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Coronavirus sport news LIVE: Premier League meets again over Project Restart, PSG crowned Ligue 1 champions
TONY MOGAN
4 minutes ago
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Click to follow
ES Sport
Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.
Latest coronavirus sports news...
Neville: Move Premier League overseas for restart
Hungarian Grand Prix 'must be held behind closed doors'
Proposals being discussed at today's meeting
Premier League clubs meet again over Project Restart
PSG confirmed as Ligue 1 champions
Aguero: Players scared on Premier League return
Live Updates
5 minutes ago
Elite sport in UK will only return 'when medical experts give all-clear'
Photo: Getty Images
Elite sport in the UK will only return "when medical experts advise it can be done safely", the Government confirmed on Friday.
In the first of what is expected to be a regular - possibly weekly - series of meetings to discuss the future of sport, medical officials from a range of sports governing bodies met with representatives from Public Health England.
Premier League medical adviser Mark Gillett and the Football Association's head of medicine Charlotte Cowie were understood to be part of the ongoing discussions.
The department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport released a statement at the end of the meeting which read: "We held an initial, constructive meeting with medical representatives from a number of professional and elite sports bodies, government and PHE to step up planning on what may need to be done so that athletes could return to training, when it is deemed safe to do so.
"This would be ahead of any return to competitive top-level sport which would only happen when medical experts advise that this can be done safely.
"Discussions with the sports bodies will continue on this."
8 minutes ago
Premier League confirm plan to finish season should government restrictions allow
Photo: Getty Images
Premier League clubs underlined their commitment to complete the season as the "first tentative" steps towards a restart were discussed on Friday.
After the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport hosted the first of regular discussions with medical chiefs over the future of sport as a whole , the Premier League confirmed next steps were being discused.
English football's top flight is seen as the benchmark, with 92 matches still to complete the 2019-20 season.
Clubs on Friday morning were presented with details of ‘Project Restart’, including the viability of resuming matches on June 8 - and the healthy challenges that pose - and a number of possible rule changes, including completing fixtures at neutral venues.
Many clubs — including relegation-threatened Brighton — are understood to be fiercely opposed to squandering home advantage and completing the campaign at “approved”, neutral venues.
However, a statement following the meeting confirmed the plans were not considered impractical by Premier League clubs.
A statement read: "The League and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with Government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers.
"The League welcomed the creation of the Government medical working group for a return of elite sport, which met for the first time this morning. No decisions were taken at today’s Shareholders’ meeting and clubs exchanged views on the information provided regarding "Project Restart".
"It was agreed that the PFA, LMA, players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted. The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the Government’s support."
The Premier League hope to have a return to full contact training on May 18 and presented a hygiene protocol for training grounds in the morning. It includes players covering their faces at all times, arriving and leaving in training kit, a ban on massages and all cars to be parked three spaces apart.
A particularly contentious factor is the issue of testing players for Covid-19 and the regularity of those tests, which will be paid for by the Premier League and other governing bodies in their respective sports.
As many as 100,000 testing kits could be required across English football’s top four leagues to ensure the season can safely finish, with the Premier League planning to test players for the first time on May 9-10 ahead of the mooted return to training.
5 hours ago
Season should be finished overseas, says Gary Neville
Gary Neville says the best way to end the Premier League season is to move the entire competition to another country in Europe.
Clubs from the top flight are meeting today to discuss how to finish the campaign, including the option of playing at a select few “approved”, neutral venues in the UK. But Neville believes they should consider relocating to a European country “which is virtually coronavirus-free” for the remaining 92 matches.
Getty
The former Manchester United full-back told Sky Sports: “If the Premier League were really serious about delivering the matches that remain in the most safe environment, they would move it to one of the two or three spots that are within three or four hours of this country that are coronavirus-free, or virtually coronavirus-free.
“They would take the Premier League over to that country — the players, the broadcasters, the media — and quarantine for a week before delivering it in an environment that has proven it can handle coronavirus.
