Ajax chief executive Edwin van der Sar has confirmed midfielder Donny van de Beek will be allowed to leave the club in the next transfer window but only for a suitable fee.

Donny van de Beek was linked with a move to the Premier League in January

Tottenham, Manchester United, Barcelona and Real Madrid have all been linked with Van de Beek, who played a key role in Ajax reaching the Champions League semi-finals in 2019.

Ajax have already agreed to sell Hakim Ziyech to Chelsea in a £33.3m deal and Van der Sar insists the Dutch club are under no pressure to sell cheaply, despite the financial impact of coronavirus.

“Last year, we made verbal agreements with [Andre] Onana, [Nicolas] Tagliafico and Van de Beek to stay another season, and then we look to help each other and find the next step in their careers. Nothing has changed,” said Van der Sar.

“There won’t be a 50 per cent discount. The clubs can forget about that.”

Van de Beek played a key role in Ajax reaching the Champions League semi-finals last season

Ajax made more than £140m in last summer’s transfer market after selling Frenkie de Jong and Matthijs de Ligt to Barcelona and Juventus, respectively.

Van der Sar believes Ajax can continue to demand significant fees for players despite the current uncertainty over transfers.

“In January last year, people said we were going to lose seven or eight players but we lost only two key members,” Van der Sar added.

“The big clubs such as Bayern Munich have said the benchmark fee will go down in the next few transfer windows. But it’s easier for them to say because they are the buyers.

Source – Sky Sports

Footballers often struggle to adapt once they hang up their boots, a feeling that the defender can sympathise with after almost two months inactive.

Photo by Getty Images

Liverpool star Virgil van Dijk believes that the Premier League’s ongoing suspension has forced him to confront the realities of life after football – a prospect he is not looking forward to.

The English top flight came to a halt in March due to the coronavirus pandemic, with the Reds 25 points clear at the top of the table and seemingly destined for their first title since 1990.

Lockdown measures across the United Kingdom followed, restricting the ability of players to train with their colleagues and obliging them to keep fit largely within the confines of their own homes.

Van Dijk believes that these last two months could be a sneak preview of the sensation players feel after retirement, a milestone he is hoping not to face for some time yet.

“It’s difficult to not be out there, to show our talents, to work hard, just the small things in the game,” Van Dijk told BT Sport.

“Also playing for so many fans, winning, the whole build-up to games, training sessions, just seeing the boys. We spend so much time together and all of a sudden now you’re not together for like two months, almost.

“It’s different, it’s crazy, and it’s something that you really haven’t felt before, and it makes you appreciate things a little bit more.

“It’s going to be strange, and obviously I don’t want to think about retirement or anything like that, but it’s going to be strange. It makes you think how difficult it’s going to be for players to make the decision to retire, because what are you going to do after?

“There’s going to be a period of uncertainty where you have no idea what to do, and that feeling is what we have sometimes at the moment as well, because we have no idea what might happen.”

While the likes of Germany, Spain and Italy have already resumed training sessions, albeit adhering to strict social distancing protocols, no such return has yet been attempted in England.

Van Dijk, though, is trying to maintain his perspective, insisting that keeping infection numbers down has to be the first priority.

“Obviously we try to keep in touch daily through our group chat,” he explained.

“But obviously it’s strange, it’s a strange situation for all of us, for everyone in the world – in any profession that everyone is doing. We have to adapt, we have to do things differently.

“But the most important thing is definitely everyone’s health. I can only speak for my own private circle, if that’s alright then obviously that’s the most important thing.

“On the fitness part, I just try to stay as fit as possible, do all the sessions we’re planning to do with the team. And make sure I’m ready for when the league restarts. Then we’ll see what might happen.”

Source – Goal.com

Following two positive coronavirus tests, the 2. Bundesliga side have announced they will not be able to fulfill their fixture against Hannover.

