La Liga
NOW, IT’S CLOSED DOORS FOR LA LIGA
La Liga matches will be played without fans for at least the next two rounds of fixtures to try and stop the spread of the coronavirus contagion, the Spanish league confirmed yesterday.
The unprecedented call was taken in conjunction with the decision by the Spanish government’s sports council (CSD) that professional and non-professional sports events and competitions should take place behind closed doors.
“According to information from the High Council of sports, La Liga matches (including the second tier) will be played behind closed doors, starting today and for at least the next two weeks,” the league said in a statement.
“La Liga will continue to be in permanent contact with the Ministry of Health and the CSD to follow its recommendations and/or decisions, prioritising the health of fans, players, club employees and journalists due to the Covid-19 health crisis.
“For weeks, La Liga has been working on alternative plans in coordination with Uefa in case health authorities decide to suspend any match, creating a plan to play these matches.”
As of yesterday, Spain was the second-most affected European country behind Italy, with 1,646 infections and 35 deaths.
Last night’s game between Eibar and Real Sociedad was the first to be affected.
Real Madrid’s game against Eibar at the Santiago Bernabeu on Friday night will be the weekend’s first fixture to be hit as authorities step up attempts to contain the outbreak.
Two of the most prominent fixtures in the league calendar – the Valencia and Seville derbies – will also go ahead in empty stadiums as Valencia face Levante at Mestalla on Saturday before Sevilla host Real Betis at the Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan on Sunday night.
If the drastic measures are not extended, the next round of matches with supporters will take place on the weekend of April 4-5.
La Liga president Javier Tebas has also not ruled out postponing league matches, with 11 rounds remaining, if the epidemic takes a turn for the worse.
“It’s one thing to postpone a game and another not to play it,” he said. “We have the possibility of playing games behind closed doors and, if that is not possible, then we will postpone.
“If that case arises, we have dates prepared for when we can stage those games. We have presented this plan to Uefa so they can also bear in mind European ties involving Spanish teams. We are working on precaution, not improvisation.”
According to local radio station Cadena Cope, the weekend of the King’s Cup final (April 18-19) will be available for uncompleted league games, while May 19-20 has been earmarked as another possible free slot.
Spanish daily AS also quoted Cadena as saying that should there be any cancellation of games, La Liga will request that Uefa delay the start of Euro 2020, which is set to begin in Rome on June 12.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
It was mission accomplished, said Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti after his side fought back from two-goals behind to snatch a rip-roaring 4-4 draw on Tuesday for a 5-4 aggregate win that put them through to the Copa del Rey final.
Ancelotti brushed off questions about a sub-par performance by his side and praised his players’ effort in what he considered a highly entertaining encounter.
“We have achieved our goal today which was to reach the final and there is not much time to think about it,” Ancelotti told a press conference.
“It was an entertaining game with some mistakes and a lot of good things. It was fun and we are in the final.
“I never saw ourselves out of it because anything can happen at the Bernabeu. When we have to come from behind, we never give up. We never give up, especially at home, with the fans by our side.”
Ancelotti said David Alaba was not to blame after he deflected two balls into his own goal, calling it “bad luck” by the Austrian defender, but urged his defence to play with better focus moving forward.
“It’s not good to concede four goals in a game,” Ancelotti said.
“Right now we are a team that has a lot of effectiveness up-front, but little balance.
“However, we can’t ignore what we did in attack, scoring four goals against Real is not that easy. I think we are doing quite well.”
Real Madrid, who have won the Spanish Cup only once in over a decade, will play either Barcelona or Atletico Madrid in a mouth-watering final in Seville next month.
Atletico fought back to hold Barca to a thrilling 4-4 draw ahead of Wednesday’s second-leg in Madrid.
-Reuters
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Real Madrid’s legendary coach Carlo Ancelotti will go on trial next week for allegedly failing to declare income to Spain’s tax office, the Madrid court which will hear the case has said.
Prosecutors are seeking a jail term of four years and nine months for the 65-year-old Italian, accusing him of having cost Spain’s treasury more than one million euros ($1.1 million) in undeclared earnings from image rights in 2014 and 2015.
The trial will begin on Wednesday and it is expected to last two days, a spokesman for the court said.
Ancelotti, who as a coach has won a record five Champions League trophies including three with Real, must be present for the hearings, he added.
Prosecutors accuse him of only declaring in his tax returns the personal remuneration received from Real Madrid during those two years even though he himself declared himself to be a tax resident in Spain and indicated his home was in Madrid.
They accuse Ancelotti of allegedly setting up a “confusing” and “complex” system of shell companies to hide his extra earnings from his image rights as well as from other sources such as real estate.
A Spanish court in 2023 ordered Ancelotti to stand trial over the affair, but did not set a date.
Ancelotti dismissed the affair last year as “an old story that I hope will be resolved soon” when he was asked about the case.
He took over at Real Madrid in 2013, leaving in May 2015, before being appointed at Bayern Munich the following year.
The former Italy international midfielder, who as a player won the European Cup twice with AC Milan, later managed Napoli and Everton before returning to Real Madrid in 2021.
Aside from his success in the Champions League he has won domestic league titles with Madrid and Milan, in England with Chelsea, in Germany with Bayern Munich and in France with Paris Saint-Germain.
-AFP
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Spain’s former soccer chief Luis Rubiales told Reuters on Thursday he would appeal a court ruling which found him guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent.-
-Reuters
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