FIFA asks British PM to exempt players from quarantine

Demanding that all players be released for World Cup qualifiers, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has asked British Prime Minister Boris Johnson to lift quarantine requirements for footballers to allow them to travel next week to play for their countries.

Infantino himself took advantage of an exemption in place for the European Championship so he could fly into London from Rio de Janeiro in July and avoid the mandatory 10 days of hotel quarantine in England.

The Premier League defied FIFA to decide on Tuesday that almost 60 players from 19 clubs would not be released next week to fly off to qualifiers in 26 countries on Britain’s red list — including all South American nations.

“I have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson and appealed for the necessary support, in particular, so players are not deprived of the opportunity of representing their countries in qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup, which is one of the ultimate honors for a professional footballer,” Infantino said in a statement on Wednesday. “I have suggested that an approach similar to that adopted by the UK government for the final stages of the Euro 2020 be implemented for the upcoming international matches.”

The Confederation of African Football joined FIFA’s call for Britain to extend the “same treatment previously applied to Europe” to players needing to go to Africa for games. Egypt and South Africa are among the African nations on Britain’s red list.

“The circumstances in the African countries on the red list in many cases are in fact less severe than other countries not currently on this list or for which exemptions were previously provided,” CAF said in a statement.

Serie A on Wednesday also said it supports clubs not releasing players to countries where they would have to quarantine on their return to Italy. The Spanish league also said it would support any of its clubs that did not want to release players for international duty with South American teams, over concerns about the lack of recovery time to resume games with their clubs.

Infantino did not directly address the concerns about the scheduling in the statement.

“Together we have shown solidarity and unity in the fight against COVID-19,” Infantino said. “Now, I am urging everyone to ensure the release of international players for the upcoming FIFA World Cup qualifiers.”

MLB

ST. LOUIS — Yadier Molina’s 19th season will be his last.

The 39-year-old St. Louis Cardinals catcher made the announcement a day after agreeing to a $10 million deal for 2022 that represents a $1 million raise.

“It’s hard to keep up in this game to a high level,” Molina said. “When you’re 39, it’s tough. I try my best. I’m pretty sure I’m going to be able to finish strong next year and try to bring the trophy back to St. Louis this year and next year.”

The 10-time All Star and nine-time Gold Glove winner has spent his entire career in the Cardinals organization since the team selected him in the fourth round of the 2000 amateur draft. He helped St. Louis win the World Series in 2006 and 2011.

“This is an exciting moment,” president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. “To have someone want to stay and be a part of something from Day 1 to where their career ends is just remarkable in this day and age.”

Molina was a free agent this offseason before signing a one-year, $9 million deal in February.

“I was thinking about my career and I was planning to retire next year,” he said. “Last year, the free agency was tough for me. I didn’t want to go through that again this year.”

COLLEGE BASEBALL

SAN FRANCISCO — The Pac-12 will hold a conference baseball tournament for the first time next year.

The conference announced that the inaugural Pac12 baseball tournament will be held May 25-29 at Scottsdale Stadium in Arizona. The initial agreement with the city of Scottsdale runs through 2024.

“Creating this tournament is a meaningful way to showcase Pac-12 baseball at an important time of the year,” said Stanford director of baseball David Esquer. “I’m excited for the competitive opportunities the Pac12 Baseball Tournament will provide our programs, the championship experience it will deliver for student-athletes, and the atmosphere it will create in an unbeatable location for both fans of our schools and those who may just be fans of the game.”

The top eight teams during the regular season will earn automatic berths into the double-elimination tournament at the spring training home of the San Francisco Giants. The tournament champion will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament.

The Pac-12 had six teams reach the NCAA Tournament last season, tied for second-highest in league history.

NFL

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Trevor Lawrence will start Jacksonville’s season opener at Houston on Sept. 12, one of the least surprising decisions in franchise history.

Coach Urban Meyer made the announcement giving Lawrence the nod over third-year pro Gardner Minshew after two preseason games and a month of training camp. Meyer expects Lawrence will never have to earn a starting job in the NFL again.

“You can capitalize that if you want. Underline it. Cap it,” Meyer said.

Lawrence, the top pick in the 2021 NFL draft, and Minshew, a two-year starter in Jacksonville, split repetitions with the first-team offense during camp. Meyer wanted “healthy competition” at every position, including quarterback.

ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Denver Broncos are going with the steady over the spectacular.

Coach Vic Fangio informed the team that Teddy Bridgewater has edged incumbent Drew Lock to win the starting quarterback job.

For much of training camp, the QB clash was a drudging one in which neither passer strung together stellar performances from one day to the next, and sometimes not even from one drill to another.

Both of them elevated their play in the preseason, however.

Lock had a splashy game at Minnesota in the preseason opener but Bridgewater won the job with a stellar relief performance against the Vikings and an outstanding start at Seattle.