Photo by Getty/Goal

German football authorities were given a warning that restarting activities may prove far from straightforward after Dynamo Dresden were forced to place their entire first-team squad under lockdown.

The Bundesliga is aiming to become the first major European league to resume following widespread suspensions due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Both the top flight and second-tier 2. Bundesliga will kick off on May 16, with games held behind closed doors and clubs committing to stringent health precautions in an attempt to avoid the spread of the Covid-19 virus.

But Dresden – who are currently bottom of the second division – will now almost certainly have to postpone their first game back after two positive coronavirus tests.

“On Friday, May 8, 2020, the third test series for ‘Covid-19’ of all second division squads, including the coaching and supervisory staff of SG Dynamo Dresden, took place as scheduled. After evaluating all laboratory samples, it was clear on Saturday that there were two new corona cases at SGD,” Dresden explained in a statement published on the club’s official website.

“The affected players have been medically normal in the past few days and are currently still symptom-free.

“After an intensive analysis of the situation, the health authority in Dresden responsible for the SGD in Dresden decided on Saturday that the entire second division squad, including the coaching and support team, must now go into a 14-day quarantine at home.”

With Dresden set to take on Hannover away from home in little over a week, the club has confirmed that they will not be fulfilling the fixture.

“The measures are derived from the rules of conduct of the responsible health authority or from the medical concept, which was developed by the DFL together with a task force consisting of various experts to continue playing in the Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga,” the statement continued.

“At a press conference on Thursday, the DFL informed that SG Dynamo Dresden would resume the season on May 17 with an away game at Hannover 96. Due to the quarantine measures, the SGD will not be able to travel to Lower Saxony for the away game on Matchday 26 as planned.”

Source – Goal.com

Former Somalia international goalkeeper Abdiwali Olad Kanyare has been shot dead in a mosque in his homeland after observing Ramadan prayers on Thursday, according to the country’s football association.

Former Somalia international goalkeeper Abdiwali Olad Kanyare seen here working youth players from his country. Courtesy Somali Football Association

The 39-year-old, who held a CAF B coaching license, had been working as the goalkeeper coach for the Somali youth teams and local side Mogadishu City Club at the time of his death.

“It is really very sad that we have missed a visionary young coach and instructor– a man who had a great ambition for his football career,” SFF president Abdiqani Said Arab said in a statement seen by ESPN. “On behalf of the Somali football family, I send our heartfelt condolence to his family, relatives and friends in football.

“We will sadly be missing him.”

Kanyare previously represented the likes of MCC and military club Horseed and Bariga Dhexe during his playing career, with his current employers described him as the “backbone of the team” in a post on their official Facebook page on Thursday.

According to the federation, Kanyare was killed inside a mosque in the town of Afgooye — 28 kilometres inland from the capital Mogadishu — having performed Tarawih prayers, which take place after the Isha prayer during Ramadan.

“He was an active trainer and instructor who was always keen to pass his knowledge to everyone who wants,” added SFF vice president Ali Abdi Mohamed. “We pray Allah to have mercy on him.”

Another federation member, Abdullahi Sheik Nor, also paid tribute to Kanyare’s qualities as a coach.

“He was a well-prepared instructor who had an excellent teaching talent,” Nor said. “Our next mission was to conduct the same development courses in the Puntland State as soon as the COVID-19 lockdown ends, but I am so sorry that we have missed him.”

Kanyare, who was a member of the Somali team at the regional CECAFA Cup, retired from international football in 2015.

Last month, Somalia lost one of their finest footballers with the death of six-time domestic champion Said Mohamed Duale, who represented the Ocean Stars from 1967 to 1978. Another former international, Abdulhadir Mohamed Farah, died due to complications from coronavirus in March.

Source – ESPN

The historic stadium is to be mostly demolished, though a part is incorporated into both of the designs presented on Thursday.

Photo by Getty

AC Milan and Inter have presented their plans for the new San Siro stadium.

Two designs, by Populous and Manica/Sportium, were put forward, both retaining a part of the current stadium within a retail and sports district.

