A decision to restructure Argentine football that will save Diego Maradona’s club from relegation was dubbed another Hand of God moment on Tuesday, but the former striker said the divine intervention he wished for was to beat the coronavirus pandemic. The Argentine Football Association voted to suspend relegation for two seasons on Tuesday, saving the Maradona-coached Gimnasia club, who are currently bottom of the league, from going down. “This happened to us today and many people are calling it a new Hand of God,” said Maradona, who dubbed his notorious hand-assisted goal against England in the 1986 World Cup as the Hand of God. “But today I am asking for that hand to do away with the pandemic so people can get back to living their lives, with health and happiness,” he added. Maradona said he disagreed with the decision to suspend relegation for two years but called the favourable ruling “a prize.” Argentina has so far recorded 4,127 cases of COVID-19, with 214 fatalities.

Professional athletes across the world should not be rushed back to action once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, and they must have a strong say in determining the conditions for their return, the World Players Association said on Tuesday. Sports competitions around the world have come to a screeching halt this year as the virus spreads across the globe, starving clubs, leagues and federations of revenues and putting tens of thousands of professional athletes on hold. "At the moment there is a lot of pressure from the leagues on all continents to resume," WPA Executive Director Brendan Schwab told Reuters in an interview. "The players can only agree to that (return) if they know that their interests will be protected. The best approach we are seeing is when the leagues... set up joint groups where players have an equal say,... where they are not being rushed." Several football leagues in Europe, including Germany s Bundesliga, have drawn up their plans to be ready to resume play without spectators if it means finishing the season and remaining contractually in order with broadcasters and sponsors. The WPA, an association representing some 85,000 athletes around the world through more than 100 player associations in over 60 countries, held a conference call earlier on Tuesday with its affiliated associations to update on the situation. It is unclear what kind of influence the players or the WPA as a whole can yield with cash-strapped clubs and federations desperate for a return to action both on a national and international level. GROWING INFLUENCE However, the athletes growing influence in global decision-making in sport was felt last month when their vocal opposition to competing in the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year contributed to a postponement of the Games to 2021. The pandemic has infected almost 3 million people worldwide and killed more than 200,000, raising expectations of a prolonged battle to contain it. Every major sports event has been postponed and seasons across all sports have been suspended creating a competition backlog, with the Tokyo Games move to 2021 further reshuffling the sports calendar next year. Schwab said any return to action would also need to clarify issues including testing, any potential future interruption if the virus flares up again and that the infection of a player will be treated as a workplace injury by the clubs. Career-ending or fatal illness due to the virus should have the full protection "of this being a workplace injury," Schwab said. "This is not clear yet in a lot of the leagues." Testing would also need to be adapted to the various sports with some, such as tennis or cricket, requiring fewer tests than contact sports such as basketball or football that would require extensive pre- and post-game testing, he said. Several nations laboratories are working to find protective vaccines and drugs for the disease, but it could be many months before they become widely available due to the need for exhaustive clinical trials of their effectiveness and safety. "Any return to play scenario would also need to have a strong plan B," said Schwab as were no guarantees the seasons would finish once they restarted. "The situation is still fluid and interruptions need to be considered," Schwab said. "What is critical is that all player associations have the strongest possible position at the bargaining table so they can get the balance right between economic viability and public and player health."

The head of the Egyptian Football Association s (EFA) competitions committee admitted to the difficulty of completing the domestic season but said he still hopes a solution could be found before it s too late. Football in the country has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with just half the season played. With almost 150 matches still left to play in the Egyptian Premier League, Hossam El-Zanati said resuming the competition would face several obstacles. "I don t think there is any other league competition in the world with so many games left to play," he told OnTime sports television channel. "We need to give the teams four weeks to prepare for the league resumption, and then we need 60 uninterrupted days to complete the competition. If there are any further delays, the league will conclude by the end of September. "If we introduced a congested schedule in which the teams play every two days, the players will be burned out, and that will in turn affects the Egyptian national team, which have commitments in September." The league competition will remain on hold until at least mid-May. Egypt has recently eased its coronavirus restrictions, but football officials were not given any timeframe over when they can kick-start the league. Should this season be scrapped, El-Zanati will face another dilemma -- who will be declared champions, who will qualify for African competitions and who will be relegated. Defending champions Ahly are overwhelming favourites to win a fifth straight title as they top the table on 49 points, 16 ahead of nearest challengers Arab Contractors, who played a game more. "We haven t reached the halfway stage so it will be too early (to decide). It s natural that people say Ahly should be crowned champions because they are very close, but what about relegation places?" Egypt cancelled its domestic season twice in the last decade. The 2011-12 season was scrapped following the deadly Port Said disaster, which left over 70 Ahly fans dead, and the following season was also called off following the mass protests that toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013.

