Johannesburg (AFP) – Former South Africa national team doctor Ntlopi Mogoru says it is "unrealistic" to expect the country's Premiership to finish by the end of June as the coronavirus pandemic continues to spread. League spokesperson Mato Madlala had said that if a three-week national lockdown that began two days ago stems the diffusion of […]

London (AFP) – Tottenham forward Son Heung-min has been allowed to fly home to South Korea for "personal reasons". Although Britain is on lockdown due to the coronavirus, the Premier League club on Sunday said Son has been given permission to return to Asia. The 27-year-old has been recovering after suffering a fractured arm during […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus on Saturday announced that they had cut their players' and coach Maurizio Sarri's salaries after all Italian sport was suspended until at least April 3 due to the coronavirus pandemic. "The economic and financial effects of the understanding reached are positive for about 90 million euros ($100.5 million) for the 2019/2020 […]

Montreal (AFP) – Kenyan national team captain Victor Wanyama, a Major League Soccer midfielder who spent the past seven seasons in the Premier League, is helping in his homeland's fight against coronavirus. The 28-year-old Montreal Impact standout's foundation has donated 200 sanitizing kits to needy families in his hometown of Nairobi in a project with […]

Rome (AFP) – Europe's football bosses have not given up hope of finishing this pandemic-hit season — even if it might have to be done at the start of the next one. The novel coronavirus has created an existential challenge to the world's most widely played and watched sport. Europe's football leagues are the planet's […]

London (AFP) – Chelsea winger Pedro admits he is finding it hard separated from his children due to the coronavirus lockdown. Pedro's kids are back in Spain and the 32-year-old is unable to go home to see his family because of the travel restrictions imposed around the pandemic. The Spaniard has remained in England and […]

Rome (AFP) – The head of UEFA said European football leagues were still looking at all options and not ruling out finishing this season — if the coronavirus pandemic subsides. "We could start again in mid-May, in June or even late June," Aleksander Ceferin told Italy's La Repubblica daily. Any time after that and "the season […]

Montevideo (AFP) – The Uruguayan Football Association (AUF) announced that almost all of its staff, including coach Oscar Tabarez, have been laid off due to the coronavirus pandemic that has frozen sport worldwide. "The executive committee informs that, due to the current health crisis which has brought to a halt all its activities, it is […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United striker Marcus Rashford says his recovery from the back injury that has sidelined him since January has not been affected by the coronavirus crisis. Rashford sustained a double stress fracture in an FA Cup tie against Wolves that initially looked set to rule him out of the rest of the […]

London (AFP) – West Ham have eight players in self-isolation after showing mild symptoms of the coronavirus, according to the club's vice-chairwoman Karren Brady. The Hammers are the latest Premier League club to be hit by the pandemic. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta, Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi — both now recovered — and several unnamed Leicester […]

Corunna (Spain) (AFP) – Journeyman footballer Toni Dovale put his football boots to one side and slipped into a pharmacist's white coat in the front line struggle against coronavirus in Spain. The 29-year-old pharmacy graduate and former top-level sportsman had been playing football for a Thai club, but was visiting his family in Spain when […]

Los Angeles (AFP) – Reigning MLS Most Valuable Player Carlos Vela says he had a chance to join FC Barcelona earlier this year but his current side Los Angeles FC vetoed the deal. Mexico's Vela said while it would have been a great opportunity for him in January he doesn't hold a grudge against his […]

Minsk (AFP) – As the rest of Europe shuts up shop to combat the new coronavirus, Belarus remains resolutely open for business. Restaurants in the former Soviet Republic continue to serve food, and the country's football league plays on. Despite being at the door of a Europe grappling with the deadly COVID-19, life goes on […]

London (AFP) – Rangers striker Jermain Defoe believes his boss Steven Gerrard has the personal qualities that will take him all the way to the top in his management career. At 37 Defoe is nearing the end of a career that has seen the forward work with the likes of managers Harry Redknapp and Sam […]

Milan (AFP) – Juventus star Paulo Dybala revealed Friday how he "struggled to breathe" after contracting coronavirus which has killed over 9,000 people in Italy. The Argentine international announced last Saturday he was one of three Juventus players to catch the virus along with Daniele Rugani and Blaise Matuidi, who both had no symptoms. "I […]