Football News: Review Of The Day 12th March 2020

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Dominic Gape has extended his contract with Wycombe Wanderers to run until 2022.

Motherwell have signed David Turnbull to a new 1-year deal.

Transfers

Senegalese defender Abdoulaye Ba has signed for Deportivo La Coruna from Rayo Vallecano.

Injury Round-Up

Ipswich Town midfielder Alan Judge has suffered a fractured foot in training and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

Rangers' captain James Tavernier is a doubt for their Europa League match against Bayer Leverkusen with a foot injury.

Newcastle United goalkeeper Martin Dubravka is out until April with a knee problem.

Disciplinary Charges

Bristol Rovers manager Ben Garner has been fined £500 by the Football Association. Garner had made remarks to the media about a match referee following a loss to Sunderland. Garner admitted questioning the integrity of match officials.

On-loan Chelsea midfielder Danny Drinkwater has been sent home after a 'clash' with team-mate Jota. Drinkwater has joined from Chelsea until the end of the season after a failed first half of the season with Burnley, which was marred by an altercation in a nightclub.

Petrescu Causes Storm In Romania

The Romanian Liga 1 has a rule requiring two homegrown U-21 players to be in the starting line-up for each game. Former Chelsea player Dan Petrescu, who is head coach at CFR Cluj these days, decided to circumvent the role by subbing off 18 year old Alin Fica after just 24 seconds. Despite not being illegal for him to do so, it is felt to be outside the spirit of the rules and Petrescu has taken a lot of criticism. Head coach of FC Botosani, Valeriu Iftime, said: "We all have to criticise him for that. His interest is to have a more experienced team, but that is an insult against the rules. Cluj's target is to win the title, but this gesture in itself is reprehensible." Fica had been making his debut, but I doubt it would have done much for his confidence getting hooked so quickly!

Shrimpers Latest Winding Up Order Case Adjourned

HMRC's winding up petition against Southend United has been adjourned until 29th April. HMRC are chasing unpaid tax from the League One side but the adjournment has meant they will avoid any punishment from the English Football League this season. If the club does get put into administration, which is looking very likely at the moment, they will be given a 12-point deduction. However the sanction will only apply to this season if the insolvency event happens before the deadline of Thursday 26th March, after that date it will be applied to next season. With Southend struggling against relegation, the 12 point deduction would have seen them relegated to League Two, so the adjournment has given them a chance to hang on to their place in League One. Manager Sol Campbell admitted he was in the dark about the club's finances, telling the BBC: "I don't know what's happening in the background because from the beginning I didn't know what was happening in the background. Why would it change? I just get on with trying to prepare the team in the best possible way, and whatever happens is totally out of my control. I don't think anybody knows what's happening. I'm sure he (chairman Ron Martin) will come out and explain what's going on. We're all human beings. We know how difficult the situation is. Some of the under-23s have been paid but the senior staff playing-wise and staff-wise, and I think the under-23 staff, haven't been paid. I'm trying to work out how to get the best out of the scenario. It's a delicate situation."

Coronavirus Latest

Nottingham Forest's players and staff have tested negative for coronavirus. They were tested after it was revealed that club owner Evangelos Marinakis had been confirmed to have the virus. Marinakis, who also owns Olympiakos, was at Forest's City Ground for the visit of Millwall in the Championship on Friday. Manchester City's Premier League match with Arsenal was postponed due to Marinakis attending Arsenal's victory over Olympiakos in the Europa League two weeks ago, with several Gunners players in self-isolation. Olympiakos have also tested their players for the virus but none of them tested positive. Oddly Arsenal are not testing their players or staff for the coronavirus.

St Mirren asked any supporter with cold or flu-like symptoms not to attend their match against Heart of Midlothian. A club statement read: "We cannot take any risks. While there is every likelihood that you will just have the cold or flu it is imperative that we protect the health and wellbeing of all those who attend the game. Our stewards will be briefed accordingly and anyone with cold or flu-like symptoms will not be admitted. We apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused."