“There are spots in Europe that have not got coronavirus at this time which could handle the League finishing. If they were serious about delivering it with a safe outcome, they could do that.”
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8 hours ago
Hungarian Grand Prix likely to move behind closed doors
The Hungarian Grand Prix must be held behind closed doors if it takes place at all this summer due to a ban on mass gatherings in the country being imposed until mid-August.
Getty
The Hungarian government has said that no event in front of more than 500 people can take place before August 15, with the Grand Prix at the Hungaroring scheduled for August 2.
A statement from the Hungaroring read: "The health and well-being of all our fantastic Formula 1 fans, staff and championship participants has been and remains our primary concern throughout this period and with that in mind we have regrettably been left with no choice but to reach this conclusion.
"We have continuously emphasised our willingness to work towards a safe solution that would allow us to welcome the entire Formula 1 family to the Hungaroring this August but yesterday it became evident that any F1 race in Hungary can now only be held behind closed doors."
9 hours ago
Proposals being discussed today at Project Restart meeting
Players to wear masks/snoods at all times
A proposal for players to cover up their faces during matches and training has already been dismissed as 'farcical' by Brighton striker Glenn Murray. "It is going to be off-putting, it is not going to be natural and people are going to be ripping them off in the middle of training,” Murray said.
Players and staff to be banned from spitting
Medical officials have advised the Premier League to ban spitting during matches in order to stop the threat of coronavirus and give players who ignore the rule a yellow card.
"It is unhygienic and a good way to spread the virus," Fifa’s Medical Committee chairman, Michel D’Hooghe said. "This is one of the reasons why we have to be very careful before we start again.
Tight training restrictions
A number of measures could be implemented on the training pitch. Groups will be limited to five players per training group, tackling and close-contact training drills will be prohibited and players will operate in designated time slots: 15 minutes to prepare, 75 minutes of small group training, 15 minutes recovery
No massages unless greenlit by club doctor
Players will be unable to receive massages unless approved by the club doctor. In fact, players could be denied access to dressing rooms unless they need to use the toilet.
All equipment to be disinfected before and after use
All footballs will be disinfected by staff in personal protective equipment under strict rules.
12 hours ago
Premier League clubs meet again to discuss Project Restart
Premier League clubs will meet again today to discuss the resumption of the 2019- season.
Football in England has been suspended indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic, but hopes remain that players will be able to resume normal training on May 18 ahead of restarting the season on June 8.
Photo: AFP
If the league resumes, matches are expected to be played behind closed doors without supporters.
As reported by Standard Sport on Thursday, top flight clubs are concerned that Covid-19 testing is the biggest obstacle to the return of professional football.
All 20 clubs will receive details of ‘Project Restart’ — a plan to resume the top-flight by mid-June — at today's shareholders’ meeting, while the EFL are also working on proposals for the return of competition.
The latest meeting takes place following the announcement in France that the Ligue 1 season would be cancelled, with PSG crowned champions having been 12-points clear at the top of the division.
Click here for the full story.
Advertisement
20 hours ago
Aguero reveals players are "scared" of a Premier League return
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has revealed Premier League players are "scared" ahead of a potential return amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League has been postponed since March 13 due to the Covid-19 outbreak with June 8 touted as a potential return date.
Matches would be played behind closed doors but questions still remain regarding the practicality of a resumption with the abundance of testing required just one pertinent issue on an extensive list.
Photo: Getty
Speaking to Argentine TV station El Chiringuito, Aguero revealed his team-mates are particularly worried about their family members and will be "quite nervous and extra careful" on returning to training.
"The majority of players are scared because they have children and families," Aguero said.
"I'm scared but I'm with my girlfriend here and I'm not going to be in contact with other people. I'm locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend.
"They're saying that there are people that have it and don't have any symptoms but still infect you. That's why I am here at home. Maybe I have the illness and I don't even know.
When one person is ill we will think 'oh what's happening here? I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends."
