Uefa president Aleksander Cerefin says it has a “concrete plan” for finishing the European season “in August”.

Liverpool’s defeat by Atletico Madrid in the last 16 in March was one of the last sets of fixtures played in the Champions League

BBC Sport reported last month that the Champions League and Europa League are likely to be played in that month.

The quarter-finals and semi-finals are expected to be played over two legs.

The head of European football’s governing body told BeIN Sports: “As things look now, I’m sure that we can finish the European season and this means Uefa competition.”

Cerefin said the games will “have to be played without spectators” but hopes the “majority” of domestic leagues will complete the season.

The Champions League, Europa League and Premier League were suspended on 13 March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Premier League has nine rounds of fixtures remaining, while Paris St-Germain were awarded the Ligue 1 title after the French government cancelled the 2019-20 sporting season.

The German Bundesliga returned behind closed doors on 16 May and Spain’s La Liga hopes to do the same in June after players returned to training.

Cerefin said leagues which do not complete the season “will still have to play qualifiers if they want to participate in Uefa competition” next season.

He added: “Only sporting reasons can be the formula for qualifying for the Champions League and Europa League.”

Euro 2020, due to take place from 12 June to 12 July this summer, will now run from 11 June to 11 July next year after a decision to postpone in March.

Both semi-finals and the final are due to be held at London’s Wembley Stadium with 11 other host cities: Amsterdam, Baku, Bilbao, Bucharest, Budapest, Copenhagen, Dublin, Glasgow, Munich, Rome and St Petersburg.

Cerefin said the idea is to “stay in the same cities” for the tournament in 2021 and Uefa has had “conversations with nine” of those host cities.

“With three cities, we have some issues. So we will discuss further, and in principle, we will do it in 12 cities. But if not, we are ready to do it in 10, nine or eight,” he added.

Source – BBC News

The Polish striker suffered a knee injury before coronavirus halted the German league, but he was back in action and scoring in victory on Sunday.

Photo by Bongarts

Robert Lewandowski reached 40 goals for the fifth successive season when he put Bayern Munich ahead at Union Berlin on Sunday, on their way to a 2-0 victory.

The Bundesliga‘s most prolific striker made no mistake with a penalty late in the first half, after Leon Goretzka was hacked down in the 39th minute by Neven Subotic.

It took him to 40 goals from just 34 appearances in 2019-20, with Lewandowski again proving his value to the reigning German champions.

Since netting a relatively modest 25 goals in his first season at Bayern in 2014-15, the Poland star has notched successive hauls of 42, 43, 41, 40 and Sunday’s spot-kick took him to another 40, with the promise of more to come in 2019-20.

Bayern had welcomed back Lewandowski from injury as Hansi Flick’s side resumed their Bundesliga title push at Union.

Almost two-and-a-half months since their last league outing, a 2-0 home win over Augsburg, Flick’s men were back on duty in the capital on Sunday.

The break in action, caused by the coronavirus pandemic, has allowed Lewandowski to recover from a knee injury, and the prolific Polish striker was in the starting XI for Sunday’s behind-closed-doors clash against mid-table Union, leading the attack with support from Serge Gnabry and Thomas Muller.

Head coach Flick, handed that post on a permanent basis since Bayern last played, was missing injured quartet Philippe Coutinho, Corentin Tolisso, Niklas Sule and Javi Martinez.

Union were without their head coach, Urs Fischer, who travelled to Switzerland during the week after the death of his father-in-law. He has since returned to Germany but must pass a coronavirus test early next week before re-joining his squad.

Lewandowski was a very welcome return for Bayern, with the striker having established himself as one of the most deadly attackers in Bundesliga history.

Former Bayern Munich striker Giovane Elber was a prolific scorer during his time in Bavaria, but admits that he told Lewandowski that he is even better than he was.

“[Lewandowski] told me that his father was a constant viewer of the Bundesliga and once told him, ‘You have to mirror this player, Giovane Elber,'” the Brazilian told Goal.

