Watford captain Troy Deeney says people told him they wished his baby son would contract coronavirus after he chose not to return to training.

Troy Deeney has scored six goals in the Premier League this season

Deeney did not want to put his child, who has had breathing difficulties, “in more danger” and raised concerns over the increased risk to black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) players.

He is due to resume training next week.

“I saw some comments in regards to my son, people saying: ‘I hope your son gets corona’,” Deeney, 31, said.

He told CNN Sport: “That’s the hard part for me. If you respond to that, people then go: ‘Ah, we’ve got him’ and they keep doing it.

“In a time where it’s all about mental health and everyone says ‘speak up, speak out, please speak’, Danny Rose spoke out and I spoke out and we just get absolutely hammered and battered for it.

“So people see that and go ‘woah’ and it’s not just us that gets it, the missus gets direct messages and you’ll be walking down the street and people will be like: ‘Oh, I’m at work, you go back to work’.”

On Wednesday, Premier League clubs unanimously voted to resume contact training but Watford are not expected to resume group training until next week.

Deeney has spoken with England’s deputy chief medical officer, Professor Jonathan Van-Tam, and is expected to return to club training next week.

“He’s been doing very, very good research and there is a lot of goodwill on his part to tell me, ultimately, that I’m going to be looked after as best as they can and, ultimately, there is going to be some form of risk for all of us going back to work,” Deeney said.

“Lockdown and the social distancing measures coming down mean people will still always have risk.”

Source – BBC News

The tests came from three clubs, with the English top flight not announcing the names of those who are positive for coronavirus.

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The Premier League has announced that four more people have tested positive for Covid-19 after a third round of testing was completed.

The four cases have come from three clubs, with the league not announcing the names of those who tested positive for the coronavirus.

“The Premier League can today confirm that on Monday 25 May and Tuesday 26 May, 1008 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19. Of these, four have tested positive from three clubs,” a league statement said.

“Players or club staff who have tested positive will now self-isolate for a period of seven days.

“Previously, between 19-22 May, 996 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19, of which two tested positive from two clubs. Some 748 players and club staff were tested for Covid-19 on 17-18 May, with six testing positive from three clubs.

“For the fourth round of testing, the number of tests available to each club will be increased from 50 to 60.

“The Premier League is providing this aggregated information for the purposes of competition integrity and transparency. No specific details as to clubs or individuals will be provided by the League and results will be made public after each round of testing.”

After the first round of testing, Burnley assistant manager Ian Woan and Watford defender Adrian Mariappa confirmed that they had tested positive for the virus.

Following the second round, Bournemouth goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale said that he had tested positive and backed the Premier League’s return to the field, stating that he feels “safe” at training despite his positive test result.

The Premier League has been suspended since March due to the coronavirus pandemic, as it eyes a return to the pitch in June.

On Wednesday, the league took another step towards resumption after  clubs voted unanimously to resume contact training .

“Premier League Shareholders today voted unanimously to resume contact training – marking another step towards restarting the Premier League season, when safe to do so,” read a Premier League statement.

“Squads are now able to train as a group and engage in tackling while minimising any unnecessary close contact.”

Source – Goal.com

It was rumoured the Englishman would take over in the dugout, but the country’s governing body has poured cold water on the reports.

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Two top officials of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) claim Harry Redknapp was never considered as a replacement for Gernot Rohr, insisting the decision would have meant “returning the Eagles to the 1980s”.

Reports that had begun circulating on Tuesday tipped the ex-Portsmouth, Tottenham and Queens Park Rangers boss for a return to management as Rohr’s successor should the latter not agree terms on a new deal.

Redknapp’s last job was at Birmingham City in 2017, where he was axed following six straight defeats in all competitions. His only international experience was managing Jordan in 2016.

However, two key figures in the Nigeria Football Federation have claimed that the reports are untrue as the NFF never thought of replacing Rohr.

“The news is all a hoax as some people are trying to be mischievous,” the first source told Goal.

“Even if Nigeria ever thought of having a new coach, it would definitely not have been Redknapp. Hiring him would mean returning the Super Eagles to the 1980s, which is ridiculous.

“Our boys haven’t done badly under Gernot Rohr, so why should we dump him at this critical moment?

“We in the NFF believe in him and we will let him continue with his good work for the next few years.”

This was echoed by another NFF chief, who added: “I don’t know about this. Everyone has been calling me about this and I am in my house under lockdown.

“The only thing that I know is that we just extended Gernot Rohr’s contract. We sent him an agreement and he will reply to the General Secretary.

“As far as I know, we have not discussed anything about another coach and we don’t know where this is coming from.”

Meanwhile, president Amaju Pinnick put an end to the gossip by disclosing the German would continue as the head coach of the three-time African champions.

“I’m happy to announce the NFF and coach Gernot Rohr have concluded all contractual discussions and he will stay on as coach of the Super Eagles,” Pinnick tweeted.

“We have always had confidence in his abilities and we are confident that the national team can only go higher from here.”

Rohr took over from Sunday Oliseh in 2016 and has since led the Super Eagles to the FIFA World Cup and Africa Cup of Nations.

Source – Goal.com

The Paris Saint-Germain forward was full of praise for the Reds and the job the manager has done to build them.

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Kylian Mbappe has heaped praise on Jurgen Klopp and Liverpool, with the Paris Saint-Germain star labelling the Reds “a machine”.

Liverpool currently sit atop the Premier League, maintaining a 25-point lead over last season’s champions Manchester City.

The Reds, who took down Tottenham to win the Champions League last June, finished one point behind Man City last season, going unbeaten in the league from January 2019 until a February loss to Watford this season.

Mbappe, meanwhile, has been linked with a big-money move to Liverpool in recent months, although any move for the PSG star would undoubtedly be made more complicated by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

When asked about the rumours, Klopp said that he is “completely happy with the boys that I have”, although the Liverpool boss did leave the door open for some big spending going forward.

And, when asked his opinion on Liverpool, Mbappe was full of praise for the Reds’ achievements in recent seasons.

“This season, Liverpool have been a machine in the Premier League,” Mbappe told the Mirror.

“They have made winning look easy but the truth is that it is never easy.

“Performances like they have been having don’t just happen.

“To be as ruthless as they have been would come from lots of hard work in training and from having a very good manager.”

Liverpool have also been linked with the likes of Timo Werner in recent months, with reports indicating that the club is looking to sign a forward this summer.

Former Reds winger John Barnes agrees with the idea of signing a striker, saying that Liverpool “need to sign another forward”.

However, Barnes says that Mbappe may not be the best fit as Klopp will look for a forward more willing to contribute defensively like Roberto Firmino.

Mbappe was in fine form for PSG this season, with the Ligue 1 campaign now complete due to the coronavirus.

The 21-year-old fired 30 goals in 33 matches across all competitions this season, following up on last season’s effort that saw him score 39 times in 43 games.

Source – Goal.com

The Bavarians are now seven points clear, essentially ending the title race just two weeks after play resumed in Germany’s top flight.

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The eyes of the footballing world were on Der Klassiker on Tuesday evening, as Borussia Dortmund hosted Bayern Munich.

The two teams produced an entertaining spectacle – but also the most predictable Bundesliga outcome: a Bayern win.

In a way, it was a great advertisement for the competition, following on from the many wonderful games we have seen since Germany‘s top flight became the first major league to resume after the coronavirus outbreak.

In the past fortnight, Koln have let a 2-0 lead slip in one game and come from two goals behind to draw another, Leipzig were stunned by Freiburg, and Borussia Monchengladbach and Bayer Leverkusen played out a game for the ages.

The return of the Bundesliga has also highlighted the future talent on show in Germany right now, with some of the world’s best young players proving their worth and putting themselves in the shop window.

Indeed, many more football fans now know why Kai Havertz has long been followed by many of Europe’s top clubs, while Timo Werner showed exactly why Liverpool fans are praying Jurgen Klopp wins the race for his signature with a hat-trick against Mainz.

However, despite all the positives from the restart, the same old problem remains for the Bundesliga when it comes to attracting new fans to the league: Bayern are too good for everyone else.

Dortmund had a chance to cut Bayern’s lead at the top of the table to just one point but even their exciting young attackers lacked a clinical edge in front of goal, thus allowing the visitors at Signal Iduna Park to leave with a hugely significant 1-0 win that means they are now perfectly primed to claim an eighth consecutive domestic title.

In the early stages, Jerome Boateng spared Manuel Neuer’s blushes after the goalkeeper had charged out of his area, the centre-back clearing a goal-bound shot from Erling Haaland off the line.

As it was, it was Neuer’s opposite number who ended the half with his head in his hands.

Joshua Kimmich caught Roman Burki off his line with a sublime chip from outside the area but the Switzerland goalkeeper still should have pushed it away with his outstretched hand.

However, the Dortmund No.1 succeeded only in helping the ball into the net to give Bayern the crucial breakthrough just two minutes before the break.

Lucien Favre made use of two of his five substitutions during the interval, switching things up to bring on Jadon Sancho and Emre Can, with neither having started due to outstanding fitness issues.

The bold double-change almost paid off quickly as it resulted in a sustained spell of pressure that should have resulted in a penalty when Boateng used to his arm to deflect a shot from Haaland away to safety.

The referee waved play on, though, and VAR was not consulted. Had the Yellow Wall been full, the fans would undoubtedly have made their fury felt.

Favre’s men suffered further disappointment with 20 minutes remaining as Haaland was forced off injured, leaving Dortmund with no striker on the field as they searched desperately for an equaliser.

With no Haaland, Dortmund only tested Neuer from range and it was Bayern who went closest to scoring in the closing stages, with Robert Lewandowski striking the post with a fine left-footed effort from outside the area.

Dortmund pushed Bayern hard, but ultimately fell short, which is the story of not just this game, but pretty much every Bundesliga title race over the past seven seasons.

Bayern Munich are now seven points clear at the top of the table and look destined for yet another championship win.

That is great news for the Bavarians but it’s the last thing the league needed as it looked to capitalise on the upturn in interest in Der Klassiker.

With the title race now effectively over, those new viewers will just be temporary, as they switch back to their preferred championships once play resumes elsewhere in June.

Source – Goal.com

Tuesday’s fixture could be the biggest game of the Norwegian’s career, with Borussia Dortmund’s Bundesliga title hopes on the line.

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Erling Haaland says he isn’t fazed by the prospect of facing Bayern Munich’s star-studded squad in Tuesday’s Klassiker, arguably the biggest game of his career to date.

Dortmund host Bayern needing a win to close the four-point gap at the top of the Bundesliga, with only six more matches to play after the derby game.

It was pointed out to Haaland that in the likes of Manuel Neuer, Jerome Boateng and Benjamin Pavard, Bayern’s defence is full of World Cup winners – but the teenager isn’t feeling the pressure.

“No [pressure doesn’t bother me]. I like to play these games and that’s what I like the most, to be honest,” Haaland told Dortmund’s YouTube channel .

“I’m looking forward to a game against a very good Bayern side.

“I try to be as calm as possible and not think too much about the game. They have World Cup winners, but we also have that.

“I know we have a good team, but Bayern also have a good team, so it will be an interesting game.

“I see every team-mate every day in training and I see how good they actually are and it’s all about getting that out as a team to achieve our goals, so I’m looking forward to the game.”

In Mats Hummels and Mario Gotze, Dortmund do indeed have world champions of their own.

That didn’t help them in their last Klassiker encounter. An own goal from Hummels capped off a 4-0 win for Bayern in November , with the Bavarians having chalked up some dominant victories in recent seasons.

But it seems there is little that makes Haaland nervous, and he is confident in the ability of himself and his team-mates to make amends on Tuesday.

“First of all is to try to play our best as a team because I know how much quality we have in the team,” he said.

