SPORTS

Zurich, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA president Gianni Infantino on Friday said that “no match” is worth “risking a single human life” and that world football’s governing body would be able to help financially national federations during the coronavirus pandemic. The majority of top football leagues and international competitions have been suspended due to the …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Ole Gunnar Solskjaer is looking at transfer targets during the lockdown and believes Manchester United are well-placed to exploit any knock-on effects of the coronavirus suspension. With training and matches halted in a bid to curb the spread of COVID-19, the Norwegian has used some of this unexpected free …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | Sadio Mane says he would understand if Liverpool were denied the Premier League title even though they were on the brink of glory when coronavirus forced a shutdown. Jurgen Klopp’s men were 25 points clear of Manchester City when football came to a halt last month, agonisingly close to …

Lausanne, Switzerland | AFP | FIFA on Monday urged clubs and players to reach agreement on wage reductions to protect clubs suffering financial damage due to the coronavirus crisis, sources said. The call from world football’s governing body comes as Premier League clubs are locked in talks with players and their …

Moscow, Russia | AFP | The Kremlin on Tuesday “categorically” denied allegations that Russia had bribed FIFA officials for the right to host the 2018 World Cup. “Russia absolutely legally got the right to organise the World Cup,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. He said the decision was “not linked to any bribes, we …

Paris, France | AFP | As the coronavirus brings the international sports calendar to a grinding halt, AFP Sport looks at three long-standing habits which could change forever once competition resumes. Saliva to take shine off swing bowling — It’s been a tried and trusted friend to fast bowlers throughout the …

Paris, France | AFP |  The coronavirus pandemic is creating a puzzle for French football and, for the moment, those in charge have no idea what the answer might be. The idea of simply declaring the season over is gaining ground in some quarters but others remain strongly opposed to the …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  Wayne Rooney has criticised the UK government and the Premier League for placing footballers in a “no-win situation” over proposed pay cuts after players were urged to make sacrifices during the coronavirus crisis. The former England captain, now playing with Championship side Derby, penned an …

London, United Kingdom | AFP |  UEFA’s ultimatum to national leagues that a failure to complete the football season could lead to exclusion from European competition has left the continent’s less wealthy leagues, like Scotland, in limbo. Scottish clubs were due to meet by video-conference on Friday with the possibility of …

London, United Kingdom | AFP | The British government on Thursday said English Premier League footballers should take a pay cut, amid outrage at top-flight clubs using a furlough scheme for non-playing staff. Tottenham, Newcastle and Norwich have said they will use a government scheme to guarantee 80 percent of salaries …