Sports World: Give Reds title if no further play: Houllier

LONDON • Former Liverpool manager Gerard Houllier believes his old club should be awarded the Premier League title even if the season is not completed because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 72-year-old Frenchman, who led the Reds to the FA Cup, League Cup and Uefa Cup in 2001, feels the English top flight should follow Ligue 1's lead in calling off the French campaign and awarding the title to Paris Saint-Germain.

Liverpool are 25 points clear at the top with nine games left and are just two wins shy of their first league title in 30 years.

REUTERS

LONDON • Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel made his e-sports debut on Saturday in Legends Trophy races that also featured retired Formula One world champions Emerson Fittipaldi and Jenson Button.

The German has some time on his hands with the F1 season yet to get started because of the Covid-19 crisis. The four-time champion finished 15th and 12th respectively in the two virtual races on the Sepang circuit, which hosted the Malaysian Grand Prix from 1999 to 2017.

REUTERS

BERLIN • German Interior Minister Horst Seehofer yesterday backed a restart for the Bundesliga season this month without fans as the government prepares for a key meeting this week.

Chancellor Angela Merkel is expected to decide on Wednesday on a potential resumption of sports activities and Seehofer has thrown his support behind the proposal, provided matches are behind closed doors and teams are fully quarantined in the event of a positive Covid-19 test.

REUTERS

BRUSSELS • Manchester City midfielder Kevin de Bruyne believes the Premier League season will be finished despite the coronavirus pandemic "because the financial aspect is far too important".

"My feeling is that we may be able to train again within two weeks. The government wants to restart football as soon as possible to give people something. I think this season will be finished," he told Belgian daily Het Laatste Nieuws.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE