoconference next Thursday, April 23, European football's governing body has confirmed, as it continues to look at ways of restarting the season in the midst of the coronavirus crisis. Before that, the heads of each of UEFA's 55 member associations will come together next […]

Berlin (AFP) – Germany and Bayern Munich defender Niklas Suele admits having mixed feelings about the possible return of German league football next month amid the coronavirus pandemic. Next Thursday, the German Football League (DFL) plans to meet via video conference with the 36 clubs in the first two leagues to discuss whether matches can […]

Paris (AFP) – The coronavirus pandemic presents "an almost existential threat" to women's football, according to a report by global players' union FIFPro published Thursday. Female players the world over, like their male counterparts, have been forced to stop playing with countries going into lockdown to try to halt the spread of the virus, which […]

London (AFP) – Rangers manager Steven Gerrard has demanded an investigation into the Scottish Professional Football League, saying it had made an "absolute mess" of its end-of-season proposal. Dundee on Wednesday reversed an earlier intention to reject the SPFL's contentious plans to end the Scottish season below the Premiership level due to the coronavirus pandemic, […]