Coronavirus: Serie A games could be played behind closed doors

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The Italian government is going towards having soccer games as authorities attempt to contain the spreading coronavirus that has created northern Italy played behind closed doors in regions that are affected this epidemic in Europe’s point.
Serie A president Paolo Dal Pinto delivered a letter to the authorities on Monday requesting that matches no more be retrieved in the affected regions but played with fans in life, noting that there is very not much time for make-up dates contemplating each of elite football competitions have to be completed by May 24 because of the upcoming European Championships.
Although no last decision was made the strategy was suggested by sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora to German Premier Giuseppe Conte.
Playing with sports behind closed doors to another week might be possible, since fans can easily stay in the home, said the president of the federation for sport doctors , Maurizio Casasco.
But the clubs have to be in agreement, and there’s more than soccer in Italy.
The national staff are due to hold a coaching camp in their national training base Coverciano near Florence ahead of friendlies against England at Max-Morlock-Stadion at Nuremberg at Wembley and Germany month.
To the round on Sunday were postponed, such as Inter Milan’s game against Sampdoria at the San Siro, f our Serie A games scheduled.
Rather than being hauled in Milan also the very first board meeting for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics was changed.
Members of the board of directors to its 2026 Games predicted from their various offices the regions hardest hit by the virus, in the Veneto and Lombardy regions, the Olympic Committee explained.
Additionally, there are concerns over the Europa League fixture of Inter against Ludogorets, together with the leg scheduled on Thursday in Milan. The Bulgarian side has composed to UEFA to request more information regarding the circumstance.
Juventus, located in Turin, are due to to sponsor Inter Sunday. Other games scheduled for northern Italy following weekend include Udinese vs Fiorentina on Saturday and AC Milan vs Genoa on Sunday.
French club Lyon have been in contact with UEFA and French authorities over concern about the 2,500-3,000 Juventus fans traveling at the city on Wednesday.
Stocks fell 11 per cent on Monday over the Milan stock exchange in early trading, forcing a suspension trading.
Juventus also announced their museum at the Allianz Stadium would stay closed until at least Saturday. Stadium tours were also suspended.
Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malag said that playing matches behind closed doors was problematic. It may be the only alternative for now.
With fewer concerns in Italy, Napoli’s Champions League game against Barcelona on Tuesday is defined as performed as intended.
All matches were cancelled by serie C west. Volleyball and rugby games were also suspended nationally through second weekend.
Defense officials said five people had died, including two men in northern Lombardy and more than 200 individuals had tested positive for the virus in Italy. It is the highest amount of cases outside Asia.
Officials had not pinpointed the source of the epidemic of Italy and struggled to contain the amount of cases, which motivated rail traffic to stop across its border and by Monday had spread to a half-dozen of regions.
In South Korea, local soccer authorities indefinitely postponed the start of the 2020 season.
The statement was made by the K League since the nation grapples with this outbreak.
763 was attained by the number of cases in South Korea including seven deaths, on Monday. Mainland China has reported 2,592 deaths among 77,150 cases.
In Asia, the hockey federation cancelled the games of its federal women’s team against the leading players due to the virus of North America.
The Italian Winter Sports Federation suspended all its events across the nation for an entire week, although it stated that for next weekends World Cup races at La Thuile from the Valle dAosta area were to go.
The International Ski Federation, which has cancelled this year to races in China which were slated to check the path for its 2022 Beijing Games operates those races.
Alpine joint and women’s super-G are scheduled for next Saturday and Sunday, respectively. The Italian federation said it is in contact with the government over the situation that was growing.
Italy is set to host the World Cup ski finals in Cortina d’Ampezzo in March 18-22.
Maintaining the ski races could be an option.

