Europe

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. 

We all know the true worth of a footballer is measured by how they perform against the best of the best, when everything is on the line. In men’s soccer, there is no stronger barometer of greatness than how one fares against the U.S. men’s national team. So to resolve the Ronaldo vs Messi debate once and for all, here’s a look at how the two GOATs have performed against Michael Bradley and Co.

The coronavirus is proving to be stubborn as the world fights to return to normalcy, but it turns out there's one thing stronger than COVID-19 — Cesc Fàbregas' 95-year-old great-grandmother. The Monaco midfielder tweeted out his thanks to all the doctors and nurses who helped her recover on Wednesday.

Paris Saint-Germain moved within a fingertip of being crowned Ligue 1 champion when the French league recommended to freeze the 2019-20 standings amid the COVID-19 crisis on Thursday, French sports daily L'Equipe reported. 

According to the newspaper, the LFP's board will ratify the recommendation on Thursday afternoon and effectively hand PSG its seventh title in the last eight years. The decision would mean that second-place Marseille and third-place Rennes would be in next season's Champions League with PSG. 

MADRID — LaLiga clubs will begin testing players for the novel coronavirus next week as the first step towards restarting the season in June, a source familiar with the league's plans said on Wednesday.

Athletes in Spain have been forced to train at home since early March due to one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, but Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced they are free to begin individual training at facilities from next Monday.

MANCHESTER, England — The Premier League has not played any matches since March 9 due to the COVID-19 pandemic but with UEFA having set a deadline of May 25 for leagues to inform them of their re-start plans, the clubs are actively seeking a way to resume the 2019-20 season and finish the remaining nine games.

Doing so would ensure they avoid potential financial penalties from broadcasters, crown the champions and decide the questions of European qualification and relegation.