Europe

The Czech Republic will go ahead with next week's UEFA Nations League match against Scotland but will field a different team than the one that beat Slovakia on Friday due to COVID-19 concerns, a team spokesman said on Saturday.

Shortly after their 3-1 victory against Slovakia, the Czech FA said in a statement that Monday's game against Scotland would not take place due to the "current situation with COVID-19."

ANNOUNCEMENT:

LISBON — The Portuguese man behind the Football Leaks website said at the start of his trial on Friday that he was proud to be a whistleblower on European soccer clubs' big-money dealings.

Rui Pinto, a 31-year-old former history student and self-taught computer mastermind, faces 90 charges — from unauthorised access to data and violation of correspondence to attempted extortion — in the case at Lisbon's Central Criminal Court.

Gareth Bale will consider a return to the Premier League if his current club Real Madrid allow him to end his stint in Spain, the Wales international has said.

The 31-year-old was on the verge of leaving for Chinese club Jiangsu Suning last year before the deal fell through and he barely featured for Real in their run to the LaLiga title when the campaign resumed after the COVID-19 stoppage.

Despite winning four Champions League titles with Real, Bale has divided opinion in Spain because of a perceived lack of commitment and poor injury record.

Manchester United have signed Netherlands midfielder Donny van de Beek from Ajax Amsterdam on a five-year contract, the Premier League club said on Wednesday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed but British media reported that United paid an initial fee of 35 million pounds ($47 million) for the 23-year-old.

Donny van de Beek Transfer Fee: $47 million

Hi everyone,

Hope you're well.

Three Paris Saint-Germain players have tested positive for COVID-19, the Ligue 1 club said on Wednesday.

The club declined to comment when contacted by Reuters about the identity of the players but French sports daily L'Equipe reported Neymar, Angel Di Maria and Leandro Paredes tested positive after returning from Ibiza.

In a strictly sporting sense, the worst part of the pandemic was definitely the postponement of Euro 2020. On the one hand it deprived us of a month-long carnival of joy (the expanded 2016 tourney was thrilling with Wales and Iceland getting out of pocket and Portugal claiming top prize despite winning only one match in regular time), and on the other it reminded us of how dumb it is to host a major international tournament in 12 different countries (Did you ask for this? I didn’t ask for this).

But the countdown is once again on with Euro 2020 Part Deux just 283 days away!

In the wake of Barcelona’s humiliating 8-2 defeat to Bayern Munich, club president Josep Maria Bartomeu spoke of “a disaster” that necessitated “some decisions” because “this isn’t the Barça that we believe in.”

Arsenal have signed Brazilian centre back Gabriel Magalhaes from French side Lille on a long-term contract, the Premier League club said on Tuesday.

Financial details of the deal were not disclosed but British media reported Arsenal paid around 27 million pounds ($36.29 million) for the 22-year-old.

 Welcome to The Arsenal, @biel_m04!  pic.twitter.com/xT1idCej8r