6 April 16, 2020

European Soccer Set Asian Football Tournaments to for UEFA-Led Talks on Go Ahead This Year, Official Says Restart Options of the Asian Football Confedera- tournaments to go ahead “for tion (AFC), said he was confident sporting reasons and to fulfill com- that the AFC Champions League mercial obligations”, he said. and AFC Cup would both be com- His comments came after the pleted. AFC on Tuesday announced the Both tournaments, featuring indefinite postponement of all teams from throughout Asia, matches scheduled for May and Central Asia and the Middle June due to the virus. East, are on hold until at least The Champions League, the re- the end of June after COVID-19 gion’s premier club competition, shuttered professional sport and the second-tier AFC Cup worldwide. were both halted in March as the “Both will be played this year. pandemic’s spread forced govern- We still have time,” John told AFP, ments to impose strict travel re- adding that new dates for the com- strictions. GENEVA (AP) -- UEFA will host bodies making quick decisions to petitions may be known by the end Both tournaments are on an in- another round of talks next week end its domestic season. A joint of April. creasingly tight schedule, with the However, John did not rule out 32-team Champions League need- with European soccer leaders as statement was issued two weeks KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia official told AFP, although games matches being played without fans ing to complete four rounds of they look for a way to end the shut- ago with the European Leagues (AFP) - Asia’s top football competi- may have to be played behind closed “if that’s what the health authori- group-stage matches in July before down caused by the coronavirus and European Club Association tions will go ahead this year despite doors. ties need”. the postponed knock-out phase be- pandemic. groups to warn that Champions the coronavirus pandemic, a senior Windsor John, general secretary The AFC is determined for both gins in August. The UEFA executive committee League entries were at risk if is set to join by video link on April leagues act too soon. 23, European soccer’s governing Of the big leagues, Germany’s Tour de France Postponed to August 29-September 20 body said Tuesday. That will fol- Bundesliga looks closest to a re- PARIS (AFP) - The Tour de With the Tokyo Olympic Games low separate days of calls with turn to action with players back in France will take place from August and football’s Euro 2020 show- UEFA’s 55 member federations training and talk of games resum- 29 to September 20, organizers an- piece both delayed by a year, and officials representing clubs, ing in May in stadiums without nounced on Wednesday, postpon- the Tour is the last major event leagues and player unions. fans. ing the race originally slated to remaining on the summer sports UEFA is giving priority to com- However, a meeting of Bundes- start on June 27 due to the corona- calendar. virus pandemic. As a result of the date switch, pleting national league and cup liga clubs due this Friday has The new dates, the latest ever the Spanish three-week cycling competitions, which would best been delayed until April 23, the for the Tour founded in 1903, fol- tour La Vuelta a Espana sched- stabilize Europe’s soccer economy same date that UEFA’s leadership low French President Emmanuel uled for August 14 to September by trying to fulfill broadcasting meets. Macron’s extension on Monday 6 is also likely to be rearranged. contracts worth billions of dollars. The UEFA executive commit- of a ban on public gatherings until The event is owned by the Tour mid-July. de France organizers and it ap- Though there is no clear end to tee last month cleared space for a While the news comes as a relief pears that a clash of dates will not the lockdown, one best-case con- potential restart by postponing the to professional cycling teams and be permitted. tingency plan drafted by UEFA is European Championship by one fans, it moves the three-week race “Let’s be clear on this, the for domestic games to continue year to 2021 - with the knock-on out of its traditional slot during Vuelta and the Tour will not be into July and August. effect of more congestion in the the summer holidays where fes- run concurrently,” Vuelta director This season’s Champions national-team fixture calendar. tive roadside crowds of around 12 Tour de France finish on the Champs-Elysees in Paris Javier Guillen told Spanish media million would be expected. on Wednesday. League and Europa League could Other UEFA-organized games then resume once domestic titles now