A statement said the project would represent more than €1 billion (£900k/$1.1bn) of private investment and generate “thousands of new jobs” in Milan.

The current 75,000-seater ground began construction in 1925, and has been formally named after Italian legend Giuseppe Meazza since 1980.

The statement read: “AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano have submitted to the Municipality of Milan a preparatory document for the feasibility project for the creation of a new world-class stadium and a Sports and Entertainment District in the San Siro area.

“The two new proposals are the result of a constructive dialogue with the Municipality and have been developed in accordance with the 16 conditions provided by the Municipality and the City Council in November 2019.

“The new concepts designed by Populous and Manica/Sportium provide for the retention of a part of the current Giuseppe Meazza Stadium within a new retail and sports district that can be used 365 days a year, including about 106,000 square metres of green space (nearly double the current 56,000 square metres of green space on the current site).

“It will be a hub dedicated to retail, sports, cultural and leisure activities both outdoors and indoors, including a running track, a cycle path, an outdoor gym, a skateboard park, a five-a-side pitch and sports museum.

“Most of the sports services will be available free of charge to the Milanese and citizens of the surrounding areas.

“Both concepts would deliver an innovative district dedicated to the next generation, cutting edge for its low environmental impact and high sustainability, creating a new meeting place for social and recreational activities in the neighbourhood.

“AC Milan and FC Internazionale Milano believe it is essential, especially in light of the current moment, to commence a project that represents more than one billion euros of private investment, which will generate thousands of new jobs and serve as a cornerstone for the future development of the city of Milan and Italian football.”

Source – Goal.com

The Mexican head coach claims to have had the information passed on through official channels, though no announcement has yet been made.

Photo by Getty Images

Leganes manager Javier Aguirre has revealed La Liga plans to resume the season on June 20 and finish on July 26.

While no official statement has been made by the league, the Mexican boss claimed the information had been communicated to him by La Liga authorities.

Spanish football authorities have been working with the government to try and find a way to get matches back underway in order to finish the campaign.

“We already have a start date for the league,” Aguirre told Marca Claro MVS.

“On June 20, we will start La Liga and in five weeks we will be officially finished, on July 26.

“It will be played on Saturday-Sunday and Wednesday-Thursday, over 11 dates.

“La Liga has just informed me officially and I am very happy about this, because we already have training scheduled.

“We start tomorrow. Luckily we have passed the tests.”

Spanish clubs have this week been returning to their training bases in order to undergo medical testing, in order for players to be allowed to return to training.

Players will initially move on to individual training in order to regain fitness, before group sessions can begin again at a later date – providing all goes to plan.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has already confirmed plans to introduce five substitutions for each side per game in order to help ease the physical strain on players who haven’t been able to properly train for so long.

Aguirre has welcomed this decision, which is currently pending approval from the Independent Football Association Board (IFAB), the international body which governs the rules of the game.

“The federation has just authorized five changes per game,” Aguirre confirmed.

“It seems to me like the most sensible thing because how can you demand 90 minutes from the players when they have been stuck at home, between four walls for 80 days?

“To avoid injuries, get them in shape.”

If these plans are confirmed, La Liga would be the latest division to formalise its return from coronavirus lockdown.

While Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie have seen their seasons cancelled, the Bundesliga and the Turkish Super Lig have both revealed their plans to return to action in the near future.

The Bundesliga is set to kick off again on May 16th, with the Super Lig following in June.

Source – Goal.com

The Argentina international’s partner was far from impressed with what Manchester had to offer as she reflected on the PSG star’s time in the UK.

Photo by Getty/Goal

Angel Di Maria’s wife Jorgelina Cardoso has revealed that she “didn’t like anything” about Manchester after her husband swapped Real Madrid‘s Santiago Bernabeu for Old Trafford in 2014, describing the experience as “horrible” and referring to England as a “sh*thole”.

