Europe

Last month's Rhine Derby between Borussia Monchengladbach and FC Koln should've been a high-spirited event. Instead, it was played in an eerily quiet, empty stadium as the Bundesliga played out its first game behind closed doors as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. 

Now, the DFB (German FA) says playing in empty stadiums is the only way the competition could resume next month.

Major League Soccer (MLS) must remove caps on salaries if it is to fulfill its potential and compete with Europe's top leagues, former England captain Wayne Rooney has said. 

The salary cap was introduced to help level the playing field by preventing teams from spending big on players. It has worked to an extent, with 10 different teams crowned MLS Cup champions over the last 13 seasons. 

The break in football has allowed us to step back and analyze some of the trends that’ve defined the 2019-20 season so far, and there’s nothing more eye-catching than the steep decline of headed goals in the Premier League. According to a recent tactical study, the English top-flight is on course for its fewest headed goals ever in a single season.

The novel coronavirus has crippled the global economy and devastated lives and families but Atlético Madrid and Spain midfielder Saúl Ñíguez believes there is a way out if people show solidarity with each other. 

With football on hold during the health crisis, Saúl, 25, has launched Saldremos Juntos (“We'll get through this together”), a campaign to boost Spain's freelancers and small businesses whose livelihoods have been bludgeoned by the pause in activity. 

Of Europe’s top five leagues, Germany’s Bundesliga remains on course to be the first to return to the pitch. All clubs have resumed training in small groups, and the league still expects to return on Saturday, May 9. 

However, Bundesliga chief executive Christian Seifert recently told the New York Times that although matches in the top two tiers would resume at the beginning of May, all the games would be played behind closed doors — a measure that’ll likely last through the remainder of the season.

The players and coaching staff at Serie A side AS Roma have agreed to go without four months' salary to help the club through the crisis caused by the COVID-19 outbreak. Serie A has been suspended since March 9 and it is not known if or when the season will be able to re-start. 

Once the formalities are out of the way, the Premier League will finalize the sale of Newcastle United from owner Mike Ashley to a consortium that’s headed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). In terms of the richest Premier League owners, Newcastle's jumping from 11th on this list all the way to the top.

There is unlikely to be any relegation from the English Premier League if the season ends with no more play possible because of the coronavirus outbreak, Brighton and Hove Albion owner Tony Bloom has told British media. 

Premier League clubs met on Friday to discuss possible models for finishing the season but all options remained hypothetical after the U.K. government extended lockdown restrictions for another three weeks. Brighton were two points clear of the relegation zone with nine matches remaining when the league was brought to a halt on March 13. 

Kylian Mbappé is one of Europe’s most talented players despite being just 21. But former France great Emmanuel Petit is growing increasingly annoyed with the young superstar.

Petit spoke with the RMC Sport’s Team Duga podcast this week and expressed frustration with the younger Frenchman, saying his Neymar-esque antics are growing tiresome, counteracting his incredible return of 90 goals in 120 PSG appearances.