Brescia chief would rather forfeit games
ROME • Massimo Cellino, the president of Brescia, yesterday said that it makes no sense to try to complete the Serie A season, claiming he would rather forfeit football matches than risk his players' health.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Wednesday confirmed that lockdown restrictions would remain in place until at least April 13 due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Refuting suggestions he wanted the campaign to be called off so that bottom side Brescia could stave off relegation, Cellino insisted that to "go back to business is pure madness".
REUTERS
Overmars blasts efforts to play on
AMSTERDAM • Ajax technical director Marc Overmars on Wednesday expressed astonishment at plans to try to complete the Dutch Eredivisie season, comparing the country's football association, KNVB, and Uefa to United States President Donald Trump.
His irritated reaction came in response to the KNVB saying it would attempt to finish the season, currently suspended owing to the coronavirus outbreak, by Aug 3.
He slammed the decision as being "about money and not people's well-being" and accused the KNVB of "hiding behind Uefa".
REUTERS
beIN Sports also stopping payments
PARIS • beIN Sports said in a letter that it was suspending payments to Ligue 1, leaving the top French football league with little broadcast revenue for the rest of the season after measures to stop the spread of Covid-19 forced it to stop matches.
The league was expecting payments of €42 million (S$65.6 million) from the Qatari-owned broadcaster for the rest of the campaign.
The decision follows news earlier this week that Canal Plus, its dominant broadcaster in this cycle of rights, was reducing payments.
BLOOMBERG
Jones taking England to 2023 World Cup
LONDON • Eddie Jones will stay on as England coach up to the 2023 Rugby World Cup in France after concluding "the project hadn't finished", the Australian confirmed yesterday.
The 60-year-old, whose contract was set to expire in August 2021, had been in talks over a new deal since guiding England to last year's final in Japan, where they lost to South Africa.
The former Japan and Australia boss told a media conference that he was confident he could "add to the growth of the team" and that the Red Rose were "a good fit for me".
REUTERS
Only one warm-up event for Tour
PARIS • Cycling's shutdown was extended until June owing to the coronavirus pandemic, meaning the Criterium du Dauphine, a one-week stage race in France, will be postponed, the organisers said on Wednesday night.
This leaves only one remaining warm-up race, the Tour de Suisse, that is still scheduled to run ahead of the June 27-July 19 Tour de France, the sport's most prestigious race.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