It has been officially confirmed that Bayer Leverkusen's second leg Europa League tie against Rangers will be played behind closed doors. Rangers confirmed the news in a statement: "Rangers regrets that supporters will have made travel arrangements. But warnings and advice about coronavirus must be followed. The German authorities believe this is the correct course of action and Rangers respects their decision not to allow fans into the stadium."

FIFA have postponed their Congress in Ethiopia, which was scheduled for June, due to the coronavirus. It has been rescheduled for 18th September.

UEFA rejected a request from Wolverhampton Wanderers to postpone their Europa League match against Olympiakos on Thursday. The match will be played behind closed doors. A Wolves statement read: "There are some things that are more important than football. The good health of our pack and the general public is one of them. Our position is that the trip poses an unnecessary risks to our players, staff, supporters and the families of all who travel, at such critical and uncertain times. Our concern is also for our opponents, whose players and staff have today been tested, and will now be expected to play their part in an important fixture, under the difficult and challenging circumstances of their owner suffering with the virus. There is also disappointment that the match will be played without home and away supporters, as that is part of what makes European competition so special. We hope that our request to Uefa, and our acceptance of their decision, can act as the catalyst for them to consider alternative options moving forwards, as this will not be the last fixture to be affected by coronavirus."

Europa League matches between Sevilla and Roma and Inter Milan against Getafe have been postponed. They were initially set to take place behind closed doors before the Spanish authorities placed travel restrictions between Spain and Italy. Roma and Getafe had both already stated that they would not be travelling to the games. The Copa del Rey final between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad has also been postponed. In France the French League Cup final, to be contested by Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyonnais, has also been postponed.

Juventus's Italian international Daniele Rugani has become the first player in Serie A to be tested positive for Covid-19. A Juve statement read: "The footballer, Daniele Rugani, has tested positive for Coronavirus-COVID-19 and is currently asymptomatic. Juventus Football Club is currently activating all the isolation procedures required by law, including those who have had contact with him." Star man Cristiano Ronaldo is staying in Madeira to wait out the virus, while the announcement of Rugani's positive test has led to Inter Milan putting its players and staff into quarantine. Surprisingly, the rest of Juve's players have been told to train as normal, for now at least, but Serie A is now recommending that all its teams that are not in European competition cease training.

Bayer Leverkusen's head coach Peter Bosz has called for the Europa League to be cancelled. Bosz claims the competition has been "devalued" by playing games behind closed doors. Bosz said ahead of the tie with Rangers: "Absolutely it's advantage Rangers, but they are not to blame because they haven't decided it. I'm looking forward to playing here - but when you play in front of home fans they are for you and that's an advantage if we, in turn, are playing in front of an empty stadium. To be honest, the competition has been devalued. Fans should be there. No-one is to blame, but what is happening in Europe at the moment is strange and next Monday (against Werder Bremen) we will play without fans which is something we shouldn't do as we play for the fans as professional soccer players and they are not allowed to be there. I don't know if it will be difficult to motivate the players as I haven't experienced this before. I watched Juve against Inter behind closed doors and it was strange - you could hear everyone in the stadium saying everything. I don't see anything different back in Germany. I live in Dusseldorf which they say is at the centre of it (coronavirus) so take care! But I don't see anything different on the streets, all is normal."

North Macedonia have written to UEFA to request a postponement of their Euro 2020 playoff match against Kosovo on 26th March. The game is due to be played in North Macedonia, where the government has placed a ban on spectators and the federation are also worried about their players who are based in Italy.

Chile's health minister has announced that if Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal return home from Italy and Spain respectively, to play in the World Cup qualifiers later this month, they will both be quarantined. The pair are amongst a number of Chile internationals based in Italy and Spain.

Dons Reduce Capacity

SPFL side Aberdeen have revealed that they will be reducing the "operational capacity" of their Pittodrie stadium to just 15,500 for next season, in an attempt to improve the atmosphere. Club chairman Dave Cormack said: "We've had this criticism of Aberdeen. We get teased by all the other fans about the sweetie wrappers being opened and being heard above the fans at the games. In shutting the top of the Richard Donald Stand, we're able to have much more of a bowl atmosphere, it will give the fans the ability to decorate that upper area and 15,500 is enough room to have filled everybody in every league game this season including away supporters."

Written by Tris Burke March 12 2020 00:00:35