Coronavirus hits sport: English Premier League given tentative green light for June return

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp Photo credit: Getty

The UK government has given a tentative green light for the Premier League to return to action from June 1.

In an address to the British public, Prime Minister Boris Johnson had indicated any return to professional sport was unlikely soon.

But on Monday, it emerged the speech was recorded before the publication of a 60-page document mapping out the country's strategy for recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that's claimed more than 30,000 lives.

It's led to strong criticism about confusion from the government after the document, entitled Our Chance to Rebuild, said sport could resume as part of the second stage of the plan, if sufficient progress was made in limiting the spread of the virus.

Matches would also be played behind closed doors, as was the case when the Korean K League became the first competition to resume last Friday.

Representatives of the 20 Premier League clubs met last week to discuss the prospect of salvaging the 2019/20 season, which had at least nine games left to play.

Runaway leaders Liverpool are 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City and need just two wins to seal a first top-flight title in 30 years.

But at the foot of the table, the picture is far less clear, with four points separating second-bottom Aston Villa and Brighton who sit in 15th spot.

Surviving in the Premier League is worth more than NZ$150 million to clubs and the idea of matches being completed at neutral venues has been floated - and dismissed - by teams near the foot of the table.

Brighton, Norwich, West Ham, Villa and Watford - who occupy five of the bottom six places - have all publicly spoken out against such an option.

According to a report in The Times, only 12 of the 14 votes needed to get the decision over the line were received.

Doubts were reportedly expressed, after it was pointed out football in Germany, which returns this weekend, will see matches played at home venues.

Premier League chief executive Richard Masters has subsequently agreed to have another conversation with the government and UK football police unit head Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts to discuss alternative solutions.

Last week, Roberts said neutral venues would be the only safe option if football was to return and accused clubs of having their priorities wrong.

"The things that are starting to concern me a little, as we get closer to a potential restart, are some of the conversations and comments we are hearing on the margins by people involved in football," Roberts told Sky Sports.

"Comments such as 'we might get relegated', 'we don't want to play at neutral venues'... or 'we want to get the trophy'.

"I get that, in a football context, these are all a big deal, but in the context where 30,000 people have died and the total is still going up, then it's not such a big deal.

"We want to get the seasons back going for the commercial reasons, for the moral reasons, for people to enjoy it, but we have to remind ourselves that cannot be at the risk of putting a single further life at jeopardy."

Reuters

Serie A teams can resume full training next week

Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo Photo credit: Getty

Italy's Serie A clubs will be allowed to start team training from May 18.

The clubs were allowed to resume training last Monday, but only on an individual basis and respecting social-distancing rules.

On Monday, the government said its technical-scientific committee had conducted a close examination of the protocol that the Italian football federation (FIGC) planned to implement to ensure training could be conducted safely.

"The committee's indications, which are to be considered stringent and binding, will be sent to the FIGC for the necessary adjustments to the protocol to allow the safe resumption of team training from May 18," it says.

Serie A has been suspended since March 9 and the government has yet to decide if it will allow the season to be completed.

Reuters

German Cup final to be played on July 4

The German Cup final has been rescheduled for July 4, after the completion of the Bundesliga season.

The German Football Federation (DFB) board scheduled the semi-finals for June 9 & 10 at a board meeting.

Holders Bayern Munich are to play Eintracht Frankfurt and fourth-tier Saarbruecken take on Bayer Leverkusen.

The semi-finals were originally scheduled for late April and the final for May 23, but were then postponed indefinitely, because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Monday's decision comes after the German Football League (DFL) last week got permission from state authorities to restart the Bundesliga and second division, which will happen on Saturday. The league is to end in late June.

The DFB still requires this final approval that it can complete its events as well. They include the men's third division from May 26 and the women's Bundesliga from May 29, also agreed upon Monday.

The DFB safety and hygiene concept is similar to that of the DFL, and all games will take place behind closed doors.

Reuters

F1 in talks with British government for July races

Coronavirus hits sport: English Premier League given tentative green light for June return
Photo credit: Getty

Formula One is reportedly in talks with the British government on how to get around a planned mandatory 14-day self-isolation for international arrivals to stage planned races there in July.

On Sunday, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced the decision to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus would be implemented soon, with Britain one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic.

F1 wants to open the season with back-back races behind closed doors in Austria on July 5 & 12, and then aims to stage two races at the British Silverstone course on the following two Sundays, July 19 & 26.

British reports say F1 wants to convince state officials that its set-up is safe to be exempted, with frequent testing of all staff and rigid isolation measures, including keeping teams completely apart everywhere during race weekends.

"We will wait to see the details and are in discussion with the government regarding our plans to restart racing safely," Autosport quotes an F1 spokesperson.

Talks are expected to continue during the week, when details of the government plans, including from when they apply, emerge.

Meanwhile, Alpha Tauri (formerly Toro Rosso) team principal Franz Tost has told Sueddeutsche Zeitung in Germany that they are preparing to have two crews operational, should one of them have to go into isolation, after positive tests for COVID-19.

"We are preparing to have a replacement group, which we can bring to the track... in order to make sure we can be on the starting grid," Tost says.

Tost also believes the races in Austria will go ahead.

The first 10 of originally 22 season races have been postponed or cancelled, but F1 bosses aim to stage a season with 15-18 races.

Reuters