Coronavirus in Sport LIVE: Premier League return LATEST, F1 Grand Prix update, Marat Safin’s bizarre Covid-19 claim – The Sun
PREMIER LEAGUE clubs will learn more about the timescale for football’s return today with UEFA set to confirm their backing of plans for next season to start by September 12.
F1 bosses will present plans to the Government in order to be allowed to stage the British Grand Prix in July.
While Marat Safin has a strange theory about Covid-19.
Follow all the latest coronavirus in sport updates below…
ANYTHING GOES
Fleetwood Town chairman Andy Pilley believes football England must think creatively or risk dire consequences, including fighting between clubs.
“I don’t think anything is off the table. We have to evolve,” Pilley told BBC Radio 5 Live.
“Football has to think creatively and be inventive here, otherwise we run a real risk.”
“We are stuck in our ways and have become very traditional, be it with dates or certain rules continuing because they always have done.
“But what is important here? It is not who achieves sporting success this year but having a healthy, long-term sustainable football pyramid.
“Our game is admired across the world and it is in a critical situation. We must find a way to save it.
“If it means pressing the reset button then that is what we must do because we don’t want to end up with another Bury or Macclesfield or Bolton situation.”
GOOD MORNING, SPORTS FANS
SunSport can exclusively reveal Formula One chiefs will present detailed plans to the Government in the hope of getting the green light to stage the British GP.
And their counterparts in Austria are closer to getting approval to host the start of the season.
Organisers at the Red Bull Ring will put in measures to isolate team members that will allow them to run two races in a behind-closed-doors event.
Both Austrian races — plus the two proposed for Silverstone — require strict controls to prevent further coronavirus outbreaks to satisfy the authorities.
Procedures include limiting personnel to about 45 per team, with those staff needing to prove they are not infected.
F1 would supply flights from teams based abroad and transport them together to hotels that are otherwise closed.
They would then take them to the race track, ensuring no contact with the public.
Meanwhile, European football will be launched headlong into a global club versus country showdown when the game resumes.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is today expected to confirm his backing of plans for the 2020-21 domestic season to start by September 12.
But the schedule could see Europe’s top sides robbed of international stars as it clashes with Nations League games and South American World Cup qualifying.
One Premier League source said: “We know that, whatever happens with the rest of this season, next season will not be easy.
“We work on the basis of 34 weekend dates and there is real pressure on fitting them in.
“The last thing that we would want to have to do is wave goodbye to our players for a fortnight before the season has even kicked off.”
Finally, Arsenal have confirmed the first-team squad and Mikel Arteta will take a 12.5 per cent pay cut.
The Gunners released a statement to their club website on Monday to confirm a “voluntary” agreement had been reached.
It read: “We are pleased to announce that we have reached a voluntary agreement with our first-team players, head coach and core coaching staff to help support the club at this critical time.
“The move follows positive and constructive discussions.
“In these conversations there has been a clear appreciation of the gravity of the current situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic and a strong desire for players and staff to show their backing for the Arsenal family.
“Reductions of total annual earnings by 12.5 per cent will come into effect this month, with the contractual paperwork being completed in the coming days.”
However, The Mirror claims Mesut Ozil is one of three senior players to refuse taking a cut.
NEV'S NICE TOUCH
Gary Neville has “overwhelmed” Brighouse Town with a “significant” donation – as he holds the non-League club close to his heart for being the last team he watched with his late father Neville.
The Manchester United legend and Salford City co-oner pledged the unspecified amount on the part-timers' JustGiving page after the coronavirus pandemic ended the season early for football below the sixth tier.
Neville said: “Brighouse Town holds a special place in my heart even though the result did not go in our favour with Salford City suffering a 3-1 defeat on the day.”
EURO WARS
European football will be launched headlong into a global club versus country showdown when the game resumes.
Uefa president Aleksander Ceferin is today expected to confirm his backing of plans for the 2020-21 domestic season to start by September 12.
But the schedule could see Europe’s top sides robbed of international stars as it clashes with Nations League games and South American World Cup qualifying.
One Premier League source said: “We know that, whatever happens with the rest of this season, next season will not be easy.
“We work on the basis of 34 weekend dates and there is real pressure on fitting them in.
“The last thing that we would want to have to do is wave goodbye to our players for a fortnight before the season has even kicked off.”
MORE ON F1 PLANS – EXCLUSIVE
Silverstone boss Stuart Pringle said he was working with F1 and is willing to help in any way.
However, he said that the final decision on whether the British GP goes ahead lies with the Government.
Pringle revealed F1 officials have been making plans for no-fans races but added: “I want to drill down on them because we need to go back to the Government in the next 10 days and give them the detail of what the plan looks like.
“F1 are doing this work because it sits with them, not us.
“They control all their paddocks so if they want to make it sanitised, they have to come up with a testing regimen.
“I am in daily contact with F1 and it is all very positive. We are pulling in the same direction to try to make it work.
“But sport needs to be careful about pushing too early for events behind closed doors.
“The Government have an issue about things becoming a distraction to their message about staying home to save lives.
“The last thing we want is for sport to become the reason sport does not return. But also it is recognised that if we did get sport underway, it would be good for society to get back to normality.
“There will come a time when we are ready, but we are not there yet. It is now about preparing for when the time is right.
“While we are closer to getting on top of this, we cannot introduce a recklessness that would be counter-productive.”
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