Arsenal will re-open their London Colney training ground to their players next week for individual training but the Premier League club will continue to observe social distancing rules amid the coronavirus outbreak, they said on Saturday. Soccer in England was suspended indefinitely last month due to the virus and no clubs have been in training. “Players will be permitted access to the Colney grounds next week,” Arsenal said in a statement. “Access will be limited, carefully managed and social distancing will be maintained at all times. All Colney buildings remain closed. “Players will travel alone, do their individual workout and return home,” the club added. Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta was diagnosed with the novel coronavirus on March 12, which led to the Premier League postponing the next round of matches and none have been played since. Arsenal spoke to all their players after Alexandre Lacazette, David Luiz, Nicolas Pepe and Granit Xhaka were pictured allegedly breaking social distancing guidelines. Premier League clubs have been working on the basis that the earliest they may be allowed to resume training would be in early May. The British government is expected to review current lockdown restrictions on May 7. Should teams be allowed to train, it is expected they would need two to three weeks to get prepared to play competitive matches, making the earliest possible return in June. But with the ban on mass public gatherings likely to be one of the last restrictions to be lifted, rescheduled games will almost certainly be held behind closed doors. The Department of Culture, Media and Sport has been liaising with a number of sports bodies, led by the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) on how things might work should the green light be given by the medical experts for sport to resume safely. The Football League (EFL) which organises the three divisions below the Premier League, on Saturday highlighted testing of players and others involved in games as the key issue. “Clearly, before any return to football can take place, suitable testing arrangements for participants must be in place and this is core to our current planning, as is ensuring there is absolutely no negative impact on the country’s front-line workers, the Emergency services, League and Club staff members,” the league said in a statement.

Ten years ago this week, Barcelona limped home from a Champions League semi-final first-leg defeat blaming a volcano thousands of kilometres away and stoking the smouldering fires of Jose Mourinho s feud with their club and their coach. The eruption of Eyjafjallajoekull on Iceland had sent a plume of ash drifting across Europe, grounding flights and playing havoc with the sports calendar. A MotoGP race scheduled for Japan on April 25 was postponed until October because teams and riders could not get there. As bad luck would have it, Newcastle United faced the longest away trip in English football on April 19. They made the 650-kilometre (404-mile) journey to Plymouth Argyle for a Monday night game by coach and won, 2-0, to secure promotion and relegate the hosts. In Europe, Lyon travelled 730 kilometres to face Bayern Munich in the Champions League on April 21. For the Europa League semis on April 22, Fulham went 950 kilometres by bus to Hamburg. In order to face Atletico Madrid in Spain, Liverpool covered 2,000 kilometres by train to Bordeaux, changing in London and Paris, and then went the last 700 kilometres by plane. Lyon and Liverpool both lost 1-0, a disadvantage neither could overturn in the second legs. Fulham drew 0-0 on their way to their first European final. But the most volcanic encounter began at San Siro on April 20. Barcelona made their 1,000-kilometre trek to Milan over two days, spending a night en route in Cannes. Coach Pep Guardiola used the 14 hours on the coach to show his squad match videos but they also watched Invictus and Inglourious Basterds. Meanwhile, in Milan, Mourinho schemed. - Grudge match - This tie might have marked the start of his spiky battle with Guardiola, but it was not the start of Mourinho s grudge with Barcelona. Mourinho had joined Barca in 1996, when his mentor, Bobby Robson, became coach. Mourinho translated, but also organised training and played an increasing role in coaching, taking over the B team under Robson s successor, Louis van Gaal. Guardiola was team captain for most of Mourinho s time at the club. Mourinho made an explosive return with Chelsea in the Champions League in 2005. Barcelona won the first leg 2-1 but that game was marred by Mourinho accusing Barca coach Frank Rijkaard of visiting referee Anders Frisk at half-time. Frisk ended up quitting after death threats from Chelsea fans. Chelsea won the second leg 4-2 to advance. Mourinho had got the better of his former club. In 2008, Guardiola and Mourinho were the candidates to replace Rijkaard before the Catalan native got the job. They first met as coaches in the 2009/10 group stage. At the Camp Nou, Barcelona, who had won the trophy in Guardiola s first season, beat Inter 2-0. In April, the stakes were higher. Barcelona were unhappy with their bus trip and unhappy that the hosts refused to water a scuffed pitch. Inter played like the away team, sitting back even after Pedro gave Barcelona a 16th-minute lead. Wesley Sneijder levelled by half-time. Maicon and Diego Milito struck in the first 15 minutes of the second half to give Inter a 3-1 win. Yet the job was only half over. As Barcelona talked of rising from the ashes and reaching the final in Madrid, Mourinho began rubbing salt into Barcelona s sores. "We want to follow a dream," Mourinho said. "But it s one thing to follow a dream and another to follow an obsession. For Barcelona it s an obsession. "To have a Catalan flag in the Bernabeu is an obsession." For the return leg, Inter flew to Barcelona but when they got to the Camp Nou, they parked the bus. Four men marked Lionel Messi and the entire team defended deep even before Thiago Motta was sent off in the 28th minute. Barcelona only broke through once, when Gerard Pique scored four minutes from time. At the end, as Mourinho ran to the Inter fans to celebrate his "most beautiful defeat", the Barcelona ground staff turned the sprinklers on. Inter went on to beat Bayern 2-0 in the final at the Bernabeu. Mourinho later boasted of his "strong, cynical, intelligent, pragmatic team" and in 2010, when the dust had cleared, his pragmatism had won. He was back in Madrid the following season, determined to bring down Barcelona again as coach of Real. But, as their rivalry grew poisonous, Guardiola got his revenge in the 2011 semi-finals and Barcelona bounced back to win a treble.

