Infantino warns leagues against returning to action too early
April 14 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has warned countries not to start playing football again too early since safety has to come first.
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.
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.
App-based digital health passport launched to help clubs get fans returning safely to stadiums
April 9 – Cyber security tech company VST Enterprises Ltd (VSTE) has launched a sports health passport-style app that will enable fans to return to stadiums as the world recovers from the coronavirus pandemic.
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.
Jose apologises as Spurs once again socially distance themselves from their fans
April 9 – In the latest public relations gaffe to hit English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur during the Covid-19 outbreak, manager Jose Mourinho has been forced to semi-apologise after being pictured flouting government restrictions by leading a training session in park woodland not far from the club’s training ground.
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.
FBI chasing dead ends on Qatar 2022, Russia ask why now?, Jack still sunning himself
By Andrew Warshaw
April 8 – Qatar’s World Cup organisers, who thought they had finally moved on from years of suspicion and finger-pointing over the process by which they were awarded the 2022 tournament, have been forced to deny fresh allegations of corruption and bribery.
4 Questions for 4 Leaders
April 8 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) and Inside World Football launch today the first edition of ‘4 Questions for 4 Leaders’, focusing on how the Olympic movement are dealing with the Coronavirus global pandemic, the impact on sport in different regions across the world and the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games.