When your internal calendar is largely synced with the footballing one, it’s difficult to wrap your head around the fact that we’re now approaching