Governing Bodies
LA LIGA PREPARES FOR POSSIBLE DATES OF RESTART
La Liga could resume as early as 28 May in the best-case scenario as the league discusses its options, according to president Javier Tebas.
No Spanish side has played a competitive game since 11 March, when Atletico Madrid knocked holders Liverpool out of the Champions League.
Tebas says training will not return until emergency measures – in place until 26 April – are lifted in Spain.
He estimates clubs could lose 1bn euros if the current campaign is cancelled.
Tebas revealed three start dates are currently being discussed with Uefa, saying: “Of all the different scenarios we have been looking at with Uefa to go back to competing, the most probable ones are 28 May, 6 June or 28 June,” he said.
“We can’t say an exact date. This will be given to us by the authorities in Spain. But we still have time to get back to training before that.”
Tebas says La Liga is not contemplating a failure to complete the domestic campaign, which still has 11 rounds of matches to play.
However, having done the maths, Tebas is conscious that even if games are played with supporters in stadiums, a scenario he does not feel is likely in the short term, the losses will be extreme.
He said: “If we are looking at the economic impact, including the money we would get from European competitions, the revenue Spanish clubs would miss out on if we don’t get back playing again is 1bn euros. If we do get playing but without spectators, it would be 300m.
“Even if we get back to playing with spectators, the damage this situation has already caused would be 150m euros.”
Two plans to get season completed
UEFA has urged individual leagues not to follow Belgium’s example by scrapping competitions – and warned they risk not being allowed into next season’s European competition if they do.
A working group – which also includes representatives from the European Clubs’ Association and the European Leagues – expects to have a proposal to put forward by the middle of May.
Tebas says two strategies are being worked on.
One involves domestic league matches being played at weekends and European and general cup competitions in midweek. The second is to play blocks of fixtures, with domestic competitions being finished in June and July, before European games are played in July and August.
With uncertainty over when the current restrictions across Europe will be lifted, Tebas said it was “logical” some leagues may start before others.
“If they can start, they should,” he said, while stating some clubs may not be able to play games at their own stadiums due to planned construction work.
Tebas was careful not to state any date by which the 2019-20 season must be finished.
However, he spoke regularly about August being a finishing point and underlined why, no matter when the campaign eventually ends, scrapping and altering tournaments next season to create space for a full league programme is fraught with difficulty.
“It is much more complicated than just making a decision,” he said.
“Each country is different. In England, you have three competitions. In Spain and Italy it is two. There are 18 teams in the German league but all the others have 20.
“The leagues who have problems in their calendar should look for internal solutions. If that is impossible, we might need some kind of co-ordination with UEFA but at the moment, we are not considering changing formats.
“Think about the top leagues. We have sold our broadcasting rights based on certain formats. We have 20 clubs and 380 matches played during a specific period of time.
“UEFA has also sold its rights based on a format, including the qualifiers and the group phase. This applies to everyone.”
‘It’s complicated to get players to accept less money’
Tebas revealed La Liga has received 90% of its broadcasting right payments. However, with 28% of the season remaining, a hefty repayment will be due if no games are played.
As with England, the Spanish league has been looking for assistance from the players. As with England, so far, there has been no agreement, although Barcelona and Atletico Madrid have reached individual deals with their clubs.
“It is quite complicated to get players to accept less money,” he said.
“They can’t do activities in a normal manner, so there should be a reduction- but we have not managed to reach global agreement with the union.
“It means the clubs have two options: a legal one in the form of a temporary lay-off – eight clubs in the top two leagues have registered to be part of this agreement – and reduced salaries by 70% a day.
“Other clubs have to reach individual agreements with players.”
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Governing Bodies
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Congo officials over financial misconduct
FIFA’s ethics committee launched disciplinary proceedings against three senior Congolese Football Federation (FECOFOOT) officials on Wednesday, including president Jean-Guy Mayolas, over allegations of financial misconduct.
Mayolas, his wife and his son were sentenced to life in prison earlier this month after a criminal court in the Congolese capital, Brazzaville, convicted them of embezzling $1.1 million in FIFA funds. Media reports said their whereabouts were not known , and they were tried in absentia.
FECOFOOT general secretary Wantete Badji and treasurer Raoul Kanda are also subject to the disciplinary proceedings, FIFA said. Badji and Kanda were sentenced to five years each in prison by the court in Brazzaville for related charges.
