Mitchell Marsh lands Australia contract; Khawaja among six axed FRIDAY, MAY 1, 2020 PAGE 10 PSG AWARDED LIGUE 1 TITLE AFP The identity of the other Eu- PARIS ropean representatives depends on whether the finals of the two PARIS Saint-Germain were domestic cups are ever played. named as Ligue 1 champions on Large gatherings of people Thursday after France’s football remain banned in France until league declared the coronavi- September. rus-hit season over. However, if the French gov- PSG led the table by 12 ernment and UEFA accept, both points from Marseille when the finals could be staged in early season was suspended in mid- August with European places March because of the Covid-19 still up for grabs. The LFP then outbreak, which has gone on hopes to begin next season by to kill over 24,000 people in August 23 “at the latest”. France. PSG were due to play Lyon A woman walks past an image of Diego Maradona during the lock- The announcement by the in the League Cup final and down in Argentina. (AFP) LFP comes after Prime Min- Saint-Etienne in the French ister Edouard Philippe said Cup final. If the games are even- on Tuesday that “professional tually played, Lyon and Saint- sports leagues, notably foot- Etienne could qualify for the Maradona pleads ball, cannot restart” because of Europa League by winning. the pandemic. Otherwise, Nice and “There is no ambigu- Reims would qualify by virtue for ‘Hand of God’ ity about this declaration. We Paris Saint-Germain superstars Kylian Mbappe and Neymar. PSG have been named French champions for of finishing in fifth and sixth needed to make a final decision the seventh time in eight years after the season was declared over on Thursday. (AFP) in the league. about this season. We acknowl- Lyon -- seventh in the table to end pandemic edge that the 2019-20 season is when the season was stopped over,” said LFP president Nath- -- would otherwise miss out on AFP the World Cup in Mexico by alie Boy de la Tour, in a confer- European qualification for the BUENOS AIRES saying “it was the Hand of ence call with reporters. first time in over two decades. God!” France becomes the biggest Ironically, they were still ARGENTINE football legend Argentina went on to European league yet to end its We wish to dedicate this title to involved in this season’s Diego Maradona has asked beat England 2-1 in the season, just as its neighbours Champions League when it the “Hand of God” to deliver quarter-final. in England, Germany, Italy and all health workers and other was suspended, leading Ju- the world from the coronavi- On being thrown a life- Spain consider ways of resum- everyday heroes whose ventus 1-0 after the first leg of rus pandemic and allow nor- line by the suspension of ing matches. their last-16 tie. mal life to resume. the season, he told Argen- Ruling out any possibility of commitment and self-sacrifice Lyon president Jean- The World Cup winner tine daily Clarin: “It’s not copying the Netherlands, who throughout these long weeks Michel Aulas had previously referred to his hand-assist- the ending we had wanted, voided their season without a stated his hope that the season ed goal in the 1986 World we were convinced we could champion, relegation or pro- deserve our admiration. could still be played to a con- Cup after Argentine foot- save ourselves on the pitch.” motion, the LFP arranged a fi- PSG president clusion in August. ball chiefs voted to end the Argentina has been in nal table on the basis of average Nasser al Khelaifi “Maybe there will be ap- current season as well as lockdown since March 20 points per game. peals, but the decisions taken... suspend relegation, saving against the coronavirus, Ten rounds of matches re- are solid,” said LFP director Maradona-managed bottom which by early Wednesday mained when the campaign was general Didier Quillot. club Gimnasia from the drop. had infected 4,114 people halted, although PSG and Stras- other everyday heroes whose France under strict lockdown. pions League, while fourth- Nevertheless, for all clubs, “Today this happened to with 207 deaths. bourg both had a game in hand. commitment and self-sacrifice “We understand, respect placed Lille will play in the the economic consequences of us and many people say it The 59-year-old Mara- As a result, PSG are cham- throughout these long weeks and support the decisions taken Europa League. ending the season now could is a new Hand of God,” said dona, appointed to manage pions with an average of 2.52 deserve our admiration,” by the French government to be dire. Maradona, alluding to his struggling Gimnasia in Sep- points per game, with An- said