Premier League clubs will discuss a potential restart during a meeting on Friday.
21 hours ago
June restart the hope for LaLiga president Javier Tebas
LaLiga president Javier Tebas says he hopes the competition can restart in June.
Football has been suspended in Spain since mid-March due to coronavirus, but clubs have been given the green light by the government to resume individual training next Monday, with a view to kicking off again next month.
"We’ll have to stick to the stages laid out by the Spanish prime minister," Tebas told Movistar+ on Thursday. "It’s been an important day for us. We started out with the bad news from France but now the prime minister has laid out the de-escalation plan.
Photo: Getty
"We’re grateful that he’s taken professional football into account, because it’s a key part of reactivating the country’s economy. I hope it will be in June, in mid-June.
"We have time, there’s no need to rush. But our plan is to restart the competition in June. We have time until June 28th, we were keen to start training."
Tebas believes LaLiga, which still has 11 rounds remaining, will be completed this summer.
"Let’s wait and see the exact date we can start training," he said. "But now at least I can foresee finishing the league, which is very important for us. For you (the media) too, for all of us who are part of this industry."
21 hours ago
Whyte vs Povetkin could take place behind closed doors
Promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed Dillian Whyte could kick-start a behind closed doors "fight camp" in a rescheduled bout against Russian Alexander Povetkin.
Boxing in Britain has been suspended since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic with Whyte's highly anticipated matchup with Povetkin - originally scheduled for May 2 - one of many high-profile bouts postponed.
The British Boxing Board of Control remain "hopeful" of a July restart, however, although that entirely depends on the government's stance on sporting events.
Regardless, when boxing does eventually return, it will almost certainly be without the presence of fans.
"When Whyte knocks out Povetkin, stands on the turnbuckle and there's six people watching, it will be weird," Hearn told BBC Sport.
"But I want people to tune in and say 'wow'. I don't see how boxing in a studio does anything for the sport. It's four walls in a dark environment with no character or personality.
"I want to build a fight camp, a different kind of environment, more dramatic. It will look spectacular on TV. We need to dramatise it."
Advertisement
1 day ago
Bundesliga wait for resumption news
German clubs must wait another week to find out whether they will be able to return to action after the government delayed its decision on the Bundesliga's proposed return date.
Officials had hoped to get the green light on plans to return behind closed doors next month, but Angela Merkel said no call would be made until May 6.
1 day ago
PSG dedicate title to healthcare workers
Paris Saint-Germain have dedicated their Ligue 1 title win to healthcare staff and key workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.
PSG were crowned champions on Thursday, after the French government issued a ban on large-scale sporting events until September, thus forcing the rest of the football season to be cancelled.
Photo: Getty
The current standings, with most teams still having ten games to play, have been used to determine relegations and European qualification, as well as handing PSG, who were 12 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand when the shutdown began, a ninth success.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Paris Saint-Germain Chairman and CEO, said: "We would like to dedicate this 2019-2020 Ligue 1 title to healthcare staff and to all the everyday heroes on the front line whose commitment and self-sacrifice over many weeks have earned our deepest admiration.
“We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French Government to end the championship. Health, as the government has always said, must be everyone’s priority.
“I would like to thank the players, the coach, the technical and medical staff as well as all the club’s employees for their tremendous work. This trophy is a reward for their hard work every day.
“In these difficult times, I hope that this trophy will bring a little happiness and hope to all our supporters, and I am grateful to them for their unwavering support which helps drive Paris Saint-Germain forward.
“I would also like to also thank all our partners for their loyalty throughout, and I look forward to being able to celebrate this title with all the PSG family when the conditions allow.”
LIVERPOOL NEWS
1 day ago
Liverpool 'disappointed' by mayor comments over restart
Liverpool have released a statement declaring themselves ‘disappointed’ by comments from city mayor Joe Anderson regarding efforts to resume the Premier League season.
