Shanghai (AFP) – China coach Li Tie has revealed the psychological toll coronavirus took on the national football squad during a five-week training camp prolonged by the pandemic. Li's men spent much of March in Dubai, where many Chinese Super League (CSL) teams also took refuge, before returning home when the outbreak began to subside […]

Paris (AFP) – 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 […]

Abidjan (AFP) – Former Chelsea forward Didier Drogba has offered his hospital in his native Ivory Coast to the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, a local politician said. Drogba, who scored 65 goals in 105 appearances for his country and won the Champions League with the English club during his playing career, has proposed the […]

London (AFP) – Former Chelsea and England goalkeeper Peter Bonetti has died at the age of 78 following a long-term illness, the Premier League club announced Sunday, with tributes describing him as a "hero and a gentleman". Nicknamed 'The Cat' because of his agility, Bonetti was a mainstay of the west London side for close […]

London (AFP) – Crystal Palace manager Roy Hodgson has warned against "artificial means" of deciding the Premier League. In a statement to the London club's supporters, which saw the former England boss thank health workers and all those trying to combat the coronavirus, the veteran former England manager insisted there was widespread support for playing […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish thanked fans for their support on Sunday after leaving hospital following a positive test for the coronavirus. Dalglish, 69, found he had the virus after being admitted to hospital on Wednesday for treatment for a separate infection which required intravenous antibiotics. He was discharged on Saturday night. "Thank […]

Srinagar (India) (AFP) – Stranded by the coronavirus lockdown in one of the world's most militarised regions, Zambia's Aaron Katebe is no longer kicking a football — he is playing video games or working out in a hotel gym in Indian-administered Kashmir. Katebe is one of four African and six British players for Real Kashmir […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish was discharged from hospital on Saturday after testing positive for coronavirus and hailed medical staff as "absolutely brilliant." Dalglish, 69, found he had the virus after being admitted to hospital on Wednesday for treatment for a separate infection which required intravenous antibiotics. "They (the hospital staff) were absolutely […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United star Paul Pogba said he is eager to return from a lengthy spell on the sidelines when football resumes following the coronavirus pandemic. The World Cup winner has been limited to just eight appearances for United this season after battling a nagging ankle injury. "I'm already training and touching the […]

Glasgow (AFP) – Rangers have demanded SPFL chief executive Neil Doncaster be suspended over the controversial vote about how to end the season amid the coronavirus crisis. The Scottish Professional Football League on Wednesday submitted a resolution that said the three lower leagues would finish in the positions they stood at when play was halted […]

Paris (AFP) – Paris Saint-Germain winger Pablo Sarabia says that beating the coronavirus would be the "real victory of the season", with most professional football shut down due to the pandemic. France's Ligue 1 was suspended on March 13, with PSG sitting 12 points clear of Marseille at the top of the table, while having […]

London (AFP) – Kenny Dalglish's son admitted he was "truly humbled" by the messages of support that poured in from across the football world after the Liverpool legend tested positive for the coronavirus. Dalglish found he had the virus after being admitted to hospital on Wednesday for treatment for a separate infection which required intravenous […]

London (AFP) – Players at English Premier League side West Ham on Friday agreed to defer part of their wages during the coronavirus suspension while manager David Moyes will take a 30% pay cut. The move comes just a day after top-flight rivals Southampton struck a similar deal with their players as clubs wrestle with […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – The International Champions Cup friendly football tournament that has brought European powerhouse clubs to the United States and Asia in recent years, won't be played this year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Danny Sillman, chief executive of organizers Relevent Sports Group, said uncertainty surrounding restrictions that have shut down global sport […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish has tested positive for coronavirus but is not showing symptoms of the disease, his family said Friday. The 69-year-old former Scottish international striker, who started his career at Celtic, was admitted to hospital on Wednesday for treatment for an infection which required intravenous antibiotics. "He was subsequently tested […]