“So I told him this: ‘You’re not equal, you are even better than me!’ It’s impressive the focus he has, his calmness and the person that he is. He is a spectacular guy.”

Lewandowski has not accomplished everything at Bayern yet though. Among the honours he is still chasing are a Champions League title and Muller’s all-time Bundesliga record of 40 goals in a season.

The Polish star was part of the Borussia Dortmund side that fell to Bayern in the 2012-13 Champions League final, while his career high in Bundesliga goals is 30 – which he reached in 2015-16 and 2016-17.

Source – Goal.com

If the Brazilian wanted to be the world’s best, he should never have joined Paris Saint-Germain, according to his compatriot.

Photo by Getty Images

Former Brazil striker Giovane Elber feels Barcelona should not re-sign Neymar as he questioned the forward’s decision to join Paris Saint-Germain.

Neymar, 28, has been linked with a return to Barca, nearly three years after joining PSG for a world-record €222 million ($240m).

But Elber, who starred for Bayern Munich and played 15 games for Brazil during his career, said the La Liga giants should opt against taking Neymar back to Camp Nou.

Asked by Cadena SER if Barca should sign Neymar again, Elber said: “No. As he left Barcelona, for me there is no possibility of returning to Barcelona.”

Elber added: “For me, Neymar behaved very badly with Barca, because when he wanted to leave Barcelona he said he wanted to be the best in the world.

“But for God’s sake, you are not going to be the best in the world playing for PSG. For that you have to go to Real Madrid or Barcelona, to some team where you can win the Champions League.

“I believe that PSG will still not be able to win the Champions League in the next three or four years.”

Neymar has won three Ligue 1 titles among numerous domestic trophies since arriving at PSG, the latest coming this season which was declared finished due to the interruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ligue 1 giants were into the Champions League quarter-finals when this season was suspended, coming from behind to down Borussia Dortmund in the last 16.

Amid the constant links to Barca, which were also present during last summer’s transfer window, Neymar affirmed that he was concentrating on regaining fitness in order to compete in the European competition.

“The aim is to be ready for when they signal the return of club activities, so I can be in the best possible condition,” the 28-year-old said.

“I’m here, training hard, with the same rhythm and frequency that I would with the club. Training even harder actually, with more activities to compensate for the lack of games.

“Of course I miss the competition, but fitness coach Ricardo Rosa set up a programme that I have been following to the letter.”

Source – Goal.com

Serie A clubs will resume full squad training on Monday after permission was granted by Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte.

Juventus lead Serie A by a point from Lazio

The Italian government have confirmed squads are now able train together for the first time since the league was suspended on March 9.

Clubs were allowed to resume training last Monday but only on an individual basis and respecting social distancing rules.

At a press conference on Saturday, Conte said: “From May 18 retail stores, hairdressers, beauticians, bars, restaurants, pubs, football teams’ training sessions and museums will start again.

“But always in compliance with the regulations and with the control of the Region.”

No date has been set for the restart date for the Serie A season but it’s a boost for clubs who voted in favour of June 13.

Sixteen clubs voted for June 13 as a potential date with four clubs voting for June 20 during a league assembly on Wednesday.

Source – Sky Sports

The game’s return in Germany was marked by empty seats off the pitch and a lack of intensity on it, but it offered a template for others to follow.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Football is back.

How long it will last remains unknown, while the atmosphere-less stadia that greeted the Bundesliga’s return on Saturday confirmed just how different sport will be in the early days of the post-pandemic world.

And though questions remain over the morality of playing high-level sport while thousands around the world continue to suffer with the impact of Covid-19, for 90 minutes on Saturday it was a pleasant distraction to be analysing tactical systems rather than infection rates.

Of course, the game will look and sound unfamiliar in these early weeks.

‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’ was played to an empty Westfalenstadion ahead of Borussia Dortmund’s derby clash with Schalke, the usually intimidating Yellow Wall nowhere to be seen. Substitutes were forced to sit two metres apart while all wearing facemasks. Even the pace of the game, after 66 days without a top-flight fixture in Germany, was no quicker than a pre-season friendly for the most part.

