Players will need at least four weeks to regain match fitness once coronavirus lockdown measures are lifted and they are able to resume training, FK Partizan coach Savo Milosevic said on Sunday.
The 46-year old former Yugoslavia striker, who scored 37 goals in 102 internationals and won the 1996 English League Cup with Aston Villa, pointed out that a return to normal training would be gradual.
The Premier League and its clubs are "frightened to death" about publicly backing the resumption of the season as they do not want to be held liable if someone dies because of the coronavirus, television pundit Gary Neville said on Sunday.
Professional soccer has been suspended since mid-March due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has infected over 182,000 people in the United Kingdom, killing more than 28,000.
Dave Kitson's bid to become the players' union chief has been opposed by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, while the head of anti-racist campaign group Kick It Out has raised concerns over his past comments about England forward Raheem Sterling.
Ex-player Kitson is aiming to replace Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief Gordon Taylor, who has been at the helm since 1981, saying the body's response to the COVID-19 crisis was "an absolute embarrassment."
ROME — FIFA vice-president Victor Montagliani has said that moving the European soccer season to the calendar year is a "possibility to be discussed" in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic which has brought football to a standstill around the world.
In an interview with Italy's Radio Sportiva, Montagliani, who is seen as a close ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, said the move would fit in with the 2022 World Cup being played in Qatar in November and December.
German top-flight soccer team FC Cologne said on Friday that group training was continuing despite three people at the club testing positive for COVID-19.
In a statement the Bundesliga side said the entire squad and coaching staff had been tested on Thursday.
"Three people tested positive, all are symptom free," the club statement said. "After an assessment of the cases by the responsible health authorities, the three people who tested positive will go into a 14-day quarantine at home."
MANCHESTER, England — Premier League clubs have been told they cannot use their own stadiums for any resumption of games this season with only "approved neutral venues" to host remaining fixtures in a campaign currently on hold due to the new coronavirus pandemic.
The league, which has been suspended since March 9, remains in limbo, unable to take any steps, until any government decision next week on possible changes to lockdown restrictions.
If you believe all of the Raul Jimenez transfer rumors, you’d be convinced the Mexican international is headed to Barcelona and then Real Madrid and for good measure back to England to play for Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal.
Of course, these are all rumors, likely entirely baseless because what else are tabloid reporters supposed to write about at a time like this?
But Jimenez did respond to a couple of the rumors to ESPN Deportes this week.
It would be easy to write off Erling Håland as just a beefy striker bro. But the more media attention he receives, the more you realize he’s a thoughtful kid who is living his dream.
Håland is one of Europe’s most precocious strikers. At 19, he’s torn up the Champions League and two different Bundesligas this season (he moved from Salzburg to Dortmund in January) with an astonishing 40 goals in 33 appearances.
PARIS — Olympique Lyonnais will seek millions of euros in damages as they face being deprived of European competition for the first time in a quarter of a century following the decision to end the Ligue 1 season, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said.
The French League (LFP) said on Thursday it was ending the 2019-20 campaign amid the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in Lyon finishing seventh, outside of the positions that would offer a place in European competition for next season.
Premier League leaders Liverpool said they were "disappointed" by the city's mayor saying the season should not be restarted even behind closed doors because of the risk of fans gathering outside Anfield.
Liverpool were 25 points clear of closest rivals Manchester City, who have a game in hand, when the league was suspended in March and need only two wins to secure their first top flight title in 30 years. Premier League clubs are set to meet on Friday to discuss ways to finish the season, with some already back in individual training.