London (AFP) – Manchester City say they will not be furloughing employees at the taxpayer's expense after a number of Premier League clubs took advantage of the British government's scheme to fund non-playing staff during the coronavirus epidemic. On Saturday, table-topping Liverpool became the fifth Premier League club to announce a furlough, accessing the government's […]

London (AFP) – Wayne Rooney has criticised the government and the Premier League for placing footballers in a "no-win situation" over proposed pay cuts after a warning from players' representatives that National Health Service coffers could suffer. The former England captain, now playing with Championship side Derby, penned an impassioned column in the Sunday Times […]

Tegucigalpa (AFP) – Honduran ex-president Rafael Callejas, who pleaded guilty in the United States for his part in the sweeping FIFAgate football corruption scandal, died Saturday aged 76, his family said. Callejas passed away of a heart attack in a hospital in Atlanta, Georgia, his family said. "We are deeply saddened to announce that our […]

London (AFP) – Ex-players blasted Liverpool for their move to furlough non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic on Saturday as Premier League stars warned of a £200 million ($245 million) shortfall in government coffers if 30 percent wage cuts were introduced. The Premier League leaders said they would top up the public money made available […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool were accused of betraying their "morals and values" on Saturday for their move to furlough non-playing staff during the coronavirus pandemic as Premier League stars warned of a £200 million ($245 million) shortfall in government coffers if 30 percent wage cuts were introduced. Premier League leaders Liverpool said they would top […]

London (AFP) – The Professional Footballers' Association warned on Saturday of a £200 million ($245 million) shortfall for British government coffers if a sweeping cut in wages was introduced for Premier League players to offset the financial fall-out from the coronavirus. Clubs and players' representatives discussed a combination of pay cuts and deferrals amounting to […]

London (AFP) – Ex-players blasted Liverpool for their move to furlough non-playing staff on Saturday as Premier League clubs held talks over possible pay cuts for first-team staff due to the coronavirus crisis. The Anfield club said they would top up the public money made available from the government to ensure staff received their full […]

London (AFP) – Newcastle's Danny Rose says he would be prepared to give up some of his salary due to the coronavirus crisis but believes players have been unfairly targeted in the festering Premier League wage-cut row. Clubs were due to speak with players' representatives on Saturday over a combination of pay cuts and deferrals […]

Madrid (AFP) – Former Barcelona and Spain star Xavi Hernandez and his wife have donated one million euros ($1.08 million) to the city's Hospital Clinic to help the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. "Xavi Hernandez and Nuria Cunillera have made a donation of one million euros to the clinic to face up to COVID-19. Thanks […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool on Saturday became the latest Premier League club to put some of their non-playing staff on furlough during the coronavirus shutdown. The Premier League said on Friday that the 2019/20 season would only return when it was "safe and appropriate to do so". Newcastle, Tottenham, Bournemouth and Norwich have also said they would […]

Brussels (AFP) – The Belgian Football Association (URBSFA) announced on Saturday that it is working with UEFA toward a "constructive" solution regarding the premature end to the Belgian championship. On Thursday, the Belgian Pro League recommended that the season be declared finished due to the coronavirus pandemic with the present table accepted as final. It […]

London (AFP) – Newcastle defender Danny Rose is willing to contribute a portion of his wages to those fighting the coronavirus outbreak but says Premier League players feel their "backs are against the wall". Top-flight stars have come under increasing pressure to take pay cuts from government officials after a number of clubs said they […]

London (AFP) – UEFA has lifted a ban on the live screening of Premier League games kicking off at 3:00 pm in England and Scotland for the rest of the season. The blackout has long been in place to protect attendances at matches. The move by European football's governing body is seen a step towards […]

Rio de Janeiro (AFP) – Neymar has donated $1 million to fight the impact of the new coronavirus in his native Brazil, according to TV network SBT. The Paris Saint-Germain star, the world's third-highest-paid footballer, donated part of the money to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), and the rest to a charitable fund launched […]

London (AFP) – Premier League clubs will ask players to take a combination of pay cuts and deferrals amounting to 30 percent of their annual salary due to the financial crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the league said in a statement on Friday. The English top flight's highly-paid stars have come under increasing pressure […]