Football News: Review Of The Day 25th March 2020

Image from: freelargeimages.com

Review of the Day

Injury Round-Up

Tottenham Hotspur's England striker Harry Kane expects to be back to full fitness by the time football resumes. Kane said: "I'm not too far away. I'd normally hope to be back with the team in two or three weeks' time. I'm at a good stage, pretty much doing everything. Now it's about building up my fitness. So from my personal point of view, I'm in a good place."

Coronavirus Latest

Monaco's playing staff are currently receiving 70% of their salary it was revealed by Benjamin Henrichs. The right-back told transfermarkt: "We currently receive 70 percent of our salary. We are all obliged to help. In addition, I will also support Joshua Kimmich and Leon Goretzka's 'WeKickCorona' project, for example. At the moment, I am still looking for a project in the Leverkusen area that I can support with a donation."

Birmingham City have asked players who earn more than £6,000 per week to take a 50% wage deferral for the next four months. The Blues say they will pay back the 50% held back in stages when football resumes.

League Two side Forest Green Rovers are to use the government's wage-support scheme to continue to pay "all their staff". A statement by the club read: "Our staff have been unable to work since the shutdown. This decision recognises that and puts the club in to hibernation. We are also seeking government guidance about what we can do to support our casual staff. As a result, there will be minimal social updates on all of our channels until we're open and football is back. Stay safe, stay home and we'll speak soon."

Plymouth Argyle manager Ryan Lowe believes the club is financially stable during the coronavirus outbreak. Owner Simon Hallett only bought the club in 2018. Lowe said: "My chairman's told me financially we will be OK, we're fine until this outbreak's finished. He's ploughed loads of money into the club and he's told us we're going to be stable for the foreseeable future."

Stevenage have moved their resources into a community outreach programme for the over 70s. Stevenage chief executive Alex Tunbridge told the BBC: "We ask our community to come and support us week in and week out and we have the opportunity to support them now. We're going to stand up and play our part in the fight. It was a bit of a culture shock moving from football to this. We do a lot of work in the community anyway but all staff are involved in this programme."

The Scottish FA has asked clubs to stop training. SFA chief executive Ian Maxwell said: "Please stop it. While many of the instances have been anecdotal, I have seen it for myself this weekend. I urge everyone involved in the game to do what we can to safeguard public health. The message from the first minister, which was reiterated today, could not be clearer when she said 'the advice that is being given to people is not to be seen as optional'. That applies to football as it does across society."

Livingston are asking for help from their fans but are offering them the chance to convert their donations into shares next year. A Livingston statement explained, in response to offers of financial support from fans: "Given these offers, coupled with the obvious issue of no gate money coming into the club, we have been working hard behind the scenes to put in place a way of giving the fans and sponsors, who are in the position to do so, an opportunity to contribute financially to the club whilst receiving something meaningful in return. The share certificates will be issued in June 2021 and will acknowledge the support the bearer has given to the club at this difficult time. The shares can also be redeemed (based on a minimum standing order payment of £20 every month from April 2020 to May 2021) against hospitality in our Ferranti Suite for a Category A game in the 2021-22 season. This can also be redeemed for sponsors' tables or match ball sponsorship where appropriate. We feel that these options mean that fans who are able to offer us support at this time, will also have the chance to be recognised and rewarded when we come through this difficult period."

On-loan Rangers midfielder Ross McCrorie has become the 5th player at Portsmouth to test positive for coronavirus.

Liverpool's charity foundation have joined with Widnes Vikings rugby team to distribute personal protective equipment to social care workers on Merseyside. The pair have been delivering the equipment to Community Integrated Care's frontline staff. The charity said: "For these two organisations to come in and lend a hand as quickly as they did was fantastic. To have the Liverpool FC Foundation, the official charity of one of the biggest football clubs in our community and world for that matter, and an iconic local rugby league club both turn up to our Merseyside office and help sort and distribute these items was unbelievable. The Liverpool FC and Widnes Vikings brands mean so much in these local communities, so to see them showing their support for our charity and the social care sector at this difficult time has given everyone a much-needed boost."

Nottingham Forest and Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis has recovered fully from coronavirus, thanks to the "heroes" in the Greek health care system. Marinakis said: "After two weeks in full compliance, I underwent my second medical test which turned out negative. I need to extend my thanks to the Greek National Health system doctors for their care and advice: those heroes dressed in green and white coats who cater 24/7 for their fellow people; all my friends, each and every one of them, for their endless love, thousands of messages (or even verses) and unselfish support. I also feel the obligation, in these critical times, to address a message inspired by experiencing this brief adventure of mine. It is worth staying at home to protect ourselves and our relatives. By staying at home, we shield ourselves and deny the virus intruding in our lives. By staying at home, we defend our community, the many, public health and contain the virus spread. So there is no room for being careless or selfish. It is required to stay disciplined and fully in line with the government and scientists."

Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has been volunteering in Enfield to help the vulnerable elderly during the coronavirus.

Galatasaray head coach Fatih Terim has said that he has tested positive for coronavirus. The 66 year old is in his fourth stint as manager of the Turkish club.

Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich's players have taken a 20% pay cut to help their clubs out.

Juventus forward Cristiano Ronaldo and his agent Jorge Mendes have stepped in to help finance hospitals in Portugal. Ronaldo and agent Jorge Mendes will fund North Lisbon's University Hospital Centre (CHULN) with two intensive care wings and an intensive care wing in Porto's Santo Antonio hospital, which is part of Porto's University Hospital Centre. A Chuln spokesperson told ESPN: "Businessman Jorge Mendes and Cristiano Ronaldo will donate two intensive care wings for the CHULN; each wing will be totally equipped and will have the capacity for 10 beds. The units will be equipped with the charitable contribution of Mendes and Ronaldo. This equipment includes beds, ventilators, heart monitors, pumps and infusion syringes, essential equipment in the care of critically ill patients with COVID-19. These units, called UCI Jorge Mendes and UCI Cristiano Ronaldo, after the COVID-19 [pandemic is over] will be converted and will remain as a reinforcement of intensive care medicine, which had 31 beds before the new coronavirus pandemic, increasing its capacity to 51 beds."

Manchester City's head coach Pep Guardiola has donated 1m euros to Barcelona Medical Collega and the Fundacio Angel Soler Daniel. A college statement on social media revealed the donation: "Pep Guardiola participates in the donation campaign of the Col·legi de Metges de Barcelona and the Fundació Àngel Soler Daniel with a financial contribution of one million euros for the acquisition of sanitary material during the COVID-19 emergency. The campaign has as its objective the collection of medical material and economic contributions from collegiate physicians and the population in general for the purchase of material and sanitary equipment that is currently lacking in the health centres of Catalonia."

Written by Tris Burke March 24 2020 22:04:52