PSG president Nasser al stop the season. Health, as the ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES Resuming matches behind infamous goal against Eng- tember, said clubs in Ar- dre Villas-Boas’s Marseille Khelaifi in a statement. government has always said, Toulouse and Amiens, the closed doors would have safe- land. gentina are facing years of second with an average of 2 It is PSG’s ninth French must be everyone’s priority,” bottom two, are condemned guarded TV income, but the loss “But today I’m asking for financial difficulty. points and qualifying for the title, the seventh in eight sea- added Al-Khelaifi, whose club to relegation, with Lorient, as for clubs in the top two divisions that hand to end this pan- “Hopefully it is under- Champions League. sons for the Qatar-owned club still hope to be able to continue champions, and Lens coming of remaining payments from demic so people can go back stood that we have to face being awarded in unique cir- their Champions League cam- up from Ligue 2. broadcasters Canal Plus and to living their lives, healthy what’s coming together, for TITLE DEDICATED TO HEALTH cumstances and with many of paign having reached the quar- However, Toulouse have beIN Sports is believed to be as and happy.” the good of football. No-one WORKERS their foreign players -- includ- ter-finals before action stopped. kept open the possibil- high as €243 million ($266 mil- Then-Argentine captain is like Rambo in this war, “We wish to dedicate this ing Neymar -- having returned Rennes finish third and ity that they might now take lion), plus €35 million for inter- Maradona responded to the because even Rambo loses title to all health workers and to their home countries with also qualify for the Cham- legal action. national rights. controversy over his goal at against this.” Football’s return ‘good for Coronavirus could affect international everyone’, says Mourinho football for ‘two or three years’ TRIBUNE NEWS NETWORK AFP complete the season despite be good for every one of us,” he DOHA LONDON the logistical difficulties. said. “It will be good for football, “I miss football,” Mourinho for the Premier League. LARS-CHRISTER Olsson, pres- TOTTENHAM manager Jose told Sky Sports from the Totten- “If we play football behind ident of the European Leagues, Mourinho believes bringing ham Hotspur stadium, which closed doors I’d like to think says that assessing the impact of football back, even behind has been transformed to house that football is never behind the pandemic, would be a case closed doors, would be a much- a testing centre, outpatient ser- closed doors. of “wait and see” including the needed morale boost for fans vices for a local hospital and a “With cameras, it means 2022 Qatar World Cup. starved of action during the food distribution hub. that millions and millions are The UEFA executive com- coronavirus crisis. “But I prefer to say I miss watching. So if one day we walk mittee member was speaking No Premier League games our world, like I think we all do. into this empty stadium, it will as a panelist at a Sport Integ- have been played since March Football is just part of my world. not be empty, not at all.” rity Global Alliance (SIGA) & 9 due to the pandemic, which But we have to be patient, this is Soccerex Webinar titled ‘Covid has claimed more than 26,000 a fight that we all have to fight.” KANE BACK? 360: Where does football go British lives. Even if matches can re- Prior to the shutdown, now’, moderated by CNN’s Dutch football chiefs have turn, they will be played behind Mourinho said he could not sport anchor Armanda Davies. Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) & Soccerex Webinar titled ‘Covid 360: Where does football go now’, called an end to the Eredivisie closed doors for the foreseeable wait for the season to end due to It included Michele Cen- moderated by CNN’s sport anchor Armanda Davies. season while French sports future to minimise the risk of a debilitating list of injuries. tenaro, board member of the minister Roxana Maracine- spreading the virus. Yet Spurs could make a European Club Association, affect the business. it has an effect on Qatar 2022 Qatar World Cup. “I think the anu on Thursday called for Mourinho, though, believes late run to finish in the top four Jonas Baer-Hoffman, Secre- “This is the biggest crisis World Cup or the European question of whether the format the French league to end the players will still be putting on should the campaign get back tary General of FIFPro and that has happened to football Championship, which are the of the calendar has worked in Ligue 1 season.