Governing Bodies
BROADCASTER PREDICTS LA LIGA RESTART IN JULY WITH NO FANS
Spain’s La Liga could recommence in July without spectators, the head of a major broadcaster has said, adding that the season was likely to be cancelled if a player tested positive for the coronavirus once the campaign had restarted.
All organised football in Spain has been on hold since March 10 due to the spread of the deadly virus although Jaume Roures, CEO of Spanish multimedia group Mediapro, predicted that matches could resume behind closed doors in three months’ time.
“I expect football to return in July, certainly without supporters, but first of all there would have to be a pre-season campaign,” Roures told radio station Cadena Cope on Wednesday (April 1).
Spain is the second-worst affected country in Europe by the virus behind Italy and on Tuesday reported a record daily death toll of 849 from the virus, which has killed a total of 8,189 people.
Players from Valencia, Espanyol and Alaves have tested positive for the virus and Roures said if another player was to contract the disease then the season would have to be cancelled.
“If a player tested positive, for example on July 20, we’d have to throw in the towel and say goodbye to the season,” Roures added.
“We have to take every measure possible to ensure that doesn’t happen. But if it does, the party is over.”
With 11 matches still to be played, Barcelona lead Real Madrid by two points at the top of the standings, while the battle to avoid relegation is also finely balanced.
La Liga’s organising body has put the estimated cost of the season not finishing at 700 million euros (S$1.1 billion) and has vowed to finish the season, as has the national soccer federation.
“I don’t think it’s too difficult to play 11 matches in two months. Not playing would leave a hole of 700 million euros which would take a lot to fix,” added Roures.
“We would be suffering for a long time as a result so that’s why we have to try to finish the season.”
-Reuters
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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