Newcastle lay off staff, but reportedly keep players on full salaries
March 31 – Newcastle United have reportedly become the first Premier League club to place their non-playing staff on temporary leave because of the coronavirus pandemic.
60 non-league clubs protest to English FA over ‘inexplicable haste’ at ending season
By Andrew Warshaw
March 31 – More than 60 non-league clubs from across English football have sent a joint letter to the country’s FA in protest at the decision to close the season down, with all results declared null and void, because of Covid-19.
Vodka, saunas and Premier League football are Belarus’ ‘best anti-virus remedy’
By Andrew Warshaw
March 30 – Last league standing? Football may have ground to a halt in almost every corner of the world – but not in Belarus.
Swiss Federal Court drops Lauber’s case against BeIN boss AI-Khelaifi
By Paul Nicholson
March 30 – The case brought against BeIN Sport boss Nasser AI-Khelaifi by the Swiss prosecutor’s office and driven by its attorney general Michael Lauber was dropped by the Federal Court in Switzerland at the end of last week.
Ceferin warns that European club season could be ‘lost’ if it can’t restart by end-June
March 30 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin says the current season “will probably be lost” if it cannot be restarted by the end of June.
Kane keen to return to work, but for how much longer with Spurs?
March 30 – England captain Harry Kane says the Premier League season should be ditched altogether if it cannot be completed by the end of June.
Aussie FA furloughs 70% of staff as revenues dry up
March 30 – In one of the most radical moves by an individual football association in response to Covid-19, Football Federation Australia (FFA) has temporarily dismissed 70% of its full-time staff.
Juve cut wage bill by €90m as players agree 4-month salary freeze
March 30 – Juventus players and coach Maurizio Sarri have accepted a temporary pay cut to their salaries in a move that is designed to alleviate the financial ramifications of the global coronavirus on the club.
CSL restart in doubt as China’s closing borders leave overseas players outside country
March 30 – Chinese Super League teams may have returned to training as a result of the coronavirus outbreak in the country easing, but it may not be so easy for the league to restart because of stringent travel restrictions for a raft of foreign players, plus the lingering threat of infection.
English FA tells WSL clubs there is no Covid-19 support as fears clubs could fold
March 30 – The English FA has informed clubs in both the Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship that they will not receive any financial support from the governing body during the coronavirus lockdown. The FA, however, remains committed to completing the season.
European sponsorship hits €30.6bn for 2019, but 2020 looks a bust with 2021 next peak
March 30 – Europe’s total sponsorship by volume rose 1.9% last year, to a record €30.69 billion, according to the latest European Sponsorship Association (ESA) and Nielsen Sports sponsorship report.
Pirates in the Caribbean: TTFA’s tale of woe and intrigue was not entirely homegrown
By Paul Nicholson
March 26 – With the discredited former Trinidad and Tobago FA board removed and the initial appointments of the FIFA Normalisation Committee having being made, more information is becoming available over the role the TTFA’s unelected staff played in bringing down the board.
European Leagues boss Olsson warns clubs face bankruptcy if seasons can’t finish
By Andrew Warshaw
March 27 – The head of the umbrella body representing over 30 European leagues has warned again that medium-sized and smaller clubs could go out of business if the game is shut down for too long as a result of Covid-19.
FIFA discuss plan to stop players changing club before season ends, and cut wages
March 27 – FIFA have drawn up radical plans to offset football being wiped off the map by Covid-19 by recommending player contracts be extended automatically until the end of the season (whatever date that becomes) and to push transfer windows back.
Club fury as English FA ends lower league seasons with all results annulled
By Andrew Warshaw
March 27 – Whilst the professional game in England clings to the hope of completing the season, the game at non-league and grassroots level has been officially wound up. Or rather, most of it.