The Argentine spent just one season with the Red Devils despite joining for a then record fee for a British club, with his time at United largely remembered for a lack of consistency in performances given the money involved to prise him away from Madrid.

Things were not much better off the pitch either, according to Cardoso, as the couple had argued over the merits of a move to the Premier League long before Di Maria’s ill-fated spell in England’s top flight.

“I remember Angel coming up and saying, ‘An offer from Manchester United has come in. Maybe we’ll be a little more financially secure…’. We fought about it,” she told Los Angeles de la Manana. “I told him, not a chance, he could go on his own. ‘No, come on. Let’s go’, he replied.

“There was a lot of money involved, and afterwards, the Spanish were calling us peseteros (people only interested in money). And they were right! If you are working for a company and the competition comes along and offers to pay you double, you take it!

“I didn’t want to go to Manchester because at that moment in time, I was friends with Gianinna Maradona, who was married to [Sergio] Aguero, and we flew from Madrid to his house in Manchester to pay him a visit for two or three days when Angel had a few days off at Real Madrid.

“It was horrible! All of it was horrible, we went to the house and we were like… ‘See you later guys, we’re out of here’. When we left, I said to him, ‘Go to any country – except England’. Anyway, one year later and there we were in England and it was horrible, a sh*thole.”

Cardoso continued to stress that there was not a single thing she enjoyed about the experience, adding: “I didn’t like anything about it, not a thing. The women are all skinny, prim and proper… weird.

“You’re walking down the street and you don’t know if they’re going to kill you or what. The food’s disgusting. All the girls are all dolled up to the nines, perfectly made-up and there’s me with my hair in a bun and with no make-up on.”

Source – Goal.com

The English top flight has proposed resuming its campaign away from densely populated areas.

Photo by Getty/Goal composite

League Managers Association chief executive Richard Bevan has said the Premier League season will be cancelled if clubs do not agree to play at neutral grounds.

The Premier League has been on hiatus since March due to the coronavirus pandemic but is hoping to resume play in June under the “Project Restart” initiative.

At a meeting of the league’s clubs last week, the idea of playing the rest of the 2019-20 campaign at neutral venues was discussed.

Brighton chief executive Paul Barber quickly came out against the plan, saying that it would damage the integrity of the competition.

Bevan, however, believes that Premier League clubs will have no choice but to embrace the idea, which is designed to move games away from densely populated areas and reduce the amount of stadiums needed.

The proposal needs 14 out of the 20 Premier League clubs to vote in favour and when asked if its defeat would mean the end of the season, Bevan told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Yes, I think that probably is correct.”

He added: “The government, if they haven’t already, will be making it clear that home matches with densely populated stadia, really puts into question whether social distancing rules can be adhered to.”

Bevan, who heads the union that represents Premier League, EFL and national team managers, added that as football gets closer to a return, it must not take away resources from organisations that need them more in the fight against Covid-19.

“Football must not occupy any NHS resources, it must not impinge on the capacity of the health and emergency services,” Bevan said. “[A safe return] covers testing, tracking, PPE available, clear guidelines on social distancing, and obviously a safe environment to train and play.

“There will be guidance on cardiology, mental and emotional well-being. And I think the message really is that health is a guiding principle to any decision-making.”

The Premier League is looking to follow in the footsteps of the Bundesliga, which is poised to be the first major European league to return from its coronavirus suspension.

On Wednesday, German chancellor Angela Merkel announced that Bundesliga football can return to action “in the second half of May”.

Source – Goal.com

Newcastle United fans say they will raise issues about Saudi Arabia’s human rights record even if they support the prospective takeover of the club.

Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman heads Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund

The country’s Public Investment Fund is expected to finance 80% of the £300m takeover, which is understood to be close to completion.

But in an online forum, which involved over 2,000 fans, Newcastle United Supporters Trust (NUST) chair Alex Hurst said: “We exist to be a critical friend of the club, and hold them to account.”