Jurgen Klopp believes there is still room for improvement from Liverpool despite their incredible Premier League campaign, which is on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. The Reds were 25 points clear of second-placed Manchester City and on the verge of their first top-flight title since 1990 when football was halted last month. But Klopp said Liverpool, who won the Champions League last year and have only lost one Premier League match all season, could get even better. "We will not change, that s the first thing, but whether we will be successful depends on what other clubs are doing as well because they have all the chance to improve things, do things better," he told Sky Sports. "So I have no clue what the future will hold for us. But we will not change, this team is not the finished article, and we have a lot of space for improvement, and we work on that. "We have fresh blood internally coming through. We can improve with this team, which is great." Klopp does not believe football should be "forced back" after the COVID-19 shutdown but admitted it could have a positive impact on the mood of the country. There is no end in sight to the football lockdown in England but German football authorities are set to announce plans for Bundesliga matches to restart in empty stadiums on May 9. "We are all at home, all isolated, we have no cases or stuff like this," said Klopp. "If we come together and train in groups of two or five or six or eight, I m not sure when that will be possible, we have to wait for the government on that. We cannot force that and will not, because we can t, there s absolutely nothing for that. "But if football can help in some departments with lifting the mood, giving something to think about and to deal with in a different way, then we have to start training at one point, but I don t know when that will be."

Ahly s players will not take pay cuts in the next four months despite the suspesion of all competitions on the back of the coronavirus spread, the Egyptian giants announced on Tuesday . A number of Egyptian Premier League clubs have slashed their players wages, including Arab Contractors and Ittihad of Alexandria amid calls for an initiative to mitigate the pandemic impact on the sports landscape. Ahly s board believes the Cairo club can shoulder the pressure at least on the short term. "The board reviewed the club s resources in light of the current suspension and the club s large monthly commitments and decided the following: Pay the entire salaries of employees and workers at the club so they can fulfill their needs and commitments in these hard circumstances, especially with the arrival of the holy month of Ramadan." "Pay the entire wages of players and all staff members in all sports for the next four months starting from 1 April to 1 July," reads a statement on Ahly s website . Ahly s board will assess the situation again after this period . Ahly are one of the wealthiest clubs in Egypt. Their budget for the 2018/2019 fiscal year stands at EGP 2 billion with EGP 322 million budget surplus. The Reds inked in 2018 a record sponsorship deal of EGP 510 million with Presentation for four years. They have also signed a EGP 400 million broadcasting deal, the biggest among Egyptian clubs, that runs from 2018 to 2012. Football in Egypt has been suspended since mid-march, with several measures taken by the government, including a night-time curfew, to stem the spread of the coronavirus. The Egyptian Football Association said their top priority is to resume the season, yet they are open to all scenarios. Egypt has recorded a total of 3,333 infections including 250 fatalities until Monday . ($1 = EGP15.79 according to the Central Bank of Egypt on Tuesday)

