Washington (AFP) – Despite losing star striker Josef Martinez to a season-ending knee injury in the opening game, Atlanta United plans on a fast start when Major League Soccer returns from a coronavirus hiatus. The 2018 MLS champions and 2019 US Open Cup winners have had time for injuries to heal for midfielder Matheus Rossetto […]

Paris (AFP) – UEFA will hold a videoconference on Wednesday this week with its 55 member federations as part of discussions on the potential rescheduling of matches postponed due to the coronavirus crisis, European football's governing body announced on Monday. The meeting will see UEFA share an update on the progress made by the two […]

Berlin (AFP) – It may be a while before real fans can return to Bundesliga stadiums, but Borussia Moenchengladbach supporters are planning to fill the stands with the next best thing: 50,000 cardboard cut-outs of themselves. The German league is suspended until the end of April due to the coronavirus crisis, and games are expected […]

London (AFP) – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola joked he will come back "fatter" from a long layoff from football as he urged supporters to follow the advice of scientists and medical professionals on Monday. Guardiola, who donated one million euros ($1.08 million) to help buy medical supplies for the fight against the coronavirus pandemic […]

Madrid (AFP) – Lionel Messi confirmed on Monday that Barcelona's players will take a 70 per cent pay cut and make financial contributions to ensure the club's other employees are paid in full during the state of alarm in Spain. In a lengthy message posted on his Instagram account, Messi also took another swipe at […]

Lausanne (AFP) – The coronavirus pandemic which has caused football to grind to a halt will also have a major impact on the transfer market value of players in Europe's leading leagues, according to a study published on Monday. The total market value of players in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues — the top flights in […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford is working to get food to children who rely on free school meals after the coronavirus shutdown. The 22-year-old England international has teamed up with charity FareShare to help children in the Manchester area after schools were closed. And he revealed that his own childhood had inspired […]

Madrid (AFP) – Real Madrid's Karim Benzema has mocked France striker Olivier Giroud by likening himself to a Formula One car and Giroud a go-kart. Benzema has not played for France since 2015 and watched from afar as Giroud spearheaded the team's World Cup triumph in Russia two years ago. With over 500 appearances for […]

London (AFP) – Police have opened an investgaton after pictures surfaced appearing to show Aston Villa's Jack Grealish at the scene of an incident in which a Range Rover crashed into parked cars — just hours after he had appealed for people to stay at home. West Midlands Police said they were called on Sunday […]

London (AFP) – Liverpool should be awarded the Premier League title if the season cannot be completed due to the coronavirus pandemic, says Manchester City midfielder Ilkay Gundogan. Jurgen Klopp's men were a tantalising two wins away from their first league crown since 1990 when the season was suspended earlier this month. The shutdown is […]

Milan (AFP) – Shares in Italian football giants Juventus surged Monday after the club's decision to cut their players' salaries in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic. The Serie A champions announced on Saturday that they had cut their players' and coach Maurizio Sarri's salaries from March until June after all Italian sport was suspended. […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Oscar and Hulk jetted in just in time but fellow Brazilian Paulinho reportedly heads a long list of foreign stars locked out of China as the country attempts to stop imported coronavirus cases. There are no suggestions that former Barcelona midfielder Paulinho has the deadly disease, but China closed its borders at […]

London (AFP) – England captain Harry Kane said on Sunday the Premier League season should be cancelled if it cannot be completed by the end of June because of the coronavirus pandemic. The English top-flight is currently suspended until at least April 30 due to the COVID-19 outbreak, with a likely further delay to be […]

Johannesburg (AFP) – The May semi-finals and finals of the two annual African club competitions are likely to fall victim to the coronavirus pandemic sweeping the continent. After two-leg semi-finals in the competitions between May 1 and 10, the Champions League final is set for May 29 in Douala, five days after Rabat hosts the […]

Madrid (AFP) – Xavi Hernandez has reiterated his desire to coach Barcelona in the future but suggests he will not return until a different board brings a new sense of direction to the club. Hernandez is in charge of Al-Sadd in Qatar and turned down an approach in January after Barca sacked Ernesto Valverde, which […]