Governing Bodies
AFTER 100-DAY FREEZE, PREMIER LEAGUE RETURNS
The Premier League returns on Wednesday (June 17) after 100 days in the deep freeze, with Liverpool on the brink of winning the title in a radically changed football universe.
The English top flight follows Germany’s Bundesliga and La Liga in Spain in rebooting their seasons after the coronavirus lockdown, aiming to cram 92 games into six weeks of breathless action.
Aston Villa kick off against Sheffield United, to be followed later on Wednesday by Manchester City versus Arsenal, before a cascade of matches.
Despite vocal complaints from some clubs and stars, including Sergio Aguero and Raheem Sterling, “Project Restart” has largely gone smoothly, with regular testing of players and staff yielding few positives.
But when Villa and Sheffield United kick off, the watching world will be confronted with a jarring spectacle, with an eerie silence in the usually noisy stands.
Piped-in crowd chants, cardboard cut-outs of supporters and live video fan walls will add colour but it will be impossible to mimic the usual vibrant atmosphere.
In total, about 300 people will be allowed in stadiums for each match, with strict health protocols in place.
There will be widespread disinfection of changing facilities, dugouts, match balls, goalposts, corner flags and substitution boards.
People other than players and coaching staff on team benches must wear face coverings.
The games themselves will look different. Players have been told to maintain social distancing during goal celebrations and encouraged not to spit.
Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta admits that players will have to find motivation without the urgency provided by fans.
“The game is different,” he said in his pre-match press conference on Monday. “The intensity drops a little bit. That urgency from the crowd doesn’t exist any more; how passionate the crowds are in England. We have to adapt.
“We have to experience it. We have to find ways to motivate our players as well in moments.”
But Aston Villa manager Dean Smith said his players were desperate to return, talking about the honour of playing the first game.
“The eyes of the world will be on us and we are looking forward to it,” he said. “The players have been itching to get back.”
The hectic fixture list, warm summer temperatures and a lack of preparation time could lead to more injuries, so world governing body Fifa has given the green light for five substitutions per match.
Some believe that unfairly helps teams with bigger squads. Villa’s Smith said he was not in favour of the change.
Following the recent death of George Floyd, killed by a white police officer in the United States, the Black Lives Matter cause will also be visible.
Players’ names will be replaced on the back of their shirts with “Black Lives Matter” for the first 12 matches, while the league will back anyone who chooses to take a knee in protest before or during matches.
The subdued mood and constant fear of the virus making its presence felt will overshadow the remainder of a season that will always have an asterisk next to it in the history books.
When the campaign was halted on March 13, Liverpool were two wins from their first English title in 30 years.
Jurgen Klopp’s side, 25 points clear at the top, could be crowned champions as soon as this weekend if second-placed Manchester City lose at home to Arsenal on Wednesday and the Reds win their first game of the restart at Merseyside rivals Everton on Sunday.
Whenever they clinch that long-awaited 19th league title, it will be a moment to treasure for Liverpool.
But, with fans being told not to gather outside the stadium and no trophy parade planned because of social distancing rules, the celebrations are likely to be muted.
Since the Bundesliga resumed, there has been a drop in the number of home wins as teams struggle without the drive provided by their fans.
That could influence some key issues in the Premier League.
Chelsea and Manchester United will try to hold off unexpected challenges from Sheffield and Wolves in the race to reach the Champions League.
At the other end, Norwich, Villa and Bournemouth bid to climb out of the bottom three at a time when relegation could be more costly than ever.
-AFP
By Kunle Solaja.
Nigeria is set to host the 48th Ordinary General Assembly of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), marking the third time the country will stage the continent’s top football gathering.
The development was confirmed in a statement issued by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), which disclosed that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on the sidelines of the ongoing Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi, Kenya, approved Nigeria’s proposal to host the event.
The approval followed a meeting between President Tinubu and CAF President Patrice Motsepe, attended by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu, NFF President Ibrahim Musa Gusau, former NFF President and Special Adviser to the CAF President Amaju Melvin Pinnick, as well as CAF Acting General Secretary Samson Adamu.
Sports Villages Square affirms that Nigeria previously hosted the CAF Congress at the National Theatre in Lagos in March 1980 and again in February 2009, when the late CAF President Issa Hayatou secured another four-year term in office.
In addition to this year’s 48th Ordinary General Assembly, scheduled for October, Nigeria also secured the hosting rights of the CAF Awards ceremony. The annual awards gala, which celebrates Africa’s top football performers, has been staged in Morocco over the past three years.
Nigeria had earlier hosted the CAF Awards when telecom firm, Globacom, was the headline sponsor. This year’s event will be the seventh to be held in Nigeria after those of 2005, 2008, 2009, 2013, 2014 and 2016.
The CAF Ordinary General Assembly traditionally attracts key football stakeholders from across the continent, including presidents of CAF’s 54 member associations, representatives of the six zonal unions and senior football administrators.
The CAF Awards ceremony is regarded as one of African football’s flagship events, honouring outstanding players, coaches, clubs and officials in a glamorous setting that showcases the continent’s football excellence.
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FIFA’s independent Ethics Committee has banned former Guyana Football Federation (GFF) General Secretary Ian Alves from all football-related activities for five years after finding he sexually harassed female staff members.
FIFA also fined Alves 20,000 Swiss francs ($22,000) after determining that he had breached provisions of the FIFA Code of Ethics relating to the protection of physical and mental integrity, abuse of position and general duties.
“FIFA has a strict stance against all forms of abuse in football,” the organisation said on Monday.
The decision followed a review of written statements from the victims, documents provided by the GFF, submissions from Alves, and other evidence gathered during the investigation.
Alves stepped down from his position in 2024.
The ban came into force on Monday, when the terms of the decision were notified to Alves, and the full grounds for the ruling will be communicated within 60 days in accordance with the Code of Ethics, FIFA added.
The GFF did not immediately respond to a Reuters request for comment. Alves could not immediately be reached for comment.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that he planned to seek re-election for a fourth term in a bid to continue to lead the governing body of world soccer.
Infantino confirmed he would run for the 2027–2031 term in the closing moments of the FIFA Congress in Vancouver, which comes less than two months before the start of the World Cup.
The election will be held on March 18 in Morocco, which is set to co-host the 2030 World Cup.
Infantino said he was “honoured and humbled” to have the chance to run for a fourth term.
The Italian-Swiss took office in 2016, replacing Sepp Blatter, and was re-elected unopposed in 2019 and 2023.
Infantino has pushed for the expansion of FIFA competitions during his tenure, with this year’s World Cup in North America the first to feature 48 teams, while the women’s tournament in 2023 has been expanded to 32 teams.
Infantino’s tenure has also drawn some criticism over issues such as high World Cup ticket prices and the decision to award the inaugural FIFA Peace Prize to U.S. President Donald Trump at the World Cup draw in December.
Earlier this month, the council of South American football’s governing body (CONMEBOL) said in a statement it would unanimously support the 56-year-old if he decided to seek another term.
-Reuters
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