Major League Soccer (MLS) must remove caps on salaries if it is to fulfil its potential and compete with Europe’s top leagues, former England captain Wayne Rooney has said. The salary cap was introduced to help level the playing field by preventing teams from spending big on players. It has worked to an extent, with 10 different teams crowned MLS Cup champions over the last 13 seasons. Rooney, who spent one-and-a-half seasons at D.C. United, said that although salary caps were common in other American sports leagues, it was not feasible if the MLS wanted to be compete with European leagues in attracting top talent. “There is so much potential there, so much potential. There is so much of a market,” Rooney said on the Perfect Soccer’s Ask A Pro Show podcast. “I said it when I left D.C., (MLS) have to take on the rules that Europe and the rest of soccer are taking. “Although they might not want to, and I know the rest of U.S. sports don’t do that, but if they don’t, then they will never get there (the level of European leagues).” The MLS has a Designated Player Rule that allows teams to sign players that will be outside the salary cap, which allowed them to sign players such as Rooney, David Beckham, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. However, Rooney believes salary cap rules prevent players from signing for American clubs in their prime, choosing instead to have a short stint during the twilight of their careers and earn a big paycheck. “They get players like me and Zlatan, but I can’t give them Wayne Rooney from 10 years ago. Zlatan can’t give himself from 10 years ago,” Rooney, who now plays for Championship club Derby County, added. “We can give you ourselves from now, we can go there and earn a decent amount of money and give the fans some entertainment, but we can’t give you our full potential.”

The French newspaper Le Figaro has chosen the Egyptian football superstar and Liverpool striker Mohamed Salah as one of the 10 fastest footballers in the world. Salah ranked number eight, at a speed, according to the French report, of no less than 35 km per hour. French footballer Kylian Mbappé ranked first at a speed of 36 km per hour. Karim Bellarabi, a German winger who plays for Bayer Leverkusen, came in second, at 35.27 km per hour. Kyle Walker, a Manchester City player, ranked third, at 35.21 km per hour. Leroy Sané, another Manchester City player, came in fourth, at 35.04 km per hour. Iñaki Williams, who plays for Athletic Bilbao, ranked fifth, at 35.7. km per hour. He was followed by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, an Arsenal player, at 35.5 km per hour. Kingsley Junior, who plays as a forward for German Bundesliga club Bayern Munich, ranked seventh at 35 km per hour, followed by Salah in eighth at 35 km per hour. Álvaro Odriozola, a Spanish professional footballer who currently plays for Bayern Munich came in ninth at 34.99 km per hour and finally Nacho, a Real Madrid player, at 34.62 km per hour. Already an icon in Egypt, Mo Salah has also become an international star. Last year, Salah was listed among the highest-paid athletes of 2019 by the American magazine Forbes, with the player s earnings valued at US$25.1 million. In February 2020, Salah topped a list from Transfermarkt for the most valuable right-side wingers in the football world, beating Barcelona legend Lionel Messi. Salah, who has scored 70 goals in the league since joining Liverpool in 2017, outperformed Messi and other European and international football stars in the latest ranking from the group, which regularly provides information about the global football scene. The Egyptian football star has racked up a number of awards since joining the Premier League. He won the League s Golden Boot Award for 2017-2018 with 32 goals — a new record for a 38-game campaign — and later won the award again the following season alongside teammate Sadio Mane and Arsenal s Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, making him the sixth player in history to win the award in back-to-back seasons. Salah has also claimed Player of the Month three times, once in 2017 and twice in 2018, and recently claimed Liverpool s Goal of the Month award for January and the Goal of the Decade title. Meanwhile, Madame Tussauds Museum, one of London s top tourist attractions, announced in January that it was planning to display a wax figure of Salah later this year, making him the first Egyptian footballer to be honored with a statue at the museum. The English Premier League has been suspended since February amid the global coronavirus pandemic, following an announcement that Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi tested positive for coronavirus.

