BAYERN PRESIDENT BELIEVES CRISIS CAN BE SPUR FOR CLUBS TO CUT BACK ON ‘EXCESSES’ IN SPORT

GERMANY

THE Bundesliga is engaged in a debate over cutting back on the ‘excesses’ of modern football, as the economic impact of the coronavirus shutdown hits even the most stable of clubs. Bayern Munich president Herbert Hainer and former manager Jupp Heynckes both leapt into the argument yesterday. Heynckes branded the spending of some clubs ‘immoral’ — while Hainer called for a rethink on the entire model. Plans to restart the Bundesliga will be discussed again on Wednesday, with Germany’s sports minister yesterday backing plans to resume the season this month. But a battle for the soul of the game is being played out alongside this scrap for survival. Hainer, who said Bayern would emerge ‘stronger’ from this crisis, said: ‘I also see an opportunity to think about and discuss excesses in football — in order to do better in the future.’ Heynckes chipped in with a plea to those who run clubs, telling Die Welt: ‘We have to find a way back to more normality. ‘We have to row back in terms of transfer fees and salaries, which have been immoral to some extent. ‘I think that during the crisis, some clubs have realised how important it is to be commercially astute.’ Three positive tests at FC Cologne have prompted concerns, meanwhile, over whether Germany is ready to risk football coming back. Cologne midfielder Birger Verstraete hinted at unease within the ranks, saying: ‘If players could decide anonymously, I’m curious to see how the vote would go.’ But sports minister Horst Seehofer has approved a resumption of play, saying: ‘I consider the timetable of the DFL plausible and support a restart in May.’

SPAIN

THE Spanish Footballers’ Association have threatened to scupper plans for La Liga to return this week. The players’ union

wrote to the Spanish Ministry of Health asking for more details on restart plans before giving their approval. They have particular concerns over players being confined to quarters, with no access to family, for two months. They are expected to have further talks with La Liga chiefs, raising other issues regarding testing and health risks, before giving the all-clear for members to play again. Spain’s national sports council, the CSD, has stipulated that football must move through four phases — starting with solo training and ending with full practice — without serious setback before the season is resumed.

FRANCE

AMIENS star Alexis Blin has branded his team’s relegation — without playing the Ligue 1 season out in full — an ‘unfair decision lacking in sporting equality’. The midfielder said: ‘I put myself in the place of people who have vulnerable relatives and I say to myself that the best thing is to put an end to all this — and to resume when sanitary conditions allow. ‘It was the right decision to stop the season. But to put Amiens into Ligue 2, I obviously disagree with that.’

ITALY

ITALIAN clubs are resuming training, as one of the countries hardest hit by the pandemic scrambles to get Serie A back on track. All 20 top-flight sides — including those who had players hospitalised with coronavirus — anticipate some sort of activity at training grounds this week. Parma players were due back on duty, in small groups only, this morning, while Inter Milan expect to have the majority of their squad returning tomorrow. But a number of sides without large accommodation blocks at their training grounds are scrambling around for hotel bookings to keep players in quarantine once the season restarts.