Live Blog
- 17 Apr 2020, 17:28
- Updated: 17 Apr 2020, 17:28
CORONAVIRUS has sadly claimed another victim from the world of sport.
England 1966 World Cup winner and Leeds legend Norman Hunter has passed away aged 76 after being hospitalised with the virus.
Meanwhile the Premier League remain committed to finishing the season while the EFL have stated that their games will start behind closed doors.
Follow all the latest updates below…
Joshua Jones7 minutes ago17th April 2020
WELL PLAYED, SHKODRAN
Shkodran Mustafi is celebrating his 28th birthday today.
And he has spent his special day teaming up with Islington Council and the Arsenal Foundation to supply 16,000 meals for those struggling at this difficult time.
He wrote: “Guys, thank you for your birthday messages. I have seen the work of the Islington Council and the @AFC_Foundation and I want to help.
“I am donating a delivery of over 16,000 meals and other emergency supplies to the people in Islington who need our support more than ever!”
Guys, thank you for your birthday messages. I have seen the work of the Islington Council and the @AFC_Foundation and I want to help.
I am donating a delivery of over 16,000 meals and other emergency supplies to the people in Islington who need our support more than ever! #SM20 pic.twitter.com/ZsUWGw8Fre— Shkodran Mustafi (@MustafiOfficial) April 17, 2020
Joshua Jones39 minutes ago17th April 2020
GLOBAL GAME
Nadal, 33, said: “Tennis is a completely global sport, we move to different countries every week, ourselves and our teams.
“The thing is, it’s not if you play behind closed doors or not, but what it requires to organise a tennis tournament.
“You need to move a lot of people and that is a risk.
“Until we have a cure the situation will be really complicated. We need to be responsible.
“Tennis is very global. I don’t think that at the moment there can be an official tournament in the short or medium term.
“Now we have to be responsible, think of the general good and the health of everyone related to tennis and hope that things will improve as soon as possible.”
Joshua Jones1 hour ago17th April 2020
IN FOR A RAF RIDE
Rafael Nadal has cast doubt on a swift return to top-level tennis.
The world No2 was hoping to defend his French Open crown next month but the tennis circuit has been suspended during the COVID-19 crisis.
Some sports like football and golf are preparing plans to play behind-closed-doors this summer.
But the 19-time Grand Slam champion reckons tennis will take longer to organise, especially with international travel bans in certain countries.
Jake Lambourne2 hours ago17th April 2020
WAS BUND TO HAPPEN
Bundesliga’s proposed May return behind closed doors could be in tatters, with chancellor Angela Merkel having extended the country’s ban on gatherings of more than two people.
League CEO Christian Seifert had been optimistic of a return to action next month.
But in an interview with the New York Times, he also revealed that it would take around 240 people to stage each match.
With the measures on self-isolating extended, getting this number together in line with safety precautions will be difficult.
And with the ban on gatherings extended until at least the end of August, next season could also be in jeopardy.
Another factor set to provide an obstacle for the Bundesliga is Germany’s system of federal government.
This means that even when restrictions are lifted, each of the country’s 16 states will be able to decide in which way they do so – with approaches likely to differ.
Jake Lambourne2 hours ago17th April 2020
PREM-ICTIONS
Man Utd claimed the last Champions League spot in a new data driven simulation of the 2019/20 Premier League season.
United beat Wolves to fifth by just five points while Tottenham also snuck ahead of bitter rivals Arsenal to finish eighth.
The project undertaken by FiveThirtyEight sees previous team data collated to simulate the remaining games of the season and produce a final Premier League table for the campaign currently suspended because of coronavirus.
With Manchester City, who retained second spot, currently banned from next season’s Champions League, a fifth place finish for their bitter rivals United would be enough to claim a place in European club football’s most prestigious tournament.
Leicester, Chelsea and Liverpool took up the remaining qualification places with the latter unsurprisingly hanging on to claim the title.
Further down the table, in North London, Spurs’ 55 points was enough to beat Arsenal, on 53, to eighth place and claim a Europa League spot.
Coronavirus in Sport LIVE: Norman Hunter passes away, Premier League to finish season, EFL behind closed doors - The Sun
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