Paris (AFP) – With football having ground to a halt because of the coronavirus pandemic, the usual transfer rumour mill has fallen silent and nobody cares much where Neymar or Paul Pogba might be playing next season. Nobody even knows when next season might be, and the financial impact on football clubs, and therefore the […]

Shanghai (AFP) – Marouane Fellaini has tested positive for the coronavirus, his club Shandong Luneng said Sunday, the former Manchester United player becoming the first known case in the Chinese Super League (CSL). The 32-year-old Belgian international midfielder has a normal temperature and is feeling fine, Shandong said, but "is under observation and having treatment […]

Sydney (AFP) – Football might have ground to a halt across the world, but not in Australia where they are soldiering on, with a handful of fans turning up to cheer on their teams outside shuttered grounds this weekend. The domestic A-League has six rounds to go and Football Federation Australia decided to press ahead […]

Madrid (AFP) – Former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, who was hospitalised with coronavirus, died on Saturday at the age of 76, his son announced. Sanz was in charge of the Spanish giants from 1995-2000, overseeing two Champions League titles. "My father has just passed away. He did not deserve this ending and in this […]

Rome (AFP) – Argentina striker Paulo Dybala said Saturday that he has become the third Juventus player to test positive for coronavirus while former AC Milan defender Paolo Maldini revealed that he and his son have also been infected. "Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you know that we have received the Covid-19 test […]

Rome (AFP) – Argentina striker Paulo Dybala said Saturday that he has become the third Juventus player to test positive for coronavirus. "Hi everyone. I just wanted to let you know that we have received the Covid-19 test results and that Oriana (Sabatini, his girlfriend) and I are positive," the 26-year-old tweeted. "Fortunately, we are […]

London (AFP) – Manchester United and Manchester City have joined forces to donate a combined £100,000 ($117,000) to help local foodbanks affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Collections are normally made at home games for both Manchester giants by fans' groups supporting foodbanks, but football in England is suspended until at least April 30 due to […]

London (AFP) – Crystal Palace winger Wilfried Zaha has offered free accommodation to medical staff in his London properties as they treat patients with coronavirus. The 27-year-old Ivory Coast international is the latest football personality to offer a free bed, following in the footsteps of former Manchester United star Gary Neville and Chelsea owner Roman […]

London (AFP) – Forced into lockdown by the coronavirus, English teams outside the lucrative Premier League are facing an unprecedented period of financial uncertainty. Championship, League One and League Two matches will not resume until April 30 at the earliest and even that date looks optimistic given the chaos caused by the pandemic. A grim […]

Lausanne (AFP) – UEFA were forced into an embarrassing about-turn Friday after they mistakenly tweeted that Euro 2020 would keep its original title despite being pushed back to 2021 as a result of the coronavirus. "Although it will provisionally take place from 11 June – 11 July 2021, #EURO2020 will still be known as UEFA […]

Berlin (AFP) – Bayern Munich players Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich on Friday announced that they had launched a programme to help fight the coronavirus and had put in the first 1 million euro. "Germany is a at a standstill," the two 25-year-olds wrote on their platform "WeKickCorona.com". "As professional footballers we lead a healthy […]

Berlin (AFP) – Long despised by German fans as the face of big-money football, billionaire Dietmar Hopp is now being held up by some as a national hero in the coronavirus crisis. Three weeks ago, the 79-year-old owner of the Hoffenheim club was the subject of nationwide protests in Germany's football stadiums, with fans calling […]

London (AFP) – England boss Gareth Southgate has urged fans to work together to fight the coronavirus pandemic, with football currently in lockdown. The Three Lions had been due to play Italy and Denmark in friendlies later this month before the suspension of sporting action brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. In an open letter to […]

London (AFP) – French defender Aymeric Laporte has urged his Manchester City teammates to keep up their home training routines during their self-isolation — but admits he cannot stop thinking about the club's possible exclusion from the Champions League. The 25-year-old is presently recovering from a hamstring problem, the latest in a litany of injuries […]

Shanghai (AFP) – The team are split in half, with some players in lockdown and others training, but a modest Chinese club from the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic is at last beginning to turn its attentions to football again. Wuhan Three Towns FC, a team in China's third division that draws crowds of between […]