Some things, though remain a constant no matter the situation. Get the ball to Erling Haaland in front of goal and the Norwegian teenager will, in all likelihood, find the back of the net.

It was fitting given all that has come before in this 2019-20 season that the breakout star of the past 12 months would be the man to score the first goal of elite football’s return, the 19-year-old guiding Thorgan Hazard’s cross into the back of the net shortly before the half-hour mark.

Haaland’s celebrations have already created plenty of headlines this year, and he opted to mark his 13th goal in 12 Dortmund appearances by making a point to ensure he remained socially distanced from his delighted team-mates. Surely there will be others watching who are choreographing their own hygiene-themed routines for when they eventually get their chance to take to the pitch.

Haaland certainly was not socially distancing 15 minutes later, as his pressing of Schalke goalkeeper Markus Schubert forced a rushed clearance that eventually led to Raphael Guerreiro firing into the bottom corner shortly before half-time.

The three points were secure moments into the second half with Hazard, who only started the game after Gio Reyna suffered an injury in the warm-up that denied the 17-year-old a first senior start, finishing off a fine counterattacking move involving Haaland and the impressive Julian Brandt.

Guerreiro added a fourth shortly after as Haaland this time provided the assist to round off an impressive performance from Dortmund, especially given that they had not played for two months, had spent the week quarantined in a hotel and were without Marco Reus, Axel Witsel and Emre Can due to injury. Jadon Sancho, meanwhile, was restricted to just 12 minutes off the bench as he nurses a minor calf complaint.

At full-time the home side joined together to applaud the handful of staff who were in attendance before performing a socially-distanced celebration in front of the empty home end. They sit one point behind leaders Bayern Munich ahead of the champions’ clash with Union Berlin on Sunday, though in truth the destination of the Bundesliga title is the least of football’s worries.

This is a weekend when sport needed to show that it can find a place within the new normal. Everyone in the world is getting used to the changes they will have to make to survive, and this was football taking its first tentative steps into the unknown.

It might not be to everyone’s taste, and there will be those who continue to question whether the risks outweigh the rewards of rushing the game back in the circumstances.

Someone, though, had to take the leap eventually, and credit to both Germany and the Bundesliga for the planning that went into the resuming their league so soon. Football fans – and Haaland – thank them.

Source – Goal.com

Conservative MP Karl McCartney believes the deal needs to be either blocked or delayed to allow further scrutiny.

Photo by Getty/Goal

The UK government should stop “dodging” the issues surrounding the proposed Saudi Arabian takeover of Newcastle and intervene, according to Conservative MP Karl McCartney.

Saudi Arabia‘s Public Investment Fund, which is headed up by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, is believed to be closing in on a £300 million ($375m) bid to take the club out of current owner Mike Ashley’s hands.

The Saudi group would own 80 per cent of the club. The remaining 20% would be split between Amanda Staveley’s PCP Capital Partners (10%) and British businessmen the Reuben brothers (10%).

However the takeover has proven controversial, with the Saudi regime having been accused of many human rights abuses.

Human rights organisation Amnesty International warned the Premier League that it risks becoming a “patsy” if it allows the takeover to proceed.

Hatice Cengiz, whose fiancee Jamal Khashoggi was murdered inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul in October 2018, has also warned against the takeover.

Following an investigation, the CIA concluded in November 2018 that Bin Salman ordered the assassination of Khashoggi.

There are also allegations of piracy by Saudi television broadcaster beoutQ, which has been accused of illegally broadcasting a range of sporting events, including the Premier League.

As a result McCartney believes Oliver Dowden, Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, should intervene on behalf of the government.

“Newcastle United– the club of England football legends, such as Alan Shearer, John Barnes, Paul Gascoigne, Kevin Keegan, Sir Bobby Robson and many others – is set to have 80 per cent of its finances supplied by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund,” McCartney told Conservative Home.

“Given the country’s levels of personal prosecution, rules and regulations regarding individual freedoms, sentencing for law breakers, and the killing of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 – whose death was allegedly ordered by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, this news will make many people shudder.