In an interview with BBC Sport released earlier today, Anderson shared his belief that no further games should be played this term as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Getty
He cited fears over potential breaches of social distancing rules were Liverpool to claim the two wins they require to secure a first top-flight title in 30 years, insisting attempts to police such behaviour could turn ‘farcical’.
The Everton-supporting mayor did, however, acknowledge that the Reds’ 25-point lead should be rewarded with silverware even if no further games are contested.
That has not stopped Liverpool condemning the comments, though, the Merseyside club stating that they run contrary to ongoing discussions with Premier League stakeholders and supporters’ groups.
A statement read: “As a club, we are aware of and disappointed by comments attributed to Mayor Joe Anderson in a media interview which was published today.
“As well as a lack of evidence to support such claims, we would also point to recent discussions with Mayor Anderson relating to the possibility of any behind-closed-doors football, which concluded that it is important that key stakeholders across the city continue to engage and work collaboratively.
“In recent weeks, we have engaged with supporters’ groups who have informed us of their determination to respect social distancing measures and, in the event of a resumption of football being announced, we would continue to work with them and other key stakeholders in keeping with our collective desire to achieve this crucial objective.
“As part of our ongoing operations, we are in regular contact with the Mayor and his office and we hope these conversations can continue.
“In the meantime, our primary focus remains responding to the humanitarian crisis which continues to unfold and in particular providing ongoing support to various NHS initiatives and those experiencing food poverty and social isolation.”
PSG are Ligue 1 champions
Paris St Germain have been crowned champions after Ligue 1 was ended.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that no sporting events will take place until at least September this week.
The league has confirmed PSG have been awarded a ninth title after the division was decided on a points-per-game system.
Coronavirus sport news LIVE: Premier League meets again over Project Restart, PSG crowned Ligue 1 champions
TONY MOGAN
4 minutes ago
0 comments
Click to follow
ES Sport
Welcome to the Evening Standard's LIVE coverage as the coronavirus crisis continues to heavily impact sport across the globe.
Latest coronavirus sports news...
Neville: Move Premier League overseas for restart
Hungarian Grand Prix 'must be held behind closed doors'
Proposals being discussed at today's meeting
Premier League clubs meet again over Project Restart
PSG confirmed as Ligue 1 champions
Aguero: Players scared on Premier League return
Live Updates
5 minutes ago
Elite sport in UK will only return 'when medical experts give all-clear'
Photo: Getty Images
Elite sport in the UK will only return "when medical experts advise it can be done safely", the Government confirmed on Friday.
In the first of what is expected to be a regular - possibly weekly - series of meetings to discuss the future of sport, medical officials from a range of sports governing bodies met with representatives from Public Health England.
Premier League medical adviser Mark Gillett and the Football Association's head of medicine Charlotte Cowie were understood to be part of the ongoing discussions.
The department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport released a statement at the end of the meeting which read: "We held an initial, constructive meeting with medical representatives from a number of professional and elite sports bodies, government and PHE to step up planning on what may need to be done so that athletes could return to training, when it is deemed safe to do so.
"This would be ahead of any return to competitive top-level sport which would only happen when medical experts advise that this can be done safely.
"Discussions with the sports bodies will continue on this."
8 minutes ago
Premier League confirm plan to finish season should government restrictions allow
Photo: Getty Images
Premier League clubs underlined their commitment to complete the season as the "first tentative" steps towards a restart were discussed on Friday.
After the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport hosted the first of regular discussions with medical chiefs over the future of sport as a whole , the Premier League confirmed next steps were being discused.
English football's top flight is seen as the benchmark, with 92 matches still to complete the 2019-20 season.
Clubs on Friday morning were presented with details of ‘Project Restart’, including the viability of resuming matches on June 8 - and the healthy challenges that pose - and a number of possible rule changes, including completing fixtures at neutral venues.
Many clubs — including relegation-threatened Brighton — are understood to be fiercely opposed to squandering home advantage and completing the campaign at “approved”, neutral venues.