affected include qualifying are decided. Both were halted dur- groups for the 2022 World Cup - ing the round of 16 in March. due to start next March - and the Marathon Champ Wanjiru Fails Dope Test, Suspended With UEFA talks pending, Bel- next Nations League finals tour- which is a violation under the World formed me about how this can hap- gium’s federation said the na- nament. Its five-day slot in June Athletics Anti-Doping Rules. pen and I have come to realize there tional top-tier league will no 2021 is now taken by Euro 2020. “There was a violation of can be hundreds of reasons found longer decide Wednesday on a The women’s Euro 2021 tourna- Wanjiru’s Athlete Biological why HB is fluctuating. I feel I am recommendation to end the sea- ment in England is also in line to Passport (ABP), which moni- already seen as a sinner of doping, son and declare the current stand- be delayed one year. That would tors athletes’ selected biological but I am not. I am innocent. It’s very ings final. A league assembly will avoid a clash with the men’s tour- variables over time,” AIU said painful what’s happening to me instead happen after the UEFA nament, which has seven games in a statement. now,” said Wanjiru on Wednesday meeting, the Belgian soccer body played in London at Wembley “In doping cases, a Provisional in Nairobi. said Tuesday. Stadium, including the final and Suspension is mandatory under the Though he had been running and UEFA does not want national semifinals. World Athletics Anti-Doping Rules winning marathons, Wanjiru’s big- following an adverse analytical gest win was in 2017 when he Xavi Repeats Desire to One finding for any non-specified sub- emerged from obscurity to beat stance on the Prohibited List,” it Ethiopia’s legendary runner Ken- Day Coach Barca NAIROBI (Xinhua) -- Kenya’s rity Unit (AIU) tightens the noose. said. enisa Bekele to lift the London Daniel Wanjiru, a former London However, Wanjiru is adamant he is However, Wanjiru in his defense Marathon title. marathon champion, is the latest ca- innocent. said he is innocent and will prove it He was then selected to represent sualty to have failed a doping test. AIU announced the provisionally before AIU. Kenya at the World Champion- Wanjiru joins a ballooning list suspension of Wanjiru with imme- “I am clean in the sports I do. ships, also in London, but he failed of Kenyans who have been caught diate effect after his Athlete Bio- The ABP finding is confusing and to shine coming home in position cheating as the Athletics Integ- logical Passport showed variations, frustrating me. Specialists have in- eight. Eyes 2.4bn State-Guaranteed Coronavirus Loan BARLIN (AFP) - German sports- “One of the conditions...is that wear maker Adidas said it had re- Adidas de facto suspends dividend ceived approval for a 3 billion euro payments for the duration of the ($3.3 bn) loan largely funded by facility,” the company said, adding the German government to help it that it would “repay any used por- Sadd’s coach Xavi reacts during the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup football match between weather the impact of the coronavi- tion of the loan, including interest ’s Al-Sadd and New Caledonia’s Hienghene Sport at the Jassim Bin Hamad Sta- rus crisis. and fees, as quickly as possible.” dium in the Qatari capital on Dec 11, 2019. “Today, the company received It is one of the biggest examples MADRID (Dispatches) - For- on YouTube, he admitted that his the approval of the German gov- yet of German companies making mer FC Barcelona midfielder Xavi ambition is to coach in the Camp ernment for the participation of use of a huge government rescue Hernandez admits that one day he Nou. KfW, Germany’s state-owned de- package aimed at cushioning the would like to return to coach FC “Now I have tried as a coach, I velopment bank, in a syndicated impact of the pandemic on Eu- Barcelona. think I’m able to do it and it is a Xavi is currently in charge of dream to be able to return to Bar- revolving loan facility...to bridge rope’s top economy. Qatari club Al-Sadd and in Janu- celona.” prise 2.4 billion euros from Ger- Adidas’ partner banks including this unprecedented situation,” Adi- Tourism giant TUI sealed a simi- ary rejected the chance to replace “I have said it many times, that I das said in a statement. man public lender KfW, with a HSBC, UniCredit and Deutsche lar, 1.8 billion euro KfW loan last the sacked Ernesto Valverde at the consider Barcelona to be my home The syndicated loan would com- further 600 million coming from Bank, the company said. week. club. However, in an interview and my life,” he said.