The FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup, to be held in India in November, was postponed by football’s governing body on Saturday, due to the worsening COVID-19 pandemic across the globe.

File photo: The Gateway of India illuminated with lights during the Official Emblem Launch of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. Aparna Jayakumar – FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images

The tournament was to be held at five venues in the country — Kolkata, Guwahati, Bhubaneswar, Ahmedabad and Navi Mumbai — from November 2 to 21. It was to be competed among 16 teams, with hosts India being automatic qualifiers in what would have been India’s maiden appearance in the U-17 Women’s World Cup.

The decision was taken by the FIFA-Confederations working group which was recently established by the Bureau of the FIFA Council to address the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The working group recommended the Bureau of FIFA Council to “postpone the FIFA Under-20 Women’s World Cup Panama/Costa Rica 2020 – originally scheduled for August/September 2020 – and the FIFA Under-17 Women’s World Cup India 2020 – originally scheduled for November 2020.”

“New dates will be identified,” FIFA said in a statement.

It was also decided “to create a sub-working group on the women’s international match calendar to consider potential changes to the calendar and dates of postponed FIFA final tournaments”.

The working group includes the FIFA administration, Secretary Generals and top executives from all confederations.

It unanimously approved a series of recommendations following its first meeting, which was organised via conference late on Friday.

While the tournament was five months away, the only qualifying event that could be held so far was for Asia — from which Japan and North Korea made the cut. Five remaining qualifying events — that of Africa, Europe, Oceania, South America, and Central, North America and Caribbean — saw a halt due to the ongoing global health crisis, which has affected more than a million people.

The official schedule of the tournament was announced in February and Navi Mumbai was to host the final.

FIFA thanked the Confederations’ representatives for their cooperation. They further reiterated that health must always be the first priority and the main criteria in any decision-making process, especially in these “challenging times”.

In other decisions, the working group recommended “to postpone all international matches due to be played during the upcoming June 2020 window; and to organise bilateral discussions with confederations concerning 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers in order to finalise a revised match schedule pending health and safety developments”.

As for the women’s international calendar, it was decided “to postpone all international matches due to be played during the upcoming June 2020 window; and to include the new dates of the women’s Olympic Football Tournament in the match calendar.”

Source – ESPN

The Brazilian is a different player after his time spent in Paris and is ready to come back to Catalonia, according to the former Blaugrana star.

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Neymar is ready to return to Barcelona and can cope with the pressure of leading the club alongside Lionel Messi, according to Rivaldo.

The PSG attacker was keen on a Camp Nou comeback in the summer but the move failed to materialise before the transfer window slammed shut.

Speculation is building Neymar will make another play to rejoin Barcelona when the player movement period begins, with Antoine Griezmann linked to PSG in a sensational swap move for the Brazil international.

Rivaldo – who made 256 appearances for the Blaugrana across five years – believes Neymar has matured into a player who can cope with the pressure of leading the club alongside Messi, with recent signings such as Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele failing to live up to expectations.

He also suggested the club should prioritise the signing of Neymar ahead of their other reported major target: Inter striker Lautaro Martinez.

“The rumours are growing about Barcelona’s intention to sign Neymar and Lautaro Martinez in the next transfer window,” Rivaldo said in a column for Betfair.

“Although the young Argentinian is a good player, I think that only Neymar is a certain bet to claim a place in the starting XI side by side with Messi.

“Looking at the last few years we have seen many valuable players who didn’t manage to play alongside Messi – failing to perform under the expectations.

“But Neymar – like Luis Suárez – is one of the few players in the world that doesn’t feel pressure on the pitch, always playing with plenty of personality.

“He never gets frightened and it would be a safe option for the club while Martinez is a young, talented forward that perhaps in two or three years may become a good signing.

“For now I think the club should prioritise Neymar.

“I’m a fan of his qualities and personality and I know that sometimes I’m liable to criticism as some Barcelona fans didn’t like the way Neymar decided to leave the club.

“But the truth is that he is a different player now who should be a nice help to Messi and co. in trying to win another Champions League.”

Neymar spent four years at Barcelona from 2013 to 2017, winning the Champions League, two La Liga titles and three Copas Del Rey before making the shock move to PSG.

Source – Goal.com

Manchester City midfielder Kevin De Bruyne has deferred his retirement by “two more years” after the coronavirus lockdown made him realise how much he would miss football.

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The Women’s European Championship – set to be held in England in 2021 – will be moved to the summer of 2022.

European Championship hosts England have suffered seven defeats in their last 11 games

The tournament was expected to be shifted after the men’s European Championship and the Tokyo Olympics were both postponed until 2021 because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Three European teams – England, the Netherlands and Sweden – have already qualified for the Olympics.

Moving the Euros to 2022 will avoid two women’s tournaments in the same summer.