“When we show that, we create chances and play like a fantastic team. For me, my job is to score goals, of course.

“You’ve seen in the last few games that not only I score, but so do the full-backs and midfielders. Everyone can score and that’s something good that we have in our team.”

Source – Goal.com

The manager’s side are just one point behind Juventus in the chase for the Scudetto.

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Simone Inzaghi is eager to restart the Serie A season amid the coronavirus pandemic after his Lazio side’s “extraordinary” progress this season.

Lazio were just a point behind leaders Juventus, with both having played 26 games, when the campaign was suspended in March due to the spread of Covid-19.

Inzaghi hopes the season can get back underway, with a decision set to be made on Thursday.

“We are happy to start again. It is the wish that we finish the championship in favour of all the people who work in football and for the fans,” the Lazio head coach told Rai 2 on Sunday.

“The prerequisites are there. We coaches have all felt we want to start again safely.

“Regardless of the ranking, before the pandemic we were doing something extraordinary.”

The Bundesliga is the only one of Europe’s top five leagues to restart, while La Liga is set to resume next month, Ligue 1 has been cancelled and the Premier League is also bidding to get back underway.

Inzaghi is hopeful over Serie A, even if a positive case of coronavirus is found at a club.

“In our sports centres, we are in total safety, there are distances, we are checked every day. From tomorrow, we will return to group training,” he said.

“There is a desire to start again. A positive in the team? I don’t know, it hasn’t happened yet. We are waiting for the protocol to understand what to do.

“As Germany did, we hope to start again. Once a case is found, the subject will be isolated and the game should be played back at least a week later.”

Thursday’s meeting is set to prove decisive as the Italian government, the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) and Serie A representatives are set to discuss the season’s future.

“I believe that we will be in good condition next Thursday to have all the data available, with respect to the evolution of the health emergency, in order to be able to decide if and when Serie A will restart. May 28 is the date by which we will make a decision,” said Italian Minister of Sport Vincenzo Spadafora.

Teams began individualised training sessions at their facilities in early May before resuming group training last week after being cleared by Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.

Source – Goal.com

The Serie A side launched an ambitious bid to sign the Argentine attacker from the Camp Nou side but despite the riches on offer, he said no.

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Inter tried to sign Lionel Messi from Barcelona in 2008, former Nerazzurri technical director Marco Branca has revealed.

The 32-year-old Argentine, who has gone on to become recognised as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, winning six Ballon d’Or titles, was only 21 when the Italian side tried to snaffle him away from the team he has become so closely associated with.

Branca has revealed that Inter “went all out” to sign the record-breaking attacker, even offering him better terms than he was getting at Camp Nou.

“Yes, we moved for him but Leo did not want to leave Barcelona,” Branca revealed to Libero. “He was very grateful to the club. Money does not always come first.”

Branca worked with Inter after his playing career from 2002 until February 2014, signing the likes of Diego Milito, Samuel Eto’o and Wesley Sneijder at San Siro.

Meanwhile, former Inter president Massimo Moratti has backed that story up recently.

“He’s everyone’s dream but he will not leave Barcelona,” Moratti said. “He’s still the greatest player of all.”

Two years after their failed bid for the Argentine, Inter won the treble under the guidance of Jose Mourinho, notably beating Barca over two legs en route to the final of the Champions League, in which they overcame Bayern Munich 2-0 thanks to a pair of goals from Milito.

Branca revealed the secret of that success in the transfer market.

“We sign angry players because they were rejected by their previous clubs,” he said, including in that number Eto’o, who replaced Zlatan Ibrahimovic at San Siro.

“Ibra told us that he no longer had the serenity necessary to continue. We listened to him and looked for the ideal solution for everyone. And then we had Eto’o.”

Meanwhile, Branca said that he does not know the status of the Lautaro Martinez deal, with the current Inter forward closely linked with a summer switch to Barcelona

“I’ve read that Messi wants him to sign with Barca, but I don’t know the situation and so I can’t offer an opinion,” Branca said.

Source – Goal.com