However, a statement following the meeting confirmed the plans were not considered impractical by Premier League clubs.
A statement read: "The League and clubs are considering the first tentative moves forward and will only return to training and playing with Government guidance, under expert medical advice and after consultation with players and managers.
"The League welcomed the creation of the Government medical working group for a return of elite sport, which met for the first time this morning. No decisions were taken at today’s Shareholders’ meeting and clubs exchanged views on the information provided regarding "Project Restart".
"It was agreed that the PFA, LMA, players and managers are key to this process and will be further consulted. The clubs reconfirmed their commitment to finishing the 2019/20 season, maintaining integrity of the competition and welcomed the Government’s support."
The Premier League hope to have a return to full contact training on May 18 and presented a hygiene protocol for training grounds in the morning. It includes players covering their faces at all times, arriving and leaving in training kit, a ban on massages and all cars to be parked three spaces apart.
A particularly contentious factor is the issue of testing players for Covid-19 and the regularity of those tests, which will be paid for by the Premier League and other governing bodies in their respective sports.
As many as 100,000 testing kits could be required across English football’s top four leagues to ensure the season can safely finish, with the Premier League planning to test players for the first time on May 9-10 ahead of the mooted return to training.
5 hours ago
Season should be finished overseas, says Gary Neville
Gary Neville says the best way to end the Premier League season is to move the entire competition to another country in Europe.
Clubs from the top flight are meeting today to discuss how to finish the campaign, including the option of playing at a select few “approved”, neutral venues in the UK. But Neville believes they should consider relocating to a European country “which is virtually coronavirus-free” for the remaining 92 matches.
Getty
The former Manchester United full-back told Sky Sports: “If the Premier League were really serious about delivering the matches that remain in the most safe environment, they would move it to one of the two or three spots that are within three or four hours of this country that are coronavirus-free, or virtually coronavirus-free.
“They would take the Premier League over to that country — the players, the broadcasters, the media — and quarantine for a week before delivering it in an environment that has proven it can handle coronavirus.
“There are spots in Europe that have not got coronavirus at this time which could handle the League finishing. If they were serious about delivering it with a safe outcome, they could do that.”
Advertisement
8 hours ago
Hungarian Grand Prix likely to move behind closed doors
The Hungarian Grand Prix must be held behind closed doors if it takes place at all this summer due to a ban on mass gatherings in the country being imposed until mid-August.
Getty
The Hungarian government has said that no event in front of more than 500 people can take place before August 15, with the Grand Prix at the Hungaroring scheduled for August 2.
A statement from the Hungaroring read: "The health and well-being of all our fantastic Formula 1 fans, staff and championship participants has been and remains our primary concern throughout this period and with that in mind we have regrettably been left with no choice but to reach this conclusion.
"We have continuously emphasised our willingness to work towards a safe solution that would allow us to welcome the entire Formula 1 family to the Hungaroring this August but yesterday it became evident that any F1 race in Hungary can now only be held behind closed doors."
9 hours ago
Proposals being discussed today at Project Restart meeting
Players to wear masks/snoods at all times
A proposal for players to cover up their faces during matches and training has already been dismissed as 'farcical' by Brighton striker Glenn Murray. "It is going to be off-putting, it is not going to be natural and people are going to be ripping them off in the middle of training,” Murray said.
Players and staff to be banned from spitting
Medical officials have advised the Premier League to ban spitting during matches in order to stop the threat of coronavirus and give players who ignore the rule a yellow card.
"It is unhygienic and a good way to spread the virus," Fifa’s Medical Committee chairman, Michel D’Hooghe said. "This is one of the reasons why we have to be very careful before we start again.
Tight training restrictions
A number of measures could be implemented on the training pitch. Groups will be limited to five players per training group, tackling and close-contact training drills will be prohibited and players will operate in designated time slots: 15 minutes to prepare, 75 minutes of small group training, 15 minutes recovery
No massages unless greenlit by club doctor
Players will be unable to receive massages unless approved by the club doctor. In fact, players could be denied access to dressing rooms unless they need to use the toilet.
