Football News: Review Of The Day 4th April 2020

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Hansi Flick has agreed to stay on as Bayern Munich manager on a permanent basis, with a deal running until 2023. CEO Karl-Heinze Rummenigge wrote on the club's official website: "FC Bayern are very satisfied with Hansi Flick's work. The team has developed very well under him. They're playing attractive football, which is also reflected in the results. We're the only German club still present in all three competitions. In addition, I like the way he leads the team. His qualities as a person are convincing, he has empathy on his side. FC Bayern trust Hansi Flick, and we're convinced we'll continue to achieve our goals with him in the future."

Transfers

Napoli's Spanish midfielder Fabian Ruiz is of interest to Real Madrid according to his agent Alvaro Torres. Torres told radio station Canal Sur: "We have already communicated their interest to Napoli. For now we have to focus on his current club, however."

Disciplinary Charges

For the fifth time this season Macclesfield Town have failed to pay their players' wages on time, as the wages for March have yet to be paid. Macc were charged with misconduct last month by the English Football League due to not paying the players on time.

Coronavirus Latest

UEFA, the European Club Association and the European League group have written to national associations, leagues and clubs to warn them against cancelling their leagues, following Belgium's decision to cancel theirs. They termed it "premature" and "unjustified" to cancel the leagues at this point. The letter said that plans are being worked on to continue the season into August if need be, and then complete European competitions afterwards. The letter explained that "their work is now focusing on scenarios encompassing the months of July and August, including the possibility that the UEFA competitions restart after the completion of domestic leagues. A joint management of calendars is strictly required as the conclusion of the current season must be co-ordinated with the start of the new one, which may be partly impacted because of the overstretch. Stopping competitions should really be the last resort after acknowledging that no calendar alternative would allow to conclude the season. Since participation in UEFA club competitions is determined by the sporting result achieved at the end of a full domestic competition, a premature termination would cast doubts about the fulfilment of such condition. UEFA reserves the right to assess the entitlement of clubs to be admitted to the 2020/21 UEFA club competitions, in accordance with the relevant applicable competition regulations."

The English Premier League has suspended its season indefinitely with players to be asked to take a 30% wage deferral "in the face of substantial and continuing losses for the 2019/20 season since the suspension of matches began, and to protect employment throughout the professional game".

The German Football League (DFL) have said that thirteen of their 36 teams are facing insolvency if football does not resume by May. Seven teams in Bundesliga 2 will be facing insolvency by the end of May, with two more only likely to last until June, without TV funding. In the top flight, one club would be facing insolvency procedures at the end of May, with three more by the end of June. To help cope with the issue the rules have been changed in Germany and clubs declaring insolvency will not be deducted any points. If they go bankrupt, it would be 3 points deducted, rather than the usual 9 points.

A trio of English Football League clubs have put their players on leave due to the coronavirus. Coventry City, Doncaster Rovers and Leyton Orient have put their playing staff and a proportion of their non-playing staff on furlough. In Scotland, Ross County have also placed all of their players on furlough leave.

The five Portsmouth players who had coronavirus have made a full recovery. James Bolton, Sean Raggett, Andy Cannon, Haji Mnoga and Ross McCrorie who is on loan from Rangers, all had mild symptoms.

The completion of Brentford's new stadium is on hold due to the pandemic. The Community Stadium was meant to be open in July, ready for next season. Construction work has been "scaled back". The club's players have also "agreed to defer a significant proportion of their wages" until football resumes.

Hibernian's players and senior staff have agreed to defer their salaries by "between 20% and 50%". Chief executive Leeann Dempster released a statement which read: "Senior staff and players have also agreed to defer a significant percentage of their income. This will help the club manage its finances through this difficult period. The chairman has said that the club will repay any shortfall in earnings over an agreed period once things return to normal." Edinburgh rivals Heart of Midlothian are planning to put their players on furlough leave, but deny they asked players to take a 50% pay cut. Hearts chairman Ann Budge said: "I would like to make it clear that no employee, whether furloughed or working, at any level in the club has been asked to take a 50% cut. The majority of cuts fall below 30%. Some employees have very kindly offered to take larger cuts or in some cases to forgo their salaries entirely."

The captains of Premier League clubs have been called by Liverpool's captain Jordan Henderson to talk about setting up a collective fund for Premier League players to contribute a "seriously significant" amount to charity.

And Another List Because There Have Obviously Not Been Enough

Transfermarkt have stretched out and moved onto other lists than most valuable players, as they look to make the daily lists carry on for the rest of the shutdown. This time they have listed the players who have had the most touches in the top 5 European leagues.
Player - Team - Touches
1. Trent Alexander-Arnold Liverpool 2893
2. Virgil van Dijk Liverpool 2784
3. Andrew Robertson Liverpool 2569
4. Ricardo Pereira Leicester City 2548
5. Cesar Azpilicueta Chelsea 2493
6. Joshua Kimmich Bayern Munich 2423
7. Rodri Manchester City 2256
8. Sven Bender Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2249
9. Lewis Dunk Brighton & Hove Albion 2247
10. Caglar Soyuncu Leicester City 2232
11. Harry Maguire Manchester United 2190
12. Benjamin Pavard Bayern Munich 2184
13. Jorginho Chelsea 2183
14. Achraf Hakimi Borussia Dortmund 2181
14. Jesus Navas Sevilla 2181
16. Jonny Evans Leicester City 2174
17. Sergio Busquets Barcelona 2148
18. Gerard Pique Barcelona 2132
19. Kevin De Bruyne Manchester City 2116
20. Dani Parejo Valencia 2106

Written by Tris Burke April 03 2020 22:29:33