Human rights groups and the fiancee of murdered journalist Jamal Khashoggi, Hatice Cengiz, have opposed the takeover.

The debate on the issue has been framed by supporters’ overwhelming desire to get rid of current owner Mike Ashley, who has been in charge of the club for 13 years.

A survey published last week by NUST, which has more than 10,000 members, showed that 96.7% of fans said they were in favour of the takeover.

But during the two-hour discussion, in which a statement by Khashoggi’s fiancee was read out and contributions came from fans and Amnesty International, local MP Chi Onwurah said the issues were a lot more “nuanced” than some fans had been given credit for on social media.

Supporter Greg Morrison said: “I do feel quite conflicted. While we are not responsible for what goes on [in Saudi Arabia], we have to accept we are attached to Saudi Arabia and the issues attached to that.

“My plea is that fans don’t resort to allowing our club be used to justify or defend what goes on in Saudi Arabia, but accept and acknowledge that there are issues and encourage debate.”

NUST board member Greg Tomlinson added: “It’s not impossible to be excited about Mike Ashley’s departure and still feel concerned about the [human rights] issues.

“Those feelings are not mutually exclusive.”

Cengiz’s statement said fans should “stand together and block” the takeover because the PIF was chaired by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who she said was responsible for her fiancee’s murder in October 2018.

Bin Salman has denied ordering the killing of Khashoggi, with Saudi authorities blaming a “rogue operation”.

Gateshead MP Ian Mearns added: “I can see an awful lot potentially going wrong with this takeover, but it’s time we got rid of an owner who views paying fans as an asset to be sweated or milked.”

Jameela Khan from Amnesty International said she would welcome the critical voice of Newcastle fans.

“We can’t say who should own club,” she said. “But as long as there is a space for people to criticise Saudi Arabia, that’s all we can hope for.”

‘We want to have an influence’

Some fans suggested that Newcastle were being singled-out despite other organisations also having relationships with Saudi Arabia, while others welcomed the investment that the proposed takeover would bring to the city and the region.

But many hoped the new owners would ensure supporters were actively involved in the decision-making process at St James’ Park, having been marginalised under Ashley.

NUST director Peter Maughan said: “We cannot have a say in how a sovereign nation runs itself but I hope we can have a say in the way the club is run. Whoever owns the club, we want to have an influence.”

Steve Cockburn, an NUST member and Amnesty worker said he was “uneasy” about the takeover, but added: “We have a role to protect our reputation and our values and commitment to social justice. We have no choice about the takeover, but we do have a choice in how we react to it and I’m heartened by today’s discussion.

“Even if the owners own the club, they don’t own our views.”

Source – BBC News

Liverpool have asked for more time as they weigh up a potential move for RB Leipzig striker Timo Werner, the Guardian reports.

Timo Werner saying goodbye to German football?/Image credit: Getty Images

The German has a reported £52.7m release clause in his contract, and is said to be keen on a move to Liverpool.

However, the current Premier League leaders are yet to make a formal bid for the 24-year-old, with the Guardian reporting that Liverpool have told the player’s representatives they need more time to decide.

The hesitation is due to the impact of the coronavirus, with Liverpool not yet ready to commit to a big-money signing in the summer.

With the season distorted due to the virus, the finer details of the next transfer window are not yet known, with both the Bundesliga and Premier League still intent on completing their campaigns.

The German league has been suspended since mid-March due to the coronavirus pandemic and the government is expected to decide on Wednesday on a potential resumption.

Werner has been at RB Leipzig for four years, and is reportedly seeking a new challenge abroad – a blow to Bayern Munich, who had been interested in the striker.

The Guardian report claims Liverpool will get a better understanding in the coming weeks as to whether they can spend €60m on Werner, who has 72 goals in 118 league games for Leipzig.

Werner would also consider offers from other Premier League clubs, while Juventus, Inter and Barcelona – should the latter not sign Lautaro Martinez – are also options.

Source – Eurosport