“These proceedings follow the receipt of information and documents during an audit,” FIFA said in a statement.
-Reuters
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The World Anti-Doping Agency is considering rewriting its rules to try barring President Donald Trump and all U.S. government officials from attending the LA Olympics in 2028, in a move that could also have implications for the World Cup being hosted by the U.S. this summer.
The proposal, on the agenda for next Tuesday’s meeting of the global drug-fighting watchdog’s executive committee, is the latest manoeuvre to come out of a yearslong refusal of the U.S. government to pay its annual dues to WADA.
The refusal is part of the American government’s unanimous, bipartisan protest of the agency’s handling of a case involving Chinese swimmers and other issues.
The Associated Press learned of the agenda item through correspondence it obtained between WADA and European officials involved in the agency’s decision-making. Two others with knowledge of the agenda confirmed the existence of the rules proposal to AP; they were not authorised to speak publicly about the agenda, which has not been released publicly.
The proposal was, in fact, first brought up in 2024, when U.S. authorities successfully lobbied for its rejection. The U.S. has since lost its seat on the executive committee.
“In spite of WADA’s increasing threats, we continue to stand firm in our demand for accountability and transparency from WADA to ensure fair competition in sport,” said Sara Carter, the director of the U.S. Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
The rule, if passed, would figure to be mostly symbolic, given the limits an international sports federation could have on the president of a country attending an event inside his own borders.
“I have never heard of a $50-million-budget Swiss foundation being able to enforce a rule to, for example, prevent the United States president from going anywhere,” said Carter’s predecessor at ONDCP, Rahul Gupta, who was on the WADA executive committee two years ago and led the movement to reject the proposal. “And the next question you have to ask is: How are you going to enforce it? Are they going to post a red notice from Interpol? It’s ludicrous. It’s clear they have not thought this through.”
In a news release after this story published, WADA said the AP story was “entirely misleading,” focusing on Fitzgerald’s statement to the AP that if proposals being discussed were “introduced, given that the rules would not apply retroactively, the FIFA World Cup, LA and Salt Lake City Games (in 2034) would not be covered.”
Fitzgerald’s only answer to three emails from AP seeking clarification on his initial response — specifically about how a rule that had not yet been adopted could or couldn’t be applied retroactively on events that are scheduled for the future — was: “I’m trying to say that it would not apply retroactively so those events would not be covered. Given that and the next meeting of the Board being scheduled for November, I don’t see how it could come into play for this year’s World Cup.”
-AP
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The Confederation of African Football has dismissed Yasin Osman Robleh, the Djiboutian official who headed its judicial bodies for the past six years, in a move aimed at restoring confidence in the organisation’s disciplinary processes.
According to reports from convergence sources, the decision was confirmed on Saturday by CAF Secretary General Veron Mosengo-Omba, bringing an abrupt end to Robleh’s tenure overseeing the confederation’s disciplinary and investigative committees since 2019.
Robleh’s position reportedly came under increasing pressure following the controversy surrounding sanctions imposed after the Africa Cup of Nations Final between Morocco and Senegal. The disciplinary decisions that followed the match sparked criticism from several quarters and placed CAF’s legal framework under intense scrutiny.
In response to the situation, CAF’s Executive Committee has appointed Togolese lawyer Cedric Egai, currently the confederation’s Director of Legal Affairs, as interim head of the judicial bodies.
Egai is expected to stabilise the organisation’s legal arm while CAF works toward appointing a permanent successor to Robleh.
Disciplinary Decisions Delayed
The leadership change has already affected ongoing disciplinary processes within the confederation. CAF’s disciplinary committee reportedly held hearings last Thursday on several cases, including the high-profile encounter involving Egypt’s Al Ahly and Morocco’s AS FAR.
However, decisions on those matters have been temporarily put on hold pending the confirmation of new leadership within the judicial structure.
Sources indicate that once a permanent successor is appointed, CAF will move swiftly to conclude outstanding disciplinary rulings affecting both clubs and national teams.
Restoring Confidence
The move is widely seen as part of CAF’s effort to restore confidence in its judicial system following weeks of controversy surrounding disciplinary decisions at major competitions.
Robleh’s departure closes a significant chapter in CAF’s legal administration, while Egai’s interim appointment signals a potential shift in leadership and governance at a critical time for African football.
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