NBA superstar Durant rumoured to have bought stake in MLS’s Philadelphia Union
June 5 – Basketball star Kevin Durant has become the latest celebrity to acquire a stake in an MLS franchise, having reportedly invested in the Philadelphia Union.
World Football
Atalanta coach Gasperini says Valencia’s Covid-19 statement is offensive
June 5 – A Covid-related row has broken out in Italian football after Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini admitted to having coronavirus symptoms when his team played Valencia in the Champions League in March.
Lyon boss Aulas threatens €800m lawsuit over government suspension of sport
June 4 – Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas (pictured), who has been at the forefront of opposition to scrapping the rest of the French season, has stepped up his efforts to have the campaign re-instated despite a government mandate to ban all top sport until September.
Germany and Portugal are frontrunners to host final rounds of Champions League
June 4 – On June 17 UEFA’s executive committee will decide the fate of both this season’s Europa League and Champions League, but reports suggest that Portugal and Germany are the early front runners to host the final stages of the Champions League.
MLS agrees player pay deal to set up restart with made-for-TV Orlando special
June 4 – Major League Soccer (MLS) and its players’ union (MLSPA) have reached agreement on a re-negotiated Collective Bargaining Agreement that will enable the season to restart with a new competition format to be played in Orlando, Florida.
Honved lift Hungarian cup but fans fail to follow social distancing rules
June 4 – In small and slow steps football is returning to a semblance of normality. On Wednesday, the Hungarian Cup Final between Budapest Honved and Mezokovesd was played in front of the biggest crowd in Europe since the outbreak of the coronavirus, but a minority of supporters failed to respect social distancing rules.
Linz title challenge derailed by coronavirus points penalty and an injury time defeat
June 4 – It is going from bad to worse for Austria’s LASK Linz who are seeing what would be only their second ever domestic league title slip away.
Turkish league leaders Trabzonspor to appeal UEFA FFP ban
June 4 – Trabzonspor, leaders of the Turkish league before football was wiped off the map by Covid-19, have announced they will appeal against being banned by UEFA for a season for breaking financial fair play rules.
German FA say there will be no sanctions over #JusticeForGeorge ‘solidarity’
June 4 – Bundesliga players who staged protests during matches last weekend following the death of George Floyd in the United States will not be punished, the German Football Federation have confirmed.
Hungarians to play cup final in front of 10,000 fans tonight
June 3 – Hungary will allow up to 10,000 fans to attend Wednesday’s domestic cup final after the country opened up its stadiums to fans last weekend.
Coronavirus: Spain discusses allowing LaLiga fans back into stadia by region
June 3 – Spain’s health ministry is weighing up whether to allow fans back into stadiums when the domestic season resumes despite fears of a second wave of Covid-19.
Russians ready to restart Premier League June 17, with fans
June 3 – Krylya Sovetov FC and Akhmat Grozny FC will kick off the Russian Premier League again on June 19 after Russian football shut down in March due to the coronavirus.
Jean-Claude Hamel, legendary president of Auxerre, dies
By David Owen
June 3 – Jean-Claude Hamel, president of AJ Auxerre for 46 years until 2009, has died at the age of 90.
QPR boss Hoos fury with EFL over decision-making to restart Championship
June 3 – Plans to resume England’s second-tier Championship on or around June 20 have been condemned by the boss of Queens Park Rangers who says he is “stunned” and “appalled” by the decision.
Serie A looks for route to part-open stadia to fans in July
June 2 – In an unexpected development, the head of the Italian football federation (FIGC) Gabriele Gravina says limited numbers of fans could be allowed back into Serie A grounds as early as July – even though the league hasn’t even resumed yet.