All equipment to be disinfected before and after use
All footballs will be disinfected by staff in personal protective equipment under strict rules.
12 hours ago
Premier League clubs meet again to discuss Project Restart
Premier League clubs will meet again today to discuss the resumption of the 2019- season.
Football in England has been suspended indefinitely by the coronavirus pandemic, but hopes remain that players will be able to resume normal training on May 18 ahead of restarting the season on June 8.
Photo: AFP
If the league resumes, matches are expected to be played behind closed doors without supporters.
As reported by Standard Sport on Thursday, top flight clubs are concerned that Covid-19 testing is the biggest obstacle to the return of professional football.
All 20 clubs will receive details of ‘Project Restart’ — a plan to resume the top-flight by mid-June — at today's shareholders’ meeting, while the EFL are also working on proposals for the return of competition.
The latest meeting takes place following the announcement in France that the Ligue 1 season would be cancelled, with PSG crowned champions having been 12-points clear at the top of the division.
Click here for the full story.
Advertisement
20 hours ago
Aguero reveals players are "scared" of a Premier League return
Manchester City striker Sergio Aguero has revealed Premier League players are "scared" ahead of a potential return amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Premier League has been postponed since March 13 due to the Covid-19 outbreak with June 8 touted as a potential return date.
Matches would be played behind closed doors but questions still remain regarding the practicality of a resumption with the abundance of testing required just one pertinent issue on an extensive list.
Photo: Getty
Speaking to Argentine TV station El Chiringuito, Aguero revealed his team-mates are particularly worried about their family members and will be "quite nervous and extra careful" on returning to training.
"The majority of players are scared because they have children and families," Aguero said.
"I'm scared but I'm with my girlfriend here and I'm not going to be in contact with other people. I'm locked in my house and the only person I could infect is my girlfriend.
"They're saying that there are people that have it and don't have any symptoms but still infect you. That's why I am here at home. Maybe I have the illness and I don't even know.
When one person is ill we will think 'oh what's happening here? I hope a vaccine will be found soon so that this all ends."
Premier League clubs will discuss a potential restart during a meeting on Friday.
21 hours ago
June restart the hope for LaLiga president Javier Tebas
LaLiga president Javier Tebas says he hopes the competition can restart in June.
Football has been suspended in Spain since mid-March due to coronavirus, but clubs have been given the green light by the government to resume individual training next Monday, with a view to kicking off again next month.
"We’ll have to stick to the stages laid out by the Spanish prime minister," Tebas told Movistar+ on Thursday. "It’s been an important day for us. We started out with the bad news from France but now the prime minister has laid out the de-escalation plan.
Photo: Getty
"We’re grateful that he’s taken professional football into account, because it’s a key part of reactivating the country’s economy. I hope it will be in June, in mid-June.
"We have time, there’s no need to rush. But our plan is to restart the competition in June. We have time until June 28th, we were keen to start training."
Tebas believes LaLiga, which still has 11 rounds remaining, will be completed this summer.
"Let’s wait and see the exact date we can start training," he said. "But now at least I can foresee finishing the league, which is very important for us. For you (the media) too, for all of us who are part of this industry."
21 hours ago
Whyte vs Povetkin could take place behind closed doors
Promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed Dillian Whyte could kick-start a behind closed doors "fight camp" in a rescheduled bout against Russian Alexander Povetkin.
Boxing in Britain has been suspended since March 23 due to the coronavirus pandemic with Whyte's highly anticipated matchup with Povetkin - originally scheduled for May 2 - one of many high-profile bouts postponed.
The British Boxing Board of Control remain "hopeful" of a July restart, however, although that entirely depends on the government's stance on sporting events.
Regardless, when boxing does eventually return, it will almost certainly be without the presence of fans.