Eden Hazard: Real Madrid forward misses Man City Champions League clash

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Eden Hazard will miss the first leg of Real Madrid’s Champions League tie against Manchester City.
The 29-year-old limped off at Levante. It was only his second game since returning from a different injury that had kept him out of action for nearly three months.
Real Madrid confirmed Sunday that a separation had been suffered by Hazard and evaluated the harm. They’ve been unable to put a time frame.
A club statement said:”Following the tests carried out on our player, Eden Hazard, from the Real Madrid health division, he has been diagnosed with a fracture to his right distal fibula.”
Real Madrid’s next two matches have been at home to Manchester City at the Champions League on February 26 followed by El Clasico against Barcelona at the Bernabeu on March 1.
Real’s first defeat in the league as October saw them fall into second spot in La Liga about 53 points after 25 games.
Barcelona replaced them later hammering Eibar 5-0 earlier in the day, thanks to four objects from Lionel Messi.
Pep Guardiola is convinced Aymeric Laporte is prepared to perform 90 minutes from Real Madrid on Wednesday night regardless of the defender asking to be substituted during Saturday’s 1-0 win.
Laporte was replaced by Nicolas Otamendi after 57 minutes of the match of Saturday, his next appearance since his return from a very lengthy lay-off using a knee injury.
The speed of Leicester’s attack was a difficult test for a participant rediscovering his furnace, although guardiola said there was no injury dilemma for the Frenchman.
“He asked me to be subbed,” Guardiola explained. “He’s not hurt. We cannot forget he has been out for five or four weeks hurt. They run a lot, (Jamie) Vardy, Kelechi (Iheanacho), (Harvey) Barnes, they’re all so quickly.
“It had been rather distinct against West Ham (on Wednesday) in which they had been just 1 striker so that it was easier to control, but he is OK.”
Asked if Laporte was ready to play the full match in the Bernabeu on Wednesday, Guardiola simply said:”Yes”.
Laporte has made a return against the knee injury suffered on August 31 from Brighton to action.

Hakim Ziyech: Chelsea agree personal terms with Ajax winger

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Chelsea have agreed personal terms with Ajax winger Hakim Ziyech within a five-year-deal which will see the Morocco international move to Stamford Bridge for 40m euros (Number 33.3m) at the summertime.
Before this month, the nightclubs reached an agreement for 26-year-old Ziyech, who will stay in the leaders for the remainder of the season.
“I’m very happy to have signed to get such a enormous club as Chelsea,” said Ziyech.
“I’m excited about next year and hope we could achieve wonderful things.”
Ziyech has scored nine goals in all competitions for Ajax this season, leading to three objectives as the Dutch side drew at 4-4 against Chelsea in the Champions League at November.
He was a January transfer target for Chelsea as the Blues suffered a frustrating window and subsequently becomes boss Frank Lampard’s first registering for the move ban of the club.
Chelsea manager Marina Granovskaia added:”We are delighted Hakim will be joining us in the summer, having been a key goal of the club in this last window.
“He’s always been one of the most dangerous attacking players in Europe in the past several years, which we now watched first-hand in our two games against Ajax in the Champions League.”

