From the Editor
Whether football learns any lessons from this global pandemic remains to be seen
By the time you read this, Euro 2020 is likely to have been delayed until later this year, or even next year.
It will be a major shock if the tournament has been cancelled completely. Cash is king in modern football, and the Euros generate most of UEFA’s disposable income; in contrast, the Champions League may be a money-driven competition, but most of its surplus is channelled back to the competing clubs in prize money and TV “market pool” payments. Many of the smaller member federations of UEFA, who make up a political majority within the organisation, rely heavily on financial support from the continental governing body.
Ironically, the format of Euro 2020 was designed to spread football’s wealth more equally around the continent, from Baku to Bucharest. But the pan-continental structure has served only to aid the spread of coronavirus.
Whether football learns any lessons from this global pandemic remains to be seen. The international calendar is already stretched to breaking point, with UEFA and FIFA on a collision course over plans for an expanded Club World Cup next summer.
Will smaller clubs be compensated for loss of income from postponed matches? Will fans be recompensed by clubs and TV companies? It is supporters, after all, who fund the game through their season tickets and TV subscriptions. Perhaps everybody has to take a hit and acknowledge that, in the future, less can be more.
Whatever happens to the remainder of the 2019-20 season, some stories deserve to be recognised. Atalanta’s passage to the quarter-finals of the Champions League is no flash-in-the-pan tale (page 42). And much has already been written about teenager Erling
Haaland (page 48) but his remarkable performances demand further attention.
including Juventus-Internazionale, were played behind closed doors.
JAPAN
The the new J.League season kicked off but was postponed after the opening round of games. A further decision to postpone the league is expected.
SWITZERLAND
The Swiss league became the first European competition to be postponed after the government banned all gatherings of over 1,000 people.
GERMANY
The match between Borussia Monchengladbach and Cologne became the first Geisterspiel (game played behind closed doors) in the history of the Bundesliga. Two Hanover players, Timo Hubers and Jannes Horn, were the first Germany-based players to test positive, prompting all Bundesliga and 2 Bundesliga games to be suspended until April 2.
Borussia Dortmund became the first European club to cancel a summer tour of China and Asia, while the 2006 World Cup corruption trial was delayed after ex-DFB bosses stayed at home, pleading coronavirus concerns because of their age.
SOUTH KOREA
The start of the K.League was postponed indefinitely, while the Korean FA cancelled the World Cup qualifiers set for March and June.
FRANCE
All Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 matches have been postponed indefinitely.
Paris Saint-Germain’s Champions League round-of-16 second leg against Borussia Dortmund was played behind closed doors, but PSG ultras congregated outside the stadium at Parc des Princes to celebrate their side’s victory.
Marseille coach Andre Villas-Boas criticised those, saying: “It’s ridiculous. For them it was a great celebration, but think about your family.
If I found out my family was infected indirectly by someone in the crowd, I’d file a complaint against the police.”
SPAIN
La Liga was suspended after the Real Madrid squad were placed in quarantine following a positive test for a basketball player (the basketball team share a sporting training complex with the football team).
The Copa del Rey Final, the all-Basque tie between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad due to be played on April 18, had already been postponed. Spanish federation Luis Rubiales said they should wait “as long as it takes until fans can be in the stands”.
Getafe’s Europa League tie with Internazionale was cancelled after the Spanish side refused to travel to Italy.
GREECE
Olympiakos owner Evangelos Marinakis announced on social media that he had had a “visit” from the coronavirus.
REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
The FAI announced the suspension of all football activity until March 29 after Linfield confirmed that one of their players had tested positive.
ENGLAND
After initially following government advice to carry on playing matches, all games in the Premier League, FA Cup and Football League were postponed until April 3. The decision followed positive tests for Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta and Chelsea midfielder Callum Hudson-Odoi.
FIFA
The annual FIFA Congress, scheduled to be held in Ethiopia in June, has been postponed until September.
SOUTH AMERICA
The CONMEBOL World Cup qualifying section, due to kick off in March, was postponed, while group matches in the Copa Libertadores were also suspended.
USA
Seattle Sounders were the first MLS side to postpone a match, calling off their March 21 home game against Dallas. That was followed by a general league-wide suspension for at least
30 days until the middle of April. The USA internationals in March were also postponed.
ARGENTINA
All sporting events in Buenos Aires were ordered to be played behind closed doors.
UEFA
UEFA came under fire for the delay in talking to its member federations about postponing its competitions. A decision was expected on March 17 over rescheduling of the Champions League and Europa League, and a possible delay or postponement of Euro 2020.
The immediate problem was the Euro 2020 play-offs. Romania, with many players based in Italy and the USA who would be unable to travel, asked for their tie in Iceland to be cancelled. Similarly Bosnia asked UEFA to postpone their game with Northern Ireland and the Slovakian FA asked UEFA to postpone their match against Republic of Ireland.
The second leg, round-of-16 Champions
League matches Manchester City v Real Madrid and Juventus v Lyon were postponed, prompting serious doubts over whether the competition could be completed this season.
The Europa League was thrown into chaos with the Sevilla v Roma and Internazionale v Getafe last-16 first legs postponed. LASK against Manchester United was played behind closed doors, with United paying £350 towards the travel costs of every supporter who bought a ticket for the game in Austria. Wolves’ request to postpone their game against Olympiakos in Athens was denied by UEFA.
CONCACAF
The CONCACAF Champions League was suspended with immediate effect
PORTUGAL
Portugal suspended its top-tier and second-tier league championships.
IRAN
Reports that Elham Sheikhi of Iranian futsal team from Qom had died of the virus were false, although someone with the same name and from the same city had passed away.