European soccer scraps internationals
Move among several made by UEFA due to coronavirus
UEFA postponed more matches and deadlines on Wednesday without giving any firm indication on when European soccer might be able to resume, as it continues to grapple with the challenge of completing competitions that have been suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.
The governing body couldn’t even put a definitive timeframe on when this season’s Champions League and Europa League must be resumed, having been suspended midway through the round of
16. However, it is contemplating the idea of having the domestic season run through the summer into August — if games can resume on time amid nationwide lockdowns because of the virus.
UEFA’s executive committee also decided Tuesday to indefinitely postpone national team matches that had already been rescheduled once to June, including playoff qualifiers to complete the 24-team lineup for the European Championship. That tournament was pushed back a year to 2021.
UEFA last week had little option but to postpone club competition finals that were due to be played in May, including the Champions League final in Istanbul. Timeframes for the return of leading European domestic leagues that were also scheduled to finish in May are also hard to set due to lack of certainty over when forms of lockdowns and social distancing can be eased.
One scenario discussed during a meeting of the 55 European football nations during a video conference on Wednesday was trying to complete all leagues by Aug. 3. UEFA said that would require resuming competitions in the second half of June which it acknowledges might not be feasible. The leagues provide a path to determine qualification for the Champions League and some Europa League slots.
UEFA has put the focus on finishing league seasons by scrapping the June slot for national team games, saying they “remain postponed until further notice.” The Euro 2020 playoffs were originally scheduled for March 26-31 and have now lost their June 4-9 dates. The playoffs will decide the last four places in the 24-nation lineup.
■ MLS plans to cut the pay of some executives and front office personnel while the season is on hold because of the coronavirus pandemic, The AP reported. MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Deputy Commissioners Mark Abbott and Gary Stevenson will take 20% cuts in salary starting April 16. Other cuts would range from 20% to 10% for managerial staff. Lower salaried employees, like entry-level hires, would see no reduction in pay.
Baseball: MLB officially canceled a two-game series in London between the Cubs and the Cardinals because of the coronavirus pandemic. The teams had been scheduled to play at Olympic Stadium on June 13 and 14.
Basketball: Nets GM Sean Marks announced that the four players who tested positive for COVID-19 completed their two weeks of isolation and are now symptom-free. The Nets announced March 17 that four players had tested positive, with Kevin Durant telling The Athletic he was among them.
NHL: The Senators announced that four more members of the organization tested positive for COVID-19. The Senators previously had two players test positive.