Premier League Clubs Vote to Resume Contact Training
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CRICKET | Page 3 ICE HOCKEY | Page 4 Preparations on NHL to restart for T20 World with 24-team Cup this year, playoff in two says ICC hub cities Thursday, May 28, 2020 TENNIS Shawwal 5, 1441 AH Roland Garros GULF TIMES planning for fans not empty seats SPORT Page 2 FOOTBALL FOCUS Italy finally set to Premier League decide on Serie clubs vote to resume A resumption contact training ‘It is hard to see other countries playing football and we don’t do it’ AFP Reuters enthusiastic than others. London, United Kingdom Rome, Italy While Lazio, who were on a 21-match unbeaten league run before Serie A was suspended remier League clubs fter weeks of wran- and are one point behind leaders voted unanimously yes- gling, with several U- Juventus, are raring to go, others terday to resume con- turns on the way, Italy such as bottom side Brescia seem Ptact training as the Eng- Ais due to decide today less keen. lish top-flight took a significant if and when its top-flight Serie Brescia at one point threat- step towards restarting in June. A soccer league can resume after ened to forfeit matches if Serie A The Premier League was put the coronavirus stoppage. resumed and they were the last on hold in March due to the Possibly encouraged by seeing club to resume training. coronavirus pandemic, with how Germany’s Bundesliga has One of the stumbling blocks to Liverpool just two wins away restarted without problems so a resumption of the league was from sealing the title. far, the Italian government ap- the government’s insistence that Clubs returned to training pears to have relaxed its position if a player tested positive for the in small and socially distanced recently. coronavirus, the whole squad groups last week but they have Sports Minister Vincenzo would have to be quarantined but now moved to stage two of the Spadafora, who is due to meet this has since been dropped. “return to training protocol”. the head of the Italian Foot- Teams will however still be “Premier League sharehold- ball Federation (FIGC) Gabriele subject to strict measures, simi- ers today voted unanimously Gravina ahead of the announce- lar to those adopted by the Bun- to resume contact training, ment, says the most likely out- desliga. marking another step towards come is a restart on June 13 or 20. There will be no mascots, restarting the Premier League But only last month, he had handshakes or team photographs season, when safe to do so,” the warned that Serie A could go the before matches, children will not league said in a statement. same way as its French counter- accompany teams onto the field “Squads are now able to train In this March 10, 2020, picture, Liverpool players attend a training session at Melwood in Liverpool, United Kingdom, on the eve of their UEFA part Ligue 1 and be called off — a and a maximum of 300 people as a group and engage in tackling Champions League last 16 second leg match against Atletico Madrid. (AFP) comment that he said led him to will be allowed in the stadium. while minimising any unneces- be painted as “the enemy of foot- When travelling by road, sary close contact.” POSITIVE TESTS 12 — behind closed doors — was he could spread the virus to his Mourinho is keen to get play- ball”. squads will have to be spread The decision was made fol- Eight cases of coronavirus described by Premier League five-month-old son. ing again after seeing football “France’s decision would have between two buses and will be lowing consultation with clubs, among players and staff have chief executive Richard Masters French World Cup winner resume elsewhere, with 92 been the easiest one to make. I encouraged to use charter flights players, managers and the gov- been detected from 1,744 tests. last week as a “staging post”. N’Golo Kante has also been games left to play in the Premier didn’t want to do it, I just found it when flying. ernment. In the second-tier Champi- Players and coaches have ar- given permission by Chelsea to League. shameful that I was being asked The players’ union is con- Clubs that have already com- onship, just two positive tests gued they will need more time to train at home. “Honestly, since the moment to decide on Serie A’s resumption cerned about plans to stage some pleted the necessary risk assess- were registered from 1,014 mitigate the risk of injuries after Germany’s Bundesliga, the Bundesliga started, the Portu- at a time when the country was matches at 1630 local time in the ments.are expected to move to tests. such a long lay-off. first of Europe’s big five leagues guese league and Spanish league short of beds in intensive care,” summer months while referees the new phase as soon as Thurs- A series of issues including And some players have voiced to resume, has already complet- announced a date to start, I he said. are hoping for more respect. day. the restart date and plans in the fears over their safety and that ed two rounds of fixtures behind think it is the most difficult mo- “It is right that football can “Was the coronavirus needed The small number of positive event of a curtailment will be of their families due to the virus. closed doors and there has been ment for us, because we want to start again now that the rest of to say that players should keep tests from the first two rounds of discussed when the 20 Premier Watford captain Troy Deeney little player opposition to La play,” he told Sky Sports. the country is starting again.” their distance from the referee testing at Premier League clubs League clubs gather again on has not returned to training after Liga’s plans to return in Spain “It is hard to see other coun- Serie A’s 20 clubs have voted when they protest?,” asked Mar- has raised hopes of a return next Thursday. three positive cases were regis- from June 11. tries playing football and we unanimously in favour of a re- cello Nicchi, head of the Italian month. A targeted return date of June tered by the Hornets. He fears Tottenham manager Jose don’t do it.” start although some appear more referees’ association. COMMENT Lifting trophy in empty stadium would be ‘strange’: Henderson AFP London, United Kingdom iverpool captain Jordan Henderson says playing at an empty Anfield and win- Lning the Premier League title with no fans present would be “pretty strange”. Liverpool were 25 points clear of 2019 champions Manchester City and on the verge of their first English top-flight crown for 30 years when the league was shut down by coro- navirus in March. Clubs returned to training in Liverpool’s Jordan Henderson (also right). small and socially distanced groups last week ahead of a proposed re- race was still not over. “Whether we win it or whatever, start in June. “We still have work to do and we then (receiving) the trophy and the Henderson lifted the Champions still need to perform at a high level fans not being there... you just have League trophy in a packed stadium right the way until the season fin- to deal with it when it comes,” he said. in Madrid last June but is preparing ishes because we want to finish as “Hopefully it does happen. We for a different experience this year. strongly as we can to make sure it is are still in a very good position. “Of course it would feel different a full season,” he said. “It will mean we have won the because if you win any trophy and Henderson, who has been pivotal Premier League and we will all be receive it without any fans there, it in Liverpool’s renaissance under very happy but then we can look to would be pretty strange,” he told the Jurgen Klopp, said he hoped there the future — and whenever fans are BBC. would be a title celebration with allowed back into the stadium, I am The 29-year-old England inter- fans inside Anfield in the future if, as sure we will have some sort of cel- national midfielder said the title appears certain, they finish the job. ebration together.” Gulf Times 2 Thursday, May 28, 2020 SPORT TENNIS INNOVATION Sound of app-lause at empty Japan Roland Garros stadiums soon? AFP to that of a live crowd. Tokyo, Japan The firm deployed 58 speak- ers at the Ecopa Stadium and invited officials from football new Japanese smart- teams Jubilo Iwata and Shimizu planning for fans phone app will al- S Pulse to send in remote cheers low fans to send vir- and boos. A tual cheers and jeers to “I feel that this system will sports stadiums in the hope of encourage players on the field creating atmosphere at matches by making them feel like their played behind closed doors due fans and supporters are nearby,” to coronavirus. Jubilo’s business strategy offi- Instrument maker Yamaha cial Hiromi Yanagihara said in a not empty seats said its remote cheering system statement issued via Yamaha. will let users tap buttons on the The firm said the system can ‘We have set ourselves a deadline (for resale)... It will be an exceptional tournament’ app to deliver cheers — or boos also be used in the future by — via dozens of speakers placed those unable to attend matches. AFP Vilotte, pointing out that night inside grounds.