Brazilian clubs open up facilities to health services
March 20 – A number of Brazilian clubs have joined the fight against the corona pandemic by opening up their facilities to health services.
World Football
Concacaf add U-17 women and mens Futsal to list of suspended championships
March 20 – Concacaf has decided to suspend two more national teams tournament in light of the spread of Covid-19 within the region.
Man Utd commit to paying casual workforce whether games are played or not
March 19 – With the Premier League having announced that all matches are currently suspended until April 30, Manchester United have announced they will pay wages to their casual workforce whether games are played or not.
English leagues extend suspension to end of April with no season end-dates set
March 19 – English football, already wiped off the map until April 3 because of the continued spread of coronavirus, will now be suspended until April 30 following a crisis video conference of the sport’s various authorities today.
Tebas says Europe’s leagues could be back playing by mid-May
March 19 – Despite Covid-19 decimating football across Europe, there is light at the end of the tunnel with La Liga President Javier Tebas saying major leagues are preparing to resume in mid-May and finish by the end of June as long as the climate is right.
Nigerian FA suspends activity as coronavirus impact reaches Africa
March 19 – Nigeria has become the latest country to suspend all football activities in the global fight against the coronavirus.
UEFA will refund Euro 2020 ticket buyers if they can’t make 2021 dates
March 19 – UEFA has confirmed that provide full refunds will be paid to fans who bought tickets for Euro 2020 if they are unable to reschedule for next year, saying sticking with the original dates would have been far too dangerous because of Covid-19.
Brazil’s CBF reports record €174m revenue
By Samindra Kunti
March 18 – The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has reported a record revenue of €174 million in 2019, in large part due to the FIFA World Cup payouts, TV rights income and sponsorship.
Post-virus restart: FIFPro boss Baer-Hoffmann warns of player workloads and economic crisis
By Andrew Warshaw
March 18 – The toll on players once football is allowed to resume will be greater than ever while many risk losing their jobs altogether during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Coronavirus: Conmebol postpone 2021 Copa America
March 18 – Just like its European equivalent, South America’s flagship tournament, the Copa America, has been postponed from this year to 2021 because of the coronavirus outbreak.
CAF postpone CHAN in Cameroon in April, but award May club finals
March 18 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has postponed the 2020 African Nations Championship (CHAN), an international tournament with domestic-based players only, amid growing concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 virus.
Covid-19 forces UEFA to postpone Euro 2020 until summer 2021
By Andrew Warshaw
March 17 – UEFA has postponed Euro 2020 for a year until June 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic following an emergency video conference involving their 55 member nations plus the bodies representing Europe’s clubs and leagues.
Coronavirus in Europe: League by league operational status
March 17 – The umbrella body for Europe’s leagues says not a single one of its members are playing competitive football normally as a result of the coronavirus.
Carioca and Paulista stop play as covid-19 spreads in Brazil
March 17 – The state federations of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have suspended their state championships following the CBF’s decision on Sunday to postpone matches indefinitely.
Coronavirus: England’s National League joins pro game in suspending play
March 17 – The National League, which comprises the fifth and sixth tiers of the English football pyramid immediately below the four professional leagues, has finally seen sense and joined the rest of the country – and beyond – in suspending games because of the spread of Covid-19.