Uefa has said while no “formal decision has been made”, a postponement to 2022 is a “likely option.”

Qualification for the tournament is still ongoing. Scotland are second in Group E, Wales are second in Group C, which also contains Northern Ireland in fourth place, and Republic of Ireland are top of Group I.

England women’s manager Phil Neville was set to lead what will be a Great British Olympics squad in Tokyo, with the team supplemented by players from the other Home Nations.

However, his contract, which would have covered the Olympics and Euros had they taken place as scheduled, will now run out before next year’s events take place.

The Football Association is yet to say whether Neville will extend his contract beyond next summer.

European football’s governing body Uefa announced a series of decisions about its competitions on Wednesday following a meeting of its 55 member associations, but it is yet to confirm that Euro 2021 will become Euro 2022.

The Danish FA did, however, say on its website that the postponement had been announced during the video conference.

There are still decisions to be made about when the tournament will take place, largely because of the Commonwealth Games, which are set to take place in Birmingham from 27 July to 7 August.

“No formal decision has been made with regards to the potential postponements of the Women’s Euro 2021 and the Under-21 2021,” Uefa said in a statement.

“The summer of 2022 is indeed a likely option but Uefa will be looking to maximise the benefits to the development and profile of women’s football and of the Under-21 when making decisions on the timings for these competitions.”

Source – BBC News

The Belgian Pro League is set to become the first major European league to be cancelled because of coronavirus.

Club Bruges beat Cercle Bruges 2-1 on 7 March in their last league game before football in Belgium was suspended

Club Bruges will be declared champions with the current league table set to stand.

There was one match of the regular season remaining when the league was suspended, with play-offs due to decide the top positions.

The league’s board of directors made the decision and have made a recommendation to the general assembly.

It will be made official on 15 April with a working group to decide relegation and promotion issues.

Club Bruges are 15 points clear of second-placed Gent at the top of the table.

In a statement, the league said: “The board of directors unanimously decided that it was not desirable, whatever the scenario envisaged, to continue the competition after 30 June.”

Source – BBC News

The TV presenter and ex-player believes stars should be given more time to consider wage reductions amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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Former Tottenham and England striker Gary Lineker has called for patience amid claims that Premier League footballers are refusing to accept salary cuts during the Covid-19 outbreak.

With professional football around the world at a halt as a result of the pandemic, clubs up and down the league pyramid are struggling to make ends meet due to the resulting loss of income.

As a consequence, the astronomic wages of the sport’s biggest stars have come under the spotlight.

On Thursday Atletico Madrid announced that the entire squad would take a 70 per cent pay cut in order to sustain the salaries of the club’s non-playing staff, while Barcelona have taken similar measures.

Premier League clubs in comparison have been slow to introduce similar measures, with Tottenham choosing to slash the wages of more than 400 staff members while not touching players’ incomes.

However Lineker, who has pledged two months of his BBC salary to the Red Cross, argued that detractors should not be too quick to criticise.

“It’s now up to the players how they respond, let’s give them a chance to respond, before this hugely judgmental pile-on that we always get nowadays,” he told Sky News on Thursday.

“Football is always an easy target but where are the big businessmen, where are the CEOs of these enormous companies, what are they doing at the moment?

“Nobody ever seems to care about them but footballers, who do an unbelievable amount of good in the community that never gets reported, who do lots of things to raise awareness during this dreadfully difficult time. So let’s wait and see, and see what they do. I’ll be the first to criticise them if they do nothing.”

Earlier, Lineker hit out at MP David Lammy, who had strong words for the Spurs management and squad.

“It’s criminal that Premier League footballers haven’t moved more quickly to take pay cuts and deferrals,” the politician wrote on Twitter. “And completely wrong that taxpayers are now being asked to subsidise cleaners, caterers and security guards at these clubs instead.”

The ex-England star retorted: “It’s not criminal. Fact is players are not training together so meetings would take time to organise.

“I’m positive most of them would want to do something to help but don’t know how, or worry about treading a lonely path.

“Let’s give them a chance to act before we all wade in.”

Source – Goal.com

All Champions League and Europa League matches have been suspended “until further notice” by Uefa because of the global coronavirus pandemic.

Paris St-Germain fans gathered outside the Parc des Princes in March, despite the club playing their Champions League last 16 tie with Borussia Dortmund behind closed doors

All national team games in June have also been postponed, including play-off matches for Euro 2020 – already postponed to 2021 – and qualifying matches for the Women’s Euro 2021.

The European governing body’s 55 member associations met on Wednesday.

The Premier League is suspended until at least 30 April.

The Euro 2020 play-offs are set to feature Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Scotland.

Premier League clubs Manchester City and Chelsea are both still in the Champions League, while Manchester United, Wolves and Scottish Premiership side Rangers are all in the Europa League.