Premier League stats: Man City penalty woes & Aubameyang’s goal return

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Manchester City scale closer from 12 metres as Kasper Schmeichel refused Sergio Aguero to maintain family bragging rights to equalling an unfortunate record.
Additionally, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang delivered his Sunday Dwight McNeil proceeds to show plenty of promise and Diogo Jota puts the constant inconsistent.
Sport have a look at the weekend key Premier League figures.
Arsenal ran out 3-2 winners from Everton in a game that could demonstrate a result from the race for a European place.
Captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was crucial for the Gunners, scoring to make it six goals in his last seven league games as linking from Borussia Dortmund in January 2018 and also take his own Premier League tally to 49 goals in 74 appearances.
That gives him the return throughout that period of time, combined with Liverpool ahead Mohamed Salah, along with an overall record of 60 targets in 95 Arsenal games.
The Gabon has team-mate Sadio Mane year and 17 league goals this season, just five fewer than the 22 that saw him discuss the boot up with Salah.
Aubameyang proceeds to make a mockery of his anticipated goals (xG) complete as emphasized over – scoring six more than his chances would indicate he ought to – and he’ll be expecting Arsenal’s Europa League engagement usually means that the Gunners to play their league games on Sundays.
After his most recent haul, Aubameyang has been directly engaged in 38 goals in 38 English top-flight looks on Sundays, scoring 32 times himself.
That’s compared to 17 goals in 36 games which have dropped throughout the week’s rest.
The huge majority of his complete Premier League aims have come from with four of his 49 being hauled in from distance inside the box.
A very clear warning to West Ham who must keep him at 18 metres at to increase their hopes of preventing his half-century being brought up by Aubameyang next point out. At least the game is present on a Saturday…
Leicester City decreasing to defeat on Saturday, their rivals Manchester City, for second place regardless of his best efforts could not be prevented by kasper Schmeichel.
eclipsing his dad Peter Schmeichel’s tally for Premier League punishment conserves but he did earn family bragging rights.
Kasper’s save from Aguero was his fourth biggest – one more than his dad.
That makes the Foxes keeper attached fourth to Premier League penalty saves since Leicester’s promotion in 2014, with just Simon Mignolet (six), Lukasz Fabianski (six) and Adrian (five) making more at that moment.
He’s some way behind the amount of penalty saves in the competition, which remains safe from the control of Manchester City and Portsmouth stopper David James, that made an astonishing 13.
Mean his save percentage will lag behind other people. A special mention for Hull City goalkeeper Allan McGregor because of his perfect album from two penalties confronted, for saving and Mignolet.
Meanwhile, reigning champions Manchester City are in the middle of a full-blown 12-yard (10.97 metre) crisis.
Pep Guardiola’s side are now closing in on the record run of penalty disputes of Arsenal and have failed to score their four top-flight spot-kicks.
The Gunners missed the initial five penalties that they ever took at the Premier League, leaving City desperately looking for a hero after Aguero joined Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus and Raheem Sterling.
It begs the question, when will goalkeeper Ederson get his shot? “Trust me, he is the very ideal taker we have in fines,” Guardiola stated on Ederson’s chances in January.
I believe that’s something we’d all like to see. Alternatively, Guardiola’s side may want to start taking notes out of the Bruno Fernandes of Manchester United.
Having skip, a hop and an ice-cool finish, January signing Fernandes made it 13 successful penalties in a row, extending a streak that extends back to his times that were Udinese at April 2016.
Fernandes left Sporting Lisbon with a listing that was perfect 12/12 and, with his opener on Sundayhe became the first United player to start his Premier League account.
There has been much to admire for several seasons about director Sean Dyche’s efforts . Youngster Dwight McNeil is the latest of them.
The 20-year-old was in good form this effort for a Clarets side which, having a win over Bournemouth, has listed the highest-ever points tally of the club following 27 Premier League fixtures.
Burnley are currently unbeaten in their past five matches and sit just four points adrift of place – which now provides a Champions League spot following Manchester City ban.
And, one of the Clarets’ three-goal series on Saturday, McNeil was able to score and assist in a Premier League game for the very first time in his career.
Nevertheless, it is perhaps the newest aid that best highlights his talent – as well as potential promise.
At 20 decades and 92 days, McNeil became the youngest player to achieve 10 Premier League assists since the Raheem Sterling of Manchester City failed aged 19 years and 335 times for Liverpool at November 2014.
McNeil comes in since the 11th youngest participant to achieve the effort, fewer than three weeks supporting Manchester United legend Ryan Giggs (20 decades and eight times ), that holds the record for many Premier League assists – and slightly under 2 years older than record-holder Michael Owen.
Keen to grab, at 18 decades and 171 days, the Bukayo Saka of Arsenal became the youngest player to record successive Premier League assists since the Francis Jeffers of Everton .
You know the expression about London buses?
Wolves forward Diogo Jota was so close to after his Europa league hat-trick against Espanyol on Thursday.
He was inches as his shot rebounded off the pole allowing Raul Jimenez to seal the points and received a further two objects from the Canaries.
Linked from Manchester United with a # 50m bidding on Sunday Jota has eight goals in his last seven home matches in all competitions.
He’s scored 10 goals in his last 12 appearances for Wolves – .
Jota has scored in only four of the 12 games, including two doubles and two hat-tricks in a style that was true.
Truly, he had gone eight matches without a goal before the treble of Thursday – since scoring five times in two matches in December from Besiktas and Brighton.
Sunday implies he has scored with a total of five goals.
Buses and Jota, meet.

Coronavirus: South Korea league season postponed

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Football authorities have postponed the beginning of the 2020 domestic season because of this epidemic.
The announcement was made by Even the K League following a crisis meeting in Seoul since the nation grapples with all the outbreak that began in China and has infected more than 79,000 people.
The amount of instances in South Korea reached 833 including seven deaths, on Monday.
Even though the majority of diseases in South Korea are listed in the city of Daegu, there are worries the virus could spread.
On Friday, the K League postponed the opening matches of this season for Daegu FC and Pohang Steelers, scheduled to be held that Saturday, however now all games will be frozen until further notice.
“We have ready for the season well but the virus isn’t something to be taken lightly,” Gangwon FC coach Kim Byung-soo stated.
“We’re concerned about it spreading around the nation and that is much more important than planning for the period and the right choice was taken. Players and coaching staff all have to be mindful.”
The organization also determined that the Asian Champions League games set to be hosted by clubs March will proceed, but in stadiums.
This continental tournament’s group stage has already been disrupted by the viral outbreak, with matches involving three of their four Chinese clubs involved with the championship postponed until early May and late April.
The Super League has been scheduled to kick off weekend but has been postponed. The Chinese Soccer Association announced last week that two 2022 World Cup qualifiers scheduled to happen in March, against also the Maldives and Guam, will probably likely be played in Thailand.
Four matches in Serie A were called off in the weekend due to fears over the spread of this illness

