BBASKETBALLASKETBALL | Page 3 CCRICKETRICKET | Page 6 NBA GMs split No place for over whether Hales, Plunkett to fi nish regular in England season training group Saturday, May 30, 2020 TENNIS Shawwal 7, 1441 AH Federer tops list GULF TIMES of world’s highest paid athletes SPORT Page 5 FOOTBALL SPOTLIGHT UEFA considers Spanish La Liga ‘all options’ for Champions confi rm season will League format AFP told AFP. Paris, France “No decision has been taken yet but there should be at the Ex- ecutive Committee meeting on resume on June 11 EFA is studying “all June 17.” the options” for the According to a UEFA docu- Uformat of this season’s ment seen by AFP, August 29 Competition kicks off with Betis vs Sevilla. Rest of the league returns on June 13-14 interrupted Champions could be chosen as the new date League, amid reports yesterday for the fi nal. AFP that European football’s govern- The New York Times reported Madrid, Spain ing body is considering moving Friday that the fi nal would be the fi nal from its scheduled ven- moved from Turkey but that Is- ue in Istanbul. tanbul could be chosen as host of he Spanish league sea- The Turkish city was due to a future fi nal, when it is safe for son will resume after a host the fi nal today at the Atat- fans to travel from abroad in large Tthree-month corona- urk Olympic Stadium, but the numbers. virus lockdown on June tournament was suspended in Turkey, a country of 83mn, has 11 with the Seville derby, and mid-March at the last-16 stage so far recorded 4,461 coronavi- the 2020-2021 season will start because of the coronavirus pan- rus-related deaths and nearly on September 12, the Spanish demic. 161,000 confi rmed cases. Sports Council confi rmed yes- UEFA still hopes to conclude The country is currently in the terday. the competition by the end of process of loosening lockdown The council released a state- August, but with major changes measures introduced to halt the ment saying that the Spanish to the format likely and games set spread of the virus and its do- Football Federation (RFEF) and to be played behind closed doors. mestic football season is set to La Liga had agreed the format “We are looking at all the op- resume on June 12. for the 11 remaining rounds in tions regarding the calendar and Changes could also be made to the top two Spanish divisions. the format of the competition in the format of the Europa League, It said the season should be the working group involving the the fi nal of which was due to completed by July 19, “depend- clubs, leagues and national as- be played in the Polish city of ing on the evolution of the pan- La Liga president Javier Tebas. sociations,” a UEFA spokesman Gdansk this week. demic.” Competition will kick off on whether to watch matches, Thursday, June 11 when Betis which will all be played behind play Sevilla. The rest of the closed doors, with virtual sound league return to action on the eff ects added, an option that has weekend of June 13 and 14. caused debate among fans since Earlier yesterday, Javier Te- the Bundesliga resumed. bas, the league president told He said that he was taking Marca: “The important thing part in a demonstration of the will be to know the end date of technology on Friday evening the 2019-20 season. The next and that Javier Guillen, the di- one will start on September 12.” rector of the Tour of Spain, and The Spanish government last Carmelo Ezpeleta, the boss of week gave La Liga the green light Dorna Sports, promoter of the to resume from the week begin- In this March 7, 2020, picture, Barcelona’s Lionel Messi celebrates after scoring a goal during the La Liga MotoGP championship had also ning June 8. match against Santander at Camp Nou in Barcelona, Spain. (Reuters) been invited. “More than 130 people are “We want to off er an alterna- currently working so that every- already played three rounds June. two points at the top of the ta- tive for the fans — silence, or the thing can be done in a new for- following its restart earlier this But the top-fl ight seasons in ble when La Liga was halted in virtualisation of the stands. The mat: the travel, the organisation, month, while the English Pre- France, Belgium and the Neth- March. tests I have seen are interesting, everything,” said Tebas. mier League and Italy’s Serie erlands have all been ended. Tebas also said that television but there will be both options,” Ataturk Olympic stadium was supposed to host the UEFA Champions The German Bundesliga has A are also set to return in mid- Barcelona led Real Madrid by viewers would be able to choose said Tebas. League final in Istanbul, Turkey, yesterday. (Reuters) BOTTOMLINE Fans could return for 20-21 season: Premier League chief AFP London, United Kingdom Premier League says ‘home and away’ venues remier League chief ex- remains wish ecutive Richard Masters Reuters some clubs have expressed ing fixtures this season home and Psaid yesterday that fans Manchester, United Kingdom opposition to that idea — views away, where possible,” the league could be allowed to attend that have been put to the gov- said in a statement yesterday. top-fl ight matches in the 2020-21 ernment by the league. “We are working with our clubs season on a “phased basis”. he Premier League, which Some media reports have sug- to ensure risks are assessed and The Premier League plans to Twill resume action on gested that select games which minimised, while co-operating resume the 2019-20 campaign on June 17, says its aim is for may have a risk of fans gather- with the police at a local and June 17 following the coronavirus the remaining games to play on ing outside grounds, such as national level. lockdown. the usual home and away basis the Merseyside derby between “Discussions with the National But the remaining 92 fi xtures but that they have a contingen- Everton and Liverpool, would Police Chiefs’ Council and UK will be played behind closed cy plan for neutral venues. still be held at a neutral venue Football Policing Unit have been doors to minimise the health risks The initial suggestion from the even if most games are held on positive and are continuing. We of football’s return in a country UK government had been for a home/away basis. are prepared for all outcomes badly hit by the pandemic. the closed-door matches to be “The Premier League’s ambition and have a neutral venue contin- The prospect of playing the In this February 25, 2020, picture, Manchester City players take part in a training session at City Football played at neutral venues but is to complete all of our remain- gency,” the statement concluded. next season with no fans is unap- Academy in Manchester, United Kingdom. (AFP) petising for the Premier League and Masters suggested it could be ters told Sky Sports News. rus, which could lead to the com- “We need to have plans in place system is set to be used in the re- problem, so if you can’t do the fi eld or any other stadium their possible to being back supporters “Hopefully it will be a huge petition being suspended again. so that we go into the start of the maining matches, but Masters hub you have to do it remotely, team are playing at. at some stage. morale boost and that is what With that in mind, Masters season knowing that if it can’t be said it would be done remotely and that’s what we’re looking at.” Masters said talks with the “No one knows when matches we’ve been working towards. said it was crucial clubs agreed completed, what then happens,” rather than from the offi cials’ Liverpool are two wins away police about neutral venues for will move away from the behind- “We’ve got some incredible on a plan for what would happen Masters said. usual base at Stockley Park. from clinching their fi rst English some games are on-going, but he closed-doors model and it is fans in this country and we all if the season had to end early be- “(But) I’m not going to give “VAR has its own social dis- title for 30 years, but they could hopes Liverpool can at least have right to have contingency plans know the Premier League as we fore games resume. away any of the details of the pri- tancing issues but we think there be forced to play at a neutral a trophy presentation. in place, but there is optimism at know and love it won’t be fully But he would not be drawn on vate discussions we are having is a way of completing the season venue when the trophy is within “They (the police) have legiti- the Premier League and at clubs back until we have fans back whether an unweighted points- with our clubs.” with VAR, so absolutely our in- reach on police advice. mate concerns but we think we that we will see fans back in the through the turnstiles.” per-game model would be used in tention is to complete the season Police chiefs are concerned can mitigate some of the issues stadiums next season and it may The biggest concern for ‘Project decide the fi nal table in the event ‘LEGITIMATE CONCERNS’ with VAR in place,” he said.