The finals of the Champions League, Europa League and Women’s Champions League, all of which were scheduled for May, had already been postponed.

While most leagues in Europe hope to finish their domestic seasons once restrictions on movement and social contact are lifted, Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin said last week the season could be lost if play does not start by the end of June.

“If we don’t succeed in restarting, the season will probably be lost,” the Slovenian said.

He told Italian newspaper La Repubblica: “There is a plan A, B and C.

“The three options are to start again in mid-May, in June or at the end of June.

“There is also the possibility of starting again at the beginning of the next [season], starting the following one later. We will see the best solution for leagues and clubs.”

Ceferin says that playing remaining games behind closed doors would have to be an option across Europe.

“It’s hard for me to imagine all the matches behind closed doors, but we still don’t know whether we’ll resume, with or without spectators,” he said.

“If there was no alternative, it would be better to finish the championships.”

A mini-tournament to decide the Champions League and Europa League is expected to be one option put forward to ease fixture congestion caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Source – BBC News

The former defender detailed how the legendary manager would select players, and know when to move on from them.

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Gary Neville explained Sir Alex Ferguson’s’ overall transfer strategy with Manchester United, likening it to a “very slow conveyor belt” system.

Ferguson’s tenure with Manchester United saw the Red Devils emerge as a global powerhouse, dominating English football while regularly competing for European trophies.

In total, Ferguson won 13 Premier League titles, two Champions League titles and five FA Cups as part of his 38-trophy haul while at Old Trafford.

To maintain that level of dominance, you have to recruit well and bring along talented youngsters, and Neville explained how Ferguson has been able to find that mix better than any other manager.

“There were three categories,” Neville said on Sky Sports. “His policy was to promote youth wherever possible, that was number one before he even looked at the external market.

“Number two was to look at the best in the Premier League, those he could trust, and still have growth and be with the club for a long time. Gary Pallister, Steve Bruce, Wayne Rooney, Rio Ferdinand, Robin van Persie.

“And then he always wanted emerging international talent that could come over to Manchester, that he could work with and develop into great players. Nemanja Vidic, Peter Schmeichel, Patrice Evra, Cristiano Ronaldo, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

“He very rarely ventured into the world of buying the complete star, and it’s not far off Pep Guardiola’s tactic with Manchester City right now.”

While buying players was one of Ferguson’s strengths, the legendary manager also knew when to let them go.

Neville says the former Man Utd manager made sure to never let too many players walk away in a given season as he slowly but surely rebuilt the squad while making sure it never stagnated.

“In terms of selling players, he would get rid when they either weren’t good enough, or when he felt they were questioning his control. He was ruthless on that,” Neville said.

“United’s strategy was like a very slow conveyor belt. A few would come in, and a few would leave. Never more than a handful each season, never a massive adaptation of the squad.

“It was controlled, with six or seven young players, 10 in the middle, and three or four that were in their 30s. Every club that has had a dynasty has had that stability of players.”

Source – Goal.com

The Real Madrid man raised eyebrows when he made a controversial comparison between himself and the Chelsea striker.

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Antoine Griezmann has largely opted to take the high road amid the growing feud between Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema, but did point out that the former has lifted the World Cup.

Benzema raised eyebrows on Sunday when he was asked about the difference between himself and fellow French striker Giroud.

“You don’t compare Formula 1 with karting, and I am being nice,” Benzema said on Instagram Live .

When asked to clarify his comments on Tuesday, the Real Madrid forward doubled down on his criticism of the Chelsea man.

“About Giroud, I simply told the truth,” Benzema said .

“But we didn’t remember what I said about him, especially about what he brings to the French national team.

“We just remembered the moment when I said I was F1 and he was karting. That’s what I think, that’s the truth, and that’s how it is.”

Griezmann has plenty of experience playing alongside both Benzema and Giroud, having made his debut for France in 2014.

The Barcelona man was offered the chance to respond to Benzema’s shots at Giroud, but decided to keep the majority of his true opinion to himself.

“I can’t answer all that, that could get me into trouble,” Griezmann said on Twitch .

“I love Olivier Giroud, he’s a good player and he helped us win the World Cup. And that’s important in life.”

Benzema has been exiled from the France national team since 2015, having been accused of blackmailing former team-mate Mathieu Valbuena in a sex-tape scandal .

Without the Real Madrid forward, Les Bleus have still managed to have plenty of success on the international level, having reached the final of Euro 2016 before winning the World Cup two years later.

At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, Giroud started all but one game for France and though he did not score a goal at the tournament, his overall play was seen as vital for Didier Deschamps’ victorious side.

Overall, Giroud has scored 39 goals in 97 appearances with the France national team, with the 33-year-old having made his international debut back in 2011.

Benzema, meanwhile, scored 27 goals in 81 appearances for France, with the 32-year-old’s international career having seemingly reached its end.

Source – Goal.com