Minister puts stop to Real Sociedad’s planned return to training
April 14 – Real Sociedad have abandoned plans to resume training in times of a global health crisis following an intervention from Spanish authorities.
World Football
Beating the bug: Bundesliga prepares for May restart and end-June finish
April 9 – The Bundesliga could be the first of Europe’s big leagues to return to action with chief executive of the DFL Christian Seifert saying they are planning to restart at the beginning of May.
Exclusive: CAF VP Constant Omari opens up on Ahmad, PwC audit and Lagardere
By Osasu Obayiuwana
April 9 – Facing rigorous criticism for the poor state of its financial affairs, following the completion of a detailed forensic audit by PwC (Price Waterhouse Coopers), top officials of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) refuse to accept the various allegations of financial impropriety laid at its door in Cairo.
Warner’s toppled TTFA disciples file final throw of the dice at CAS
By Paul Nicholson
April 9 – The former president and board of the Trinidad and Tobago FA (TTFA) have followed through on their promise and yesterday filed an appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against their removal and replacement by a FIFA Normalisation Committee.
Premier League players unite under #PlayersTogether to donate to NHS charities
April 9 – Amid mounting pressure to accept wage cuts like some of their overseas counterparts, Premier League footballers have launched a fund-raising initiative to raise money for the country’s National Health Service (NHS) charities to help tackle the Covid-19 outbreak.
Coronavirus: Mauritius is first African nation to abandon season
April 9 – Mauritius has become the first African country to cancel its professional league season “with immediate effect” due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Serie A in discussion over centralising fixtures in Rome, say reports
April 9 – Italy’s Serie A is reportedly discussing playing all the remaining fixtures for the 2019/20 season in Rome.
Whistleblower Pinto released but still under house arrest as he awaits trial
April 9 – Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower whose string of incriminating revelations shook the footballing world before he was controversially extradited from Hungary to his native Portugal, has been released from pre-trial detention and placed under house arrest, his lawyers announced.
Le Graët keeps going as French shift elections to March 2021
April 9 – Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the elections for the presidency of the French Football Federation, originally scheduled for next December, have been postponed to March 2021.
Real Madrid players join Barca and Atletico stars in agreeing pay cut
April 9 – Real Madid have become the latest Spanish club whose players and coaches have agreed to take pay cuts to alleviate the economic impact of the coronavirus crisis.
Dutch plan for June 19 return but not all clubs agree
April 8 – Dutch football is drawing up a roadmap to resume the season that was suspended in March following the outbreak of the coronavirus with a return to action behind closed doors tentatively set for June 19.
Ronaldinho released from Paraguayan jail but remains under house arrest
April 8 – Former Brazil and Barcelona star Ronaldinho, detained in Paraguay after an investigation into the use of fake passports to enter the country, has been released but will remain under house arrest in the country.
Tebas sets three dates for closed doors return of LaLiga, with earliest being May 28
April 8 – La Liga has earmarked three possible dates for the resumption of domestic matches once the green light is given by health authorities.
Clubs to keep players beyond June as FIFA set to realign contracts to new season end
April 7 – The summer transfer window will be amended, the 2019-20 season extended indefinitely and player contracts ending on June 30 put back for a short period under radical proposals about to be announced by FIFA, according to unconfirmed reports.
Bundesliga clubs cleared to return to training, with target of closed door return in May
April 7 – Bundesliga clubs, including reigning champions Bayern Munich, have been allowed to return to training amid strict measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus including the minimum of contact between players.