“Yet despite the legitimate concerns put forth from Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and Khashoggi’s fiancee, the deal seems to be going ahead.

“For me, the most insidious fact about this purchase is profit. Not that profit is a bad thing – but it shouldn’t come at the expense of everything else, Yet that is the core aim of the buyers: Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the nominated Chairman, is on record as saying the most important thing for him with any investment is a double-digit return for Saudi Arabia – not English football.

“A mass investment in the club, part of our national game, akin to the likes of the Manchester City purchase, this is not.

“Two weeks ago now, my colleague, Oliver Dowden, refused to be drawn on this issue when he appeared before the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee. Understandable, perhaps. No-one wants to confront a country which has historically been one of our biggest export markets, and so I have some limited sympathy with him.

“But frankly, the Premier League, Wimbledon, Horse Racing and Formula One are some of our country’s greatest sporting exports. And football fans across the UK, and there are many of us, deserve better from their government than Dowden’s dodging.

“At a time when the whole country is hurting from the coronavirus crisis, early last week it emerged in another DCMS Committee inquiry session that broadcast revenues for the Premier League (totalling £3 billion) barely cover total player wages (£2.9 billion).

“Anything that undermines the value of UK football risks driving down the value of broadcast revenues, putting at risk clubs’ financial sustainability. This means that British football could struggle to attract the kind of talent we have come to expect and admire.

“That is a disgrace. It’s time we took this seriously. The stakes could not be higher for UK football as an entity. It’s time to stop gambling with its future; it’s time to stop Saudi piracy. The best way to start is to block, at the very least delay, the Saudi purchase of Newcastle United – and at least impose some sanctions before allowing it to progress.

“Otherwise this will lead to wage reductions (perhaps overdue), less taxes paid, and more clubs under financial pressure and vulnerable to takeover.

“I believe in free markets, but I also believe in a level playing field and not trying to ‘pull a fast one’. It is time we sent them, and others around the world, a message loud and clear: hands off our football, stop stealing our national assets and play by the rules – or suffer the consequences.”

Source – Goal.com

The former Gunners boss says he doesn’t believe the German had the same level of engagement as his team-mates.

Photo by Getty composite

Unai Emery has slammed Mesut Ozil’s “attitude and commitment”, claiming the Arsenal squad didn’t want the German to be installed as captain.

Ozil was rarely trusted as a regular starter during Emery’s reign at the Emirates Stadium, though the former coach says he tried his best to be positive with him.

But Emery thinks Ozil’s inconsistency in performances is something that is simply down to the player himself.

“In the end he has to look at himself,” Emery told the Daily Mail . “At his attitude and his commitment.

“I tried my utmost to help Ozil. Throughout my career, talented players have been my favourites and they have played at their best or close to their best with me.

“I was always positive with him in terms of wanting him to be involved, but then the attitude that he adopted, and the commitment levels, well, they weren’t enough.

“One of the captains could possibly have been Ozil but the dressing room didn’t want him to be captain.

“His level of commitment was not that of someone who deserved to be captain, and that’s not what I decided, that’s what the players decided.”

Emery pointed to Arsenal’s 4-0 drubbing by Chelsea in last year’s Europa League final as an example of Ozil’s alleged lack of commitment.

While the Spaniard had no problem with his performance in the game, he was disappointed when Ozil was the only player not to turn up for an individual talk with his manager the following day.

“In that game the commitment was there,” Emery said.

“We got back to London at eight in the morning and I went home, slept three hours, and then went back to Colney.

“I had meetings with all the players that day. Individual half-hour chats with each one. Only Ozil didn’t want to come.

“I don’t know [why]. He didn’t come. And that’s what we’re saying when we talk about commitment. When the commitment is 100 per cent then everyone comes.”

Emery was replaced earlier this season, with Freddie Ljungberg taking interim charge before Mikel Arteta was brought back from Manchester City.