Granit Xhaka on taking Arsenal captaincy: I’d have to think twice

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Granit Xhaka admits he’d have to”think twice” if he had been given the opportunity to become Arsenal captain once again.
Xhaka says he worried his time was up at Arsenal when he had been stripped of the armband by former head coach Unai Emery at November after swearing in an Emirates crowd that booed off him against Crystal Palace.
His agent proposed in December he had been close to leaving for German side Hertha Berlin, but new head coach Mikel Arteta has brought the midfielder back in the side and Xhaka is again”pleased” in northern London.
“If a day that the club asks me about the armband, I must believe twice,” Xhaka told Standard Sport. “There was a minute, because it was not simple for me and my loved ones. I hope this is understood by people.
“However, I think I showed my personality. I’m not a guy who runs off. I always say to this club,’If I [am] here, I am ready to give everything’. It was like this.
“I train really hard and that things turned around is the secret. This [has given me] the most joy.”
Xhaka has worn out the armband, reluctantly taking on the mantle in the last phases of the month’s 1-1 draw at Crystal Palace.
“I know without or with the armband that which I can give the group,” he said. “But in this minute [against Palace] I do not wish to spend the armband straight back, however, Sokratis (Papastathopoulos) and David (Luiz) told me that I must take it.”

Coronavirus: Inter Milan v Sampdoria among Serie A games postponed

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Inter Milan’s match against Sampdoria is.
German prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced the suspension in a news conference on Saturday.
“Minister of Sport [Vincenzo] Spadafora plans to suspend most of sporting events planned for Sunday from the Veneto and Lombardy areas,” Conte said.
The suspension also includes Atalanta v Sassuolo and Verona v Cagliari.
Inter Milan supported the postponement of Sunday’s game in the San Siro.
A number of other football games had been postponed.
The action has been taken as a lady from the northern area of Lombardy became the second person to die from the virus in 24 hours.
The Serie B match against Ascoli and Piacenza v Sambenedettese at Serie C of cremonese were among those fittings.
Serie D games and lots of recreational and childhood games in the Veneto and Lombardy regions were called off.
Several cities in the Lombardy region have been placed together with offices and schools closed and residents urged to keep away from accident and emergency departments.
The virus, which originated last year in China, triggers a illness called Covid-19.
China has reported 75,567 instances of the virus, such as 2,239 deaths.
Outside China, more than 1,200 cases of the virus have been confirmed in 26 states and there have been eight fatalities, according to the World Health Organization.

Arsenal need more time to adapt to my philosophy, says Mikel Arteta

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His Arsenal squad has been praised by mikel Arteta for reacting to his new doctrine – but insists that he needs time to find the Gunners and his manner playing.
While he has just lost one of his 11 matches in charge Arteta has witnessed his side draw on five of those fixtures.
This kind of kind saw them hanging 10th in the Premier League table heading into the weekend since Arteta prepares to welcome Everton on Sunday afternoon.
Victories over Newcastle and Olympiacos would be topped off nicely against a side Arteta represented as a player between 2005 and 2011.
But afterwards he substituted Unai Emery, although the 37-year-old is happy with the response of his players , he remains convinced there is no quick-fix to make Arsenal back challenging towards the upper end of the table.
“What I will tell you is I am really proud to handle this football club right now and really pleased with how everyone is reacting around the bar,” he explained.
“The gamers – the passion and energy they are showing daily and the same with the staff and everyone who works here. It was not far away and it feels as though it had been although We’ve got a lot of things.
“We’ve got a very long way to go in this process, to create a lot of items that I’d like to implement. We are in need of time. Since it would not be productive I don’t wish to quicken the process and take them someplace they cannot do.
“We have to keep the things we do great and perhaps then we have small margins of progress that we must aim to accomplish.”
Working to Pep Guardiola in Manchester City as an assistant, Arteta was training gamers because hanging up his own boots four decades ago.
He has his very own vision for what he needs from his team in his first managerial post as he looks ahead to coming up against another of his old clubs.
“The mindset I need the players to perform is to face the opponent,” he added. “It does not matter where we perform, we must move there and we have to confront them.
“We have to feel that we’re ready to go, not only if we possess the ball but once we do not have it as well, with exactly the identical attitude and aggression.
“They are doing this. I can only praise them as they are currently attempting challenging – sometimes we can be better or worse but they are quite willing.
“I played there (at Everton) for seven decades, I still have some great memories, great friends and people whom I love a lot.
“It was weird because when I had been appointed manager I needed to visit Goodison Park (where he watched from the stands). It was always special for me to perform there and I am really anticipating it.”

