Sport & Coronavirus – Live ticker: UEFA to EURO, European Women’s Championship, European Cup

Thursday April 23

15:59: European Cup sequel still unclear

The European Football Union is also planning two scenarios for the completion of the Champions League and Europa League. Either the European Cup matches are to be played in parallel with the re-started national leagues – or afterwards in August, UEFA said after the Executive Committee meeting. The leagues continue to have priority.

15:52: off for the Stuttgart tournament

As expected, the men’s tennis tournament in Stuttgart (June 8th to 14th) has been finally canceled. The organizers of the lawn tournament also said that a replacement date later this year is not possible. This decision is the result of “careful consideration of all options”.

15.46: EM 2020 in 2021

Despite the relocation, the European Championship finals in summer 2021 will operate under the name “EURO 2020”. This was announced by the European Football Union (UEFA). The reasons for this are, among other things, the materials already provided with this branding and the symbolic character: the first EM took place 60 years ago.

To celebrate the anniversary, the European Championship should have been held in twelve countries this summer. Because of the corona crisis, the tournament was postponed by a year, it is now to be held from June 11 to July 11, 2021.

3:41 pm: UEFA no longer vehemently against season breaks

Europe’s top clubs no longer have to fear exclusion from international competitions if their leagues end in season. The Executive Committee of the European Football Union (UEFA) decided at a video conference that in the event of an early end of the season, the leagues concerned should nominate the participants on a “transparent and objective” basis. Above all, the results achieved up to the termination should be used for participation. If teams have played different numbers of games, an average of points could be used to make a decision.

UEFA also specified criteria for an allowed termination. This is permitted if there are instructions from the authorities or if it would not make sense to continue the league for financial reasons. However, UEFA reserves the right to deny selected participants the right to start.

3.30 p.m .: Bundesliga restart still uncertain

The Bundesliga and 2nd league will also have to pause beyond April 30 – when there could be a possible resumption of gaming with ghost games is still open. “When this time will be, there have been a few statements and a lot of speculation. It is up to us what the politically responsible decide. It is not up to us to decide on a starting date. If it is day X, we will be ready.” , says DFL boss Christian Seifert.

At a press conference after the general meeting with those responsible for the 36 clubs, he justified that league operations should resume despite the ongoing Corona crisis. If it is not possible to return to the game in a timely manner, it must be clear “that we will not play the Bundesliga in a few months. Then the Bundesliga would be a collateral damage to this corona crisis at some point”. However, there was positive news: the media partners pay the TV money, the clubs are financially secured until the end of June.

14:13: Murray pessimistic

Three-time Grand Slam winner Andy Murray does not believe that professional tennis will resume soon: “I believe that tennis will be one of the last sports that can return to normal. Players, coaches and teams from all over the world have to come together in one place, so I would be surprised if we would play again in September, “the 32-year-old told CNN.

2:08 p.m .: Two more diamond meetings postponed

The international athletics association has postponed two further Diamond League meetings with Eugene / USA and Paris because of the Corona crisis. The “Bislett Games” planned for June 11 in Oslo are to be held as an alternative competition under the regulations of Norway. This was announced by the organizers of the largest athletics series.

Eugene was scheduled for June 7th, Paris for June 11th.

13.58 p.m .: Women’s football championship until 2022

After the postponement of the men’s European championships and the Olympic Games in 2021, the women’s soccer European championships will also take place a year later than planned. As the European Football Union (UEFA) announced, the tournament will be held in England due to the schedule clashes from July 6 to 31, 2022. The World Cup for men in Qatar takes place in the same year, but in winter.

12.39 p.m .: New name for Offenbacher Stadion on Bieberer Berg

The stadium of the football regional league kickers Offenbach will operate under a new name in the future. The previous namesake, a local money institute, announced in the middle of the corona crisis the renaming of the venue to “Come-Healthy-Re-Stadium”. A donation campaign will be started in parallel with the renaming.

12.01: DFL presents the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health concept for ghost games

The German Football League has presented the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) in Dortmund with a concept for conducting ghost games in the Bundesliga. This was confirmed by a spokesman for the BAuA. However, after reviewing the concept, on which it has not worked, the Federal Agency would not decide on the execution of football games without spectators.

The federal states and their respective health authorities are responsible for monitoring occupational safety and health and for arranging something. The BAuA has sovereign tasks with international activities in the field of the regulation of industrial chemicals and the approval and evaluation of biocidal products.

11.30 a.m .: Zabel: ghost tour “nobody wants to see”

A cycling season without Tour de France would be “a lost year” for Rick Zabel. The son of the former German top sprinter Erik Zabel accordingly hopes that the start of the three-week tour, which has already been postponed to August 29, can take place despite the coronavirus pandemic. “But I am skeptical whether the situation will relax by the end of August,” said Zabel to Sky. The 26-year-old has little to gain from a ghost tour without fans: “Nobody wants to see how we climb empty mountains. That includes the audience.”

10:57: dispute over TV money with Italian clubs flared up

Paying broadcaster Sky Italia called for a discount on the last installment of TV money in the corona crisis, but the Italian clubs in Serie A refused. The TV group, which holds the majority of the broadcasting rights of the top league, only wants to pay half of the agreed 156 million euros for the last 87 games of the interrupted season legal dispute.

Former Milan boss Adriano Galliani warned of the bankruptcy of top European clubs. “This is not just about TV broadcasting rights. There is also a lack of ticket revenues and the 400 million euros that UEFA has to distribute for European competitions. A drop in salaries is not enough to keep clubs afloat” Galliani warned

10:25 a.m .: National player Rüdiger donates 60,000 masks

Antonio Rüdiger wants to donate 60,000 face masks to low-income market traders in the African Freetown / Sierra Leone through his foundation. The Chelsea defender announced this on its social networking sites. Football professionals Mesut Özil, N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud also want to take part in the $ 30,000 campaign.

“Hopefully this will reduce the spread of COVID-19 somewhat,” Rüdiger, whose mother is from Sierra Leone, wrote on Twitter.

9.47 a.m .: Summer Olympics in Tokyo: either 2021 or never

2021 will probably be the last chance for Tokyo to catch up on the Olympic Games that have been canceled this year. This was confirmed by the OK chief at the Japanese news agency Kyodo. “Absolutely no,” replied Yoshiro Mori when asked whether there would be a chance to hold the summer games in Japan’s metropolis beyond 2021.

Due to the corona crisis, the games planned for July 24 to August 9, 2020 had been postponed to July 23 to August 8, 2021. “If you think about the athletes and the management of the games, moving it for two years is very difficult,” said Mori. He also spoke to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe about a possible postponement to 2022. He had “decided that a year was the way to go.”

9:00 a.m .: French Open and Tour de France continue to change despite postponement

According to the French Minister of Sport, Roxana Maracineanu, the Tour de France and the French Open are not guaranteed in September. Sport is “not a priority in government decisions,” Maracineanu said on Eurosport’s “Le Club.” “If it won’t be possible, it won’t be the end of the world,” said the politician, referring to the world’s most important cycling race and the tennis grand slam tournament.

The start of the three-week Tour de France has already been postponed to August 29, the French Open are now to take place in Paris from September 20 to October 4.