"When Whyte knocks out Povetkin, stands on the turnbuckle and there's six people watching, it will be weird," Hearn told BBC Sport.
"But I want people to tune in and say 'wow'. I don't see how boxing in a studio does anything for the sport. It's four walls in a dark environment with no character or personality.
"I want to build a fight camp, a different kind of environment, more dramatic. It will look spectacular on TV. We need to dramatise it."
Advertisement
1 day ago
Bundesliga wait for resumption news
German clubs must wait another week to find out whether they will be able to return to action after the government delayed its decision on the Bundesliga's proposed return date.
Officials had hoped to get the green light on plans to return behind closed doors next month, but Angela Merkel said no call would be made until May 6.
1 day ago
PSG dedicate title to healthcare workers
Paris Saint-Germain have dedicated their Ligue 1 title win to healthcare staff and key workers battling the coronavirus pandemic.
PSG were crowned champions on Thursday, after the French government issued a ban on large-scale sporting events until September, thus forcing the rest of the football season to be cancelled.
Photo: Getty
The current standings, with most teams still having ten games to play, have been used to determine relegations and European qualification, as well as handing PSG, who were 12 points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand when the shutdown began, a ninth success.
Nasser Al-Khelaïfi, Paris Saint-Germain Chairman and CEO, said: "We would like to dedicate this 2019-2020 Ligue 1 title to healthcare staff and to all the everyday heroes on the front line whose commitment and self-sacrifice over many weeks have earned our deepest admiration.
“We understand, respect and support the decisions taken by the French Government to end the championship. Health, as the government has always said, must be everyone’s priority.
“I would like to thank the players, the coach, the technical and medical staff as well as all the club’s employees for their tremendous work. This trophy is a reward for their hard work every day.
“In these difficult times, I hope that this trophy will bring a little happiness and hope to all our supporters, and I am grateful to them for their unwavering support which helps drive Paris Saint-Germain forward.
“I would also like to also thank all our partners for their loyalty throughout, and I look forward to being able to celebrate this title with all the PSG family when the conditions allow.”
LIVERPOOL NEWS
1 day ago
Liverpool 'disappointed' by mayor comments over restart
Liverpool have released a statement declaring themselves ‘disappointed’ by comments from city mayor Joe Anderson regarding efforts to resume the Premier League season.
In an interview with BBC Sport released earlier today, Anderson shared his belief that no further games should be played this term as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
Photo: Getty
He cited fears over potential breaches of social distancing rules were Liverpool to claim the two wins they require to secure a first top-flight title in 30 years, insisting attempts to police such behaviour could turn ‘farcical’.
The Everton-supporting mayor did, however, acknowledge that the Reds’ 25-point lead should be rewarded with silverware even if no further games are contested.
That has not stopped Liverpool condemning the comments, though, the Merseyside club stating that they run contrary to ongoing discussions with Premier League stakeholders and supporters’ groups.
A statement read: “As a club, we are aware of and disappointed by comments attributed to Mayor Joe Anderson in a media interview which was published today.
“As well as a lack of evidence to support such claims, we would also point to recent discussions with Mayor Anderson relating to the possibility of any behind-closed-doors football, which concluded that it is important that key stakeholders across the city continue to engage and work collaboratively.
“In recent weeks, we have engaged with supporters’ groups who have informed us of their determination to respect social distancing measures and, in the event of a resumption of football being announced, we would continue to work with them and other key stakeholders in keeping with our collective desire to achieve this crucial objective.
“As part of our ongoing operations, we are in regular contact with the Mayor and his office and we hope these conversations can continue.
“In the meantime, our primary focus remains responding to the humanitarian crisis which continues to unfold and in particular providing ongoing support to various NHS initiatives and those experiencing food poverty and social isolation.”
PSG are Ligue 1 champions
Paris St Germain have been crowned champions after Ligue 1 was ended.
French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced that no sporting events will take place until at least September this week.
The league has confirmed PSG have been awarded a ninth title after the division was decided on a points-per-game system.
