Berlin (AFP) – The crisis caused by the coronavirus pandemic will stop the "unhealthy" inflation of player wages and transfer fees in football, Bayern Munich chairman Karl-Heinz Rummenigge wrote in an editorial published on Thursday. "With every crisis comes an opportunity," Rummenigge noted in Bayern's own club magazine. "For a long time we have seen […]

London (AFP) – The public response in donating to charity to help feed deprived children after an appeal by Marcus Rashford has impressed the Manchester United forward. The 22-year-old England international teamed up with FareShare, a food distribution charity, after schools in the Manchester area were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. Donations as of […]

Seoul (AFP) – Tottenham Hotspur's South Korean striker Son Heung-min will report to a marines boot camp later this month to fulfil military service duties, a report said Thursday. All able-bodied South Korean men are obliged to serve in the military for nearly two years, making up the bulk of Seoul's 600,000-strong forces — who […]

Hong Kong (AFP) – The Asian Football Confederation extended the deadline for preliminary bids for the 2027 Asian Cup on Thursday after the coronavirus pandemic caused major problems for football administrations. Expressions of interest will now be accepted until June 30, three months after the original deadline of March 31, the AFC said in a […]

Paris (AFP) – Football has ground to a halt due to the coronavirus pandemic, and the immediate concern is the simple survival of many clubs because of the financial impact, but there is hope that the global game could ultimately emerge better from this crisis. "We are living through something none of us were used […]

London (AFP) – Juan Mata has trolled his Manchester United team-mate Nemanja Matic by jokingly saying the Serbia midfielder is only claiming to be doing his training regime during the coronavirus lockdown. With the Premier League suspended until at least April 30 and Britain effectively shuttered by the pandemic, United's players have been forced to […]

Paris (AFP) – UEFA have made a move towards clearing the decks for the return of club football by announcing on Wednesday that all international matches that had been pushed back to June have now been postponed until further notice. "This includes the play-off matches for UEFA Euro 2020 and qualifying matches for UEFA Women's […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has vowed to play for an extra two years at the end of his career to make up for the time lost due to the coronavirus. The Premier League is postponed until at least April 30 because of the pandemic and is likely to be delayed […]

London (AFP) – Bournemouth's Eddie Howe became the first Premier League manager to take a voluntary pay cut due to the coronavirus on Wednesday. Cherries boss Howe, 42, agreed to take a "significant" cut to his reported £4 million-per-year ($4.9 million) contract to help offset the financial damage caused by the pandemic. The League Managers […]

Paris (AFP) – UEFA have made a move towards clearing the decks for the return of club football by announcing on Wednesday that all international matches that had been pushed back to June have now been postponed until further notice. "This includes the play-off matches for UEFA EURO 2020 and qualifying matches for UEFA Women's […]

London (AFP) – Premier League clubs have been accused of living in a "moral vacuum", with players urged to take their share of the financial hit from the coronavirus pandemic as non-playing staff begin to feel the pinch. Last year's Champions League finalists Tottenham as well as Newcastle and Norwich have faced a backlash for […]

Marseille (AFP) – Tributes poured in Wednesday for former Marseille president Pape Diouf, who has died aged 68 after contracting the coronavirus. Diouf, who became the first ever black president of a top European football club, died on Tuesday in Dakar, his family told AFP. The former journalist and football agent led the club between […]

Marseille (AFP) – Former Marseille president Pape Diouf has died aged 68 after contracting the new coronavirus, a family source told AFP on Tuesday. Diouf, who was born in Chad but had French and Senegalese citizenship, led the club between 2005-2009 and helped build the side who lifted the Ligue 1 title in 2010. He […]

Marseille (AFP) – Former Marseille president Pape Diouf has died aged 68 after contracting the new coronavirus, a family source told AFP on Tuesday. Diouf, who was born in Chad but had French and Senegalese citizenship, led the club between 2005-2009 and helped build the side who lifted the Ligue 1 title in 2010. He […]

Sydney (AFP) – Former Asian football champions Western Sydney Wanderers have joined other A-League clubs by temporarily laying off their squad and staff, reports said on Wednesday, as the coronavirus shutdown takes a heavy toll on sport. The Wanderers, who won the AFC Champions League in 2014, follow the lead of fellow top-flight clubs Perth […]