PL clubs agree to five substitutes for rest of season
Premier League clubs will be able to use five substitutes, rather than the usual three, when the season resumes on June 17, it was announced.
The changes will be temporary to mitigate the packed schedule clubs will have after a three-month suspension caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. A majority of teams face nine matches in a six-week period.
“For the remainder of the 2019/20 season, the number of substitutes that can be used during a match will increase from three to five players,” a Premier League statement said after a meeting on Thursday.
Clubs will be able to have nine substitutes on the bench, up from the usual seven.
GERMANY, PORTUGAL IN FRAY FOR CL FINAL
Germany and Portugal are contenders to host the delayed Champions League final which is due to be moved from Istanbul, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press.
A June 17 meeting of UEFA’S executive committee will decide the new location for the August final, with that country also set to stage the quarter-finals and semi-finals, the person said.
‘BALE MAY NOT RETURN TO PREMIER LEAGUE’
Bale’s agent says the Real Madrid forward is unlikely to return to the Premier League because he wants to finish his career at the Bernabeu.
”He has a very nice lifestyle. I don’t see why he doesn’t see his career out at Madrid, probably,” Bale’s agent Jonathan Barnett told the BBC on Thursday.
“As I’ve always said, he’s quite happy in Madrid. It’s his life that he wants to lead. Financially, he will want for nothing the rest of his life, and his children and grandchildren.”
MESSI IN DOUBT AFTER MISSING PRACTICE
Messi’s presence in next week’s return of the Spanish league was put in doubt by some Barcelona media after he trained separately from the group on Wednesday.
Even though Barcelona said there was no reason to worry about Messi, Catalan channel TV3 said Messi has a minor thigh muscle problem that could keep him from being ready to play in June 13 match at Mallorca.
PORTO SUFFER LOSS IN PRIMEIRA LIGA RETURN
Leaders Porto suffered a shock 2-1 defeat at Famalicao as Portugal’s Primeira Liga became the latest league to return to action on Wednesday.
All matches are being played behind closed doors but videos showed an estimated 200 Porto fans gathering behind barriers outside the stadium, singing and waving flags. Most were wearing masks but did not appear to follow social distancing norms.