Cairo giants Zamalek were fined by FIFA for not paying the late financial dues of Tunisian fullback Hamdi Nagguez, who left the club in December after a dispute over his delayed salary. Egyptian Football Association officials confirmed to local media on Wednesday that the EFA received a letter from FIFA s Dispute Resolution Chamber on Tuesday saying that Zamalek must pay $288,016 in late dues to Nagguez. The letter also said that Zamalek should pay $1,019,355 to the Tunisian international player in compensation for breaching his contract with the club. Nagguez s departure In December, the 27-year-old defender announced that he had terminated his contract with the Whites, claiming that the club failed to fulfill their financial obligations towards him. On the other hand, Zamalek launched a complaint with FIFA against the player at the time accusing him of going AWOL as his contract was supposed to run until 2022. The player s lawyer Anis bin Mime confirmed on Tuesday that FIFA s ruling came in favour of his client. "FIFA rejected the complaint by Zamalek and ordered the club to pay his late dues as well as a compensation. The club will be facing relegation to a lower division if the they refuse to obey the decision," the player s lawyer told On Time Sports TV channel. According to the chamber s letter published by Egyptian media on Wednesday, Zamalek should pay Nagguez within 45 days, and if they failed to do so, the club will be banned from registering any new players for three consecutive registration periods. The ban will be lifted once the due amounts are paid. Zamalek s lawyer Ahmed Abdel-Fattah told ON Sport that the club has officially been informed of FIFA s decision, adding that they are waiting for the reasons for the judgment before lodging an appeal. Nagguez, who currently plays for Lithuanian club Suduva, joined Zamalek in January 2018 from Tunisian side Etoile du Sahel on a four-year contract. The international fullback made 63 appearances with Zamalek in all competitions, scoring once and providing nine assists.

Egyptian Sports Minister Ashraf Sobhi has said that the decision of whether to call off the domestic league is in the hands of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA). The EFA suspended all its activities for 15 days on 15 March over the coronavirus outbreak, before extending the suspension for another two weeks starting from 30 March, and then extending the suspension again until the end of April. “The Egyptian government waited until the last minute to take the decisions related to sports activities, it happened gradually. Also, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has supported the suspension of football activities all over the world,” Sobhi told local media. “Sports is an investment, the whole world has been affected economically by the current crisis, and my meeting with EFA chairman Amr El-Gnainy was to find solutions to all expected scenarios during the upcoming period. “Cancelling the league is not my decision, it is the EFA s decision. The ministry s opinion is just consultative to provide solutions and suggestions,” he added. According to the latest health ministry statement issued on Monday, Egypt has registered 125 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 2,190 cases and the death toll of 164 nationwide. In Italy, the consequences of the spread of the disease have been devastating, with an estimated 60% decline in crop yields since the first discovery in 2013. "The damage to the olives also causes a depreciation of the value of the land, and to the touristic attractiveness of this region," said Dr Maria Saponari, from the CNR Institute for Sustainable Plant Protection in Italy. "It s had a severe impact on the local economy and jobs connected with agriculture." As well as in Italy, the Xylella bacterium has now been found in Spain, France and Portugal. Tackling it at present involves removing infected trees and trying to clamp down on the movement of plant material and the insects that spread the disease. But if these measures fail, what will be the financial impact of the infection? In this new study, researchers modelled different scenarios including what would happen if all growing ceased due to tree death. They also compared this worst case with a scenario where replanting with resistant varieties occurred. The team made projections for Italy, Spain and Greece, which between them account for 95% of European olive oil production. In Spain, if the infection expanded and the majority of trees became infected and died, the costs could run to €17 billion over the next 50 years. A similar scenario in Italy would amount to over five billion, while in Greece, the losses would be under two billion. If the rate of infection is slowed down, or resistant varieties are planted instead, then these costs would be significantly reduced. However, the authors believe, whatever happens, there will likely be a knock-on impact on consumers. "The expected effect could be that there would be a shortage of supply," said lead author Kevin Schneider from Wageningen University in the Netherlands. "And I would expect that if prices go up, consumers will be worse off." The authors say that while their analysis looks at economics, there are also potentially large touristic and cultural losses caused by the bacterium that can t be ignored. "You really hear devastating stories of infected orchards that were inherited over generations," said Dr Schneider. "It s the same orchard that their grandparents were once working on. So how do you put an economic number on the loss of something like this. The cultural heritage value would be far larger than we could compute." There are a growing number of scientific initiatives to try and take the fight to the bacterium, including using insect repelling clays, vegetative barriers and genetic analysis to determine why some plants are more susceptible to the infection than others. Ultimately, the researchers believe that beating the pathogen will require trees that are resistant to the disease. "Seeking resistant cultivars or immune species is one of the most promising, and environmentally sustainable, long-term control strategies to which the European scientific community is devoting relevant research efforts," said Dr Saponari, "Sustainable strategies to reduce the population of the insects is the other pillar for the control of the vector-borne disease, in this regard, mechanical intervention to remove weeds in spring is one of the most efficacious applications to reduce the populations of the insect, indeed several other strategies are also being studied to implement the control of the insects," she added. While two varieties of olive tree have been found to have some resistance, the authors are calling for research in this area to be significantly boosted. The study has been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS).

Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal teammates have donated half of their bonus for qualifying for the Euro 2020 finals to help amateur football in the country that has been hit by the coronavirus shutdown. The Portuguese football federation said on Monday the money would go towards a fund that it hopes will reach 4.7 million euros ($5.1 million) to help amateur clubs survive the crisis. The federation last week decided to end the already-suspended amateur season with immediate effect, declaring the season null and void without champions, promotion or relegation. No decision has been taken on resuming professional football but the president of the Portuguese league said in late March he was determined the season should be completed. "It is fundamental that the championships end because it would allow some sort of normality to be restored and we could prepare for next season knowing who has qualified for international competitions, who the champions are and who is relegated," Pedro Proenca said. Portugal shocked host nation France to win Euro 2016 but Ronaldo and his teammates will have to wait another year to defend their title as Euro 2020 has been postponed by 12 months because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Real Sociedad plans to have its players resume training individually this week. It would make it the first Spanish club to resume activities during the coronavirus pandemic. The club says players will have the option to start practicing at the team s training center after the Spanish government decided to ease some of its lockdown measures. Non-essential workers will be allowed to return to their positions this week while observing social-distancing guidelines and other restrictions. Group activities will remain prohibited as Spain enters its fifth week of confinement because of the pandemic. It was not yet clear whether the government will allow Real Sociedad to open its training center, though, as most sports facilities are still supposed to remain closed. Real Sociedad says players have been training at home for the last month. The club prepared individual training routines for players and sent them stationary bicycles and treadmills. Spain has reported its lowest daily growth in confirmed coronavirus infections in three weeks, with the total at about 166,000.

Belgium s professional soccer league has delayed by more than a week the planned ratification of its decision to cancel the rest of the season, it announced on Thursday. The Pro League s board last week called time on the rest of the suspended season, citing health concerns and financial woes in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, which has hit Belgium hard and taken more than 2,500 lives. The cancellation of the rest of the campaign left Club Brugge as champions with a runaway lead at the top of the standings but left other key decisions, like berths in next season s European club competitions and promotion and relegation, to be decided by a working group. The decision was to be ratified by a full meeting of the league s 24 member clubs on April 15, expected to be a formality after 17 of them had previously signed a letter calling for the rest of the season to be cancelled. But on Thursday that meeting was moved back without any explanation to April 24, prompting speculation about possible moves to overturn the decision. That could come on the heels of UEFA criticism of Belgium not waiting to attempt to complete their campaign in the coming months as European soccer s governing body had asked its member associations to try and do. There was also the threat that Belgian clubs might not be allowed to participate in the Champions League and Europa League next season, although this has since been tempered by Belgian and UEFA officials. It also comes a day after the Belgian FA revoked the professional licenses of three top-flight clubs, including 10-time champions Standard liege, plus four of the eight second division sides, leaving the professional game facing a crisis. Excelsior Mouscron and Oostende are the other two top-flight clubs accused of not fulfilling licensing requirements and financial obligations and under threat of being relegated to Belgian football s amateur ranks. Standard have already announced their intention to “vigorously appeal,” a club statement said.

The Egyptian Football Association (EFA) announced on Wednesday that it is extending the suspension of all football activities in Egypt for 15 more days, till the end of April, due to the coronavirus crisis. "In accordance with the decisions by the Egyptian prime minister extending a curfew in the country for another two weeks, the EFA has decided to extend the suspension of football activities for another 15 days, from 15 April to 30 April," reads a statement by the EFA. "The decision applies to all grades of local competitions and all ages," the statement added. The EFA initially suspended all its activities for 15 days on 15 March over the coronavirus outbreak, before extending the suspension for another two weeks starting from 30 March. On Wednesday, Egypt s government extended the current partial curfew from 8 pm to 6 am for other two weeks as part of stricter measures to limit the spread of the coronavirus. The EFA s decision includes shutting down all youth centres and training grounds. Egyptian clubs have already halted their trainings and asked their players to train at home until further notice. According to the latest health ministry statement issued on Tuesday, Egypt has registered 128 new coronavirus cases, bringing the total to 1,450 cases and the death toll of 94 nationwide.

Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk wants to become a "Liverpool legend" and says there is nothing stopping the Premier League club achieving "incredible things". The 28-year-old, who joined Liverpool in January 2018, has helped the club win the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup. They were also just two wins away from their first English league title in 30 years when the season was halted due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Premier League has been suspended indefinitely due to the pandemic, with 1.27 million people infected globally and over 70,000 dead, according to a Reuters tally. Asked how he would like to be remembered for his spell at Anfield, Van Dijk told Spanish newspaper Sport: "As a Liverpool legend. I want to achieve incredible things here. "I would like to be one of those players that return to Anfield after retiring. I see club legends at games and I feel part of a really big family," added Van Dijk, who finished runner-up to Lionel Messi in Ballon d Or voting last year. "We have a fantastic team, we don t lack anything, we have all the tools necessary to go on winning: A coach we identify with, a versatile squad, a style of play that breeds victories, a stadium and supporters that play their part." Liverpool, who have lost only once in the league this season, have collected 82 points from 29 games and sit 25 points above holders Manchester City, who have played a game less.

The 2019-20 Premier League season must be scrapped and declared null and void if it cannot be restarted due to the coronavirus pandemic, Manchester United defender Luke Shaw has said. The Premier League confirmed last week that the season, originally suspended until April 30, will not resume at the beginning of May and will only return when the situation stabilises. League leaders Liverpool needed six points to seal the title while European spots and relegation candidates were still unclear with nine games to go, raising questions about how they would be decided if the season does not resume. "Scrap it and start again. Start it again, yeah," Shaw said during the Combat Corona fundraiser for UNICEF, a FIFA 20 competition that was streamed on Twitch. "It s got to be, you know. If we can t carry it on, it s got to be void." Shaw was part of the event -- that also had Gareth Bale, Paulo Dybala, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Jordan Pickford and Ruben Loftus-Cheek -- which raised around 17,000 pounds ($20,920) through online donations. Some Premier League clubs had mulled finishing the season by playing games without spectators in attendance but Shaw said that was not a view he endorsed as fans filling up stadiums was crucial. "Fans are so important. You realise it even more (now)," Shaw, 24, added. "I think the sport is for fans really... I think if you don t have fans, and you don t play in front of fans, it just doesn t feel right. "Especially on matchday, the fans are always amazing and always help the team. Whether it s home or even away, our fans are always brilliant and I feel like they re always there with us." United were three points behind fourth-placed Chelsea before the season was suspended.

Mick McCarthy’s second stint as Ireland manager ended on Saturday as the country’s football association (FAI) announced he was being immediately replaced by Stephen Kenny. Former Ireland defender McCarthy, 61, took over in November 2018 and was poised to lead them into last month’s Euro 2020 qualifying playoffs before the coronavirus pandemic took hold. Ex-Dundalk manager Kenny was due to replace McCarthy after the Euros but with the playoffs delayed and the tournament put back a year the FAI have brought the transition forward. “The Football Association of Ireland announces that Mick McCarthy is to be succeeded as national team manager by Stephen Kenny with immediate effect,” a statement read. “The handover has been agreed with both men in light of the delay to the European Championship play-offs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.” McCarthy’s contract was due to expire on July 31, after the Euro 2020 finals that have now been re-scheduled for 2021. “This move allows Stephen Kenny time to plan for the European Championship play-off semi-final against Slovakia later in the year,” the statement said. Kenny, 48, has been promoted from under-21s coach. McCarthy’s last match in charge was a 1-1 draw with Denmark in Dublin in November, meaning they missed automatic qualification for the Euros. [nL8N27Y6G3]

Former Pyramids FC coach Sebastien Desabre has expressed enthusiasm at the signing of veteran Ahly right back Ahmed Fathi after the player announced his departure from the Cairo giants. The 35-year-old Fathi is linked with a move to Pyramids FC this summer after Ahly announced Wednesday that he would leave by the end of the season. “It s brilliant to have a player like Ahmed Fathi in the Pyramids FC squad,” Desabre told a television programme. “Fathi is experienced enough to make the difference with any team,” he said. “Pyramids FC already have talented players in the team s squad, but it s good to have a number of players who have a leading character,” the former coach of the team added. Fathi, who joined Ahly in 2007 from English Premier League club Sheffield United, established himself as one of the Reds key players and most consistent performers, helping them to a host of titles and scoring 24 goals in 338 appearances in all competitions. The 35-year-old star had two short loan stints with Kuwait s Kazma SC in the 2007/2008 season and English side Hull City in 2013. Ante Čačić, from Croatia, is the current manager of Pyramids FC.