Magical Messi gets four in Barcelona’s Camp Nou rout of Eibar

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The Barca talisman had scored against Granada in Quique Setien’s first game in charge, a run of four games and moments, however 14 minutes into the game at the Camp Nou normal service resumed.
Prior to scoring the opener receiving the ball around the edge of the field the maestro slipped between two defenders, placing the ball between the legs of one.
It was a brilliant individual goal and at the minute he had a moment, bursting forwards on to a pass by Sergio Busquets to add to his tally.
His first hat-trick came after great pressing by Ivan Rakiticthe ball falling to him in the box to score from close variety.
His cross setup Messi due to his fourth and the new signing, striker Martin Braithwaite of barcelona, arrived around with 20 minutes remaining and 2 minutes after his shot was rescued with Arthur after up to complete the rout.
The win has obtained Barca two points clear on top of the standings with Jose Luis Morales Saturday after the shock 1-0 defeat Levante of Real Madrid.
The triumph is a practiced Barcelona who have Messi engaged in a spat with the Argentine and specialized director Eric Abidal casting doubts after a spell for the Catalan giants.
Before the match, Barca fans waved handkerchiefs and sang protest songs in a indication of the unrest against heart president Josep Maria Bartomeu.
By the conclusion jeers had been replaced by cheers, but tests than Eibar await this week, with a Champions League clash with Napoli followed by El Clasico against Real Madrid that could determine that the title race.
Ronaldo scores in 1,000th game
Meanwhile, the Messi rival his 1,000 th appearance has been marked by Cristiano Ronaldo for club and country together with all the opening goal in a 2-1 win in SPAL in Serie A Saturday for Juventus.
The Portugal celebrity was well rested for Juve win over Brescia final weekend, but recalled to the beginning XI of Maurizio Sarri he observed that the landmark that was noteworthy at Stadio Paolo Mazza with the opening goal.
Ronaldo found the internet for his 11th consecutive Serie A match, a feat previously only attained by Gabriel Omar Batistuta in Fabio Quagliarella and the 1994/95 year in 2018/19.
Former Arsenal star Aaron Ramsey incorporating a leader in the hour .
Juve hung on for a valuable 3 points, although hope was given by an Andrea Petagna penalty on 70 minutes to the home side.
Lazio and Inter Milan perform Sunday with the goals of Ronaldo keeping the Turin giants in front at a three-team name race in Italy.
Remarkable run is maintained by haaland
If his form is anything to go by erling Braut Haaland may fit Messi along with Ronaldo feats.
Even the 19-year-old believed his 40th goal of the season in the 2-0 triumph of Borussia Dortmund in Werder Bremen Saturday as the side of Lucien Favre stepped up its pursuit of leader Bayern Munich.
Haaland has scored 12 goals in eight games as going in the transfer window from Salzburg, netting 28 to the Austrian side prior to his 20 million euros ($22 million) go in December.
Two aims in the thrilling 2-1 win over PSG from the Champions League of Dortmund marked him out as a participant of particular quality and against fighting Bremen, he was to double the advantage of his side on 66 minutes.
Dortmund briefly climbed over RB Leipzig however the side of Julian Nagelsmann thrashed Schalke 5-0 after Saturday to close to within a point of Bayern at the top.

‘Speedo Mick’ completes John O’Groats to Land’s End walk; already raised more than £300,000

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Everton fan Michael Cullen known as’Speedo Mick’, has completed his seven-week trek from John O’Groats to Land’s End increasing over 315,000 for charity.
As he ended his epic conclusion on Saturday the 55-year-old was greeted with a large crowd and a brass band.
His first # 100,000 target crushed on by increasing over #315,000 for neighborhood projects for young people.
He was welcomed on the south-western suggestion of Cornwall, that the club’s present manager Duncan Ferguson, by a message from one of his Goodison Park personalities.
He explained:”Well done Speedo. I heard you’ve completed your walk to Land’s End – partner that was amazing. I expect you have not too many allergies and that also I expect you’ve not got pneumonia.
“I let you know what pal, you have done a fantastic job – nicely done, we are all proud of you pal. Congratulations – enjoy, Dunc.”
Mick – who attends Everton matches wearing his speedos – has been raising money for its Leave The Light On charity following composing with drugs and drink in the Liverpool Echo about his battles.
He had to battle through two recent named storms Ciara and Dennis – however stayed in his speedos during, telling Sky News at a point he believed that he”would be cheating” if he’d put on clothes.