Defender Shkodran Mustafi has said he believes Arteta now has the whole squad, Ozil included, pulling in the same direction – which may not have been the case under Emery.

Source – Goal.com

The Argentine star issued a warning to his side, urging them to improve following the coronavirus outbreak.

Photo by Getty

Lionel Messi insisted Barcelona cannot win the Champions League unless they improve their performances, disagreeing with head coach Quique Setien.

Covid-19 has wreaked havoc globally, bringing sport to a standstill, with the likes of La Liga and the Champions League on hiatus since March.

Barca – who returned to individual training last week – had been preparing for the second leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against Napoli when the competition was suspended due to coronavirus.

The Spanish giants had drawn 1-1 away to Napoli in February, with Messi claiming Barca could not win the Champions League – a view Setien did not share in April.

Messi was asked about the Champions League again ahead of a possible August restart, and the six-time Ballon d’Or winner issued a warning for Barca.

“I never doubted the squad we have and I have no doubt that we can win all that remains, but not by playing in the way we were playing,” Messi, who has won four Champions League titles, told Sport.

“Now, everyone has their opinion and they are all very respectable. Mine is based on the fact that I was lucky to play the Champions League every year and I know that it is not possible to win it by playing as we have been playing. Perhaps Setien misunderstood.”

Barca were two points clear of bitter rivals Real Madrid atop La Liga through 27 matches at the time of postponement.

La Liga officials are looking to resume the 2019-20 season in mid-June as Germany‘s Bundesliga restarts on Saturday.

“This break may end up benefiting us, but we are going to see if they can start the competitions and there we will leave doubts, because we will check the level that we have or can reach when we start,” Messi said.

“Going back to training is a first step but we should not trust ourselves and we must continue taking all the necessary precautions and assume that we have to start playing the games when they arrive but behind closed doors.

“Personally I am looking forward to the competitions. We know that everything is going to be weird, without fans in the stadium and with the theme of the concentrations that we really would not like to have to be separated from our families. You have to see how it looks.”

Messi added: “Physically I feel very well. I was training at home these days and I think it helped me to keep fit.

“Very hard confinement, but with the children and with Antonela everything ends up becoming moments that I try to enjoy all together.”

Source – Goal.com

The young Portugal forward has drawn comparisons with Kaka and would love to emulate him by winning football’s biggest prizes.

Photo by Getty Images

Atletico Madrid star Joao Felix has affirmed that he will not stop until he reaches his goals in football – lifting the Champions League and winning the Ballon d’Or.

The 20-year-old forward joined Atletico from Benfica at the start of the 2019-20 season after coming to prominence up front with the Lisbon giants. He went on to make 28 appearances in all competitions prior to the campaign’s interruption, scoring on six occasions.

Felix’s talent on the ball has invited comparisons with Kaka; and he admitted in conversation with the Brazilian that he would love to emulate his achievements both at team and individual level.

“What is my sporting dream? To win the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or,” he told the ex-Milan and Real Madrid ace during a chat on Instagram.

Kaka achieved that double feat in 2007 after taking Milan to European glory, and he was told by Felix that he was one of his idols growing up.

“You managed in a single year what others strive for over their entire career,” the youngster explained to the retired playmaker. “I had your poster in my room and I never expected to be here talking to you.

“There will only ever be one Kaka and one Joao.”

For his part, Kaka highlighted the progress made by Atletico under the stewardship of Diego Simeone, while also giving Felix advice on how to succeed in La Liga.

“The rivalry between Real Madrid and Atletico is very big. When I was at Madrid, Atletico hadn’t won titles for a long time, they have had a huge transformation with Simeone’s arrival, but the rivalry has always been a big one,” he said.

“The most important thing [in La Liga] is to understand how things work, how the game is, there are a lot of differences. In some places tactics are more important, in others technique, you have to understand the club, what Atletico Madrid represent in Spain and on the world stage.

“We are physically similar and I also think you are very attacking, I was the same. I think you are technically more gifted than me, I was more attacking, direct – but I don’t like to compare.”

Source – Goal.com