Barcelona legend Lionel Messi has praised Liverpool s winger Mohamed Salah, saying he likes the Egyptian’s style. "Salah was excellent with Liverpool this season," the Argentinean said in video posted on his Instagram account in which he spoke about the top global talents. "I like his playing style,” he added. Salah and Messi came face-to-face last season when Liverpool overcame the Spanish giants 4-3 on aggregate in the semi-final of the UEFA Champions League, on course to win their sixth European title. Salah has scored 20 goals in 40 appearances this season on all fronts, becoming Liverpool s first player to score over 20 goals in three consecutive seasons since Michael Owen in 2000-2003. Since joining Liverpool in 2017, the Egyptian winger has scored 70 goals in his first hundred Premier League games, to become the team s best-ever scorer. Only England s iconic striker Alan Shearer did better, scoring 79 goals for Blackburn in his first hundred Premier League games in the early 1990s.

Ahly’s Swiss coach Rene Weiler revealed that he intends to extend his stay at the club, adding that he has no problems with Saleh Gomaa joining rivals Zamalek. Weiler, who joined the Cairo giants at the beginning of the current season, has had an outstanding performance with the Reds, leading the team in 31 games, losing in two matches, tying in four, and winning 25. “We have not discussed the details of my contract extension, but there’s a mutual intention to continue. We don’t know what will happen amid the current situation with the spread of the coronavirus, which postpones my final decision,” the 46-year-old coach told On Time Sports on Monday. “I think I will continue my journey with Ahly. I’m happy here, and the club wants me to stay, but I want to take it step by step,” he added. Ahly midfielder Saleh Gomaa was reportedly to negotiate with Zamalek in the winter transfer window as he wasn’t among Weiler’s favorite squad, which the Swiss explained, saying, “It’s very easy. His style is to hold the ball at his feet and penetrate from the depth, I had a discussion with him and told him if he wanted participate, he needs to regain his form from last season.” “I talked with him, but I can’t talk with him 10 times, I have other players who want to be in the starting line-up. Each player can have the ball for five minutes only and have to help the team in the remaining 85 minutes. “I informed the board that it would be better for him to search for another club. Saleh Gomaa mustn’t wait for the solution from me as a coach, he has to work on himself. I don’t have problems with him joining Zamalek, I wish him good luck and there,” the Swiss added. At the same time, Weiler praised the team’s veteran midfielder Hossam Ashour, who decided to leave the team by the end of the current season in his first steps ever outside the red castle. The 34-year-old midfielder joined the senior squad from the U19 squad in July 2004, spending nearly 16 years with the club, achieving 34 titles on both levels, domestically and continentally. “Of course, I respect Ashour’s history with the club, but I judge with a technical point of view and he has not participated in a while,” said former Anderlecht coach. “I give other players my trust. Players such as Aliou Dieng will not evolve without participation and this is my role. “Ashour is a great player, but currently there are many players who are better than him at the same position,” he added. Weiler commented on the Egypt Super Cup crises between Ahly and Zamalek in Abu Dhabi, when Zamalek won the game 4-3 on penalties then players from both teams were involved in a fight, resulting in many sanctions for the clubs. “What upset me after the Egypt Super Cup game was the behavior of the players. We have to be role models and respect the shirts we are wearing. I congratulated the Zamalek coach after the game and that’s all,” said Weiler. “I am not talking about Kahraba specifically, I am speaking in general. We have to respect the laws of fair play even in times of frustration,” he added. Weiler has been criticised for making Kahraba participate in the game after he joined Ahly from Zamalek in a controversial deal, but he justified his action as a technical decision. “Kahraba was provoked and he provoked Zamalek players. This happens all over the world. I approved his transfer but asked him to work on himself a lot because he wasn’t in form,” said Ahly coach. “Did I decide to freeze Kahraba and the board refused? That can’t be said, all the technical decisions are in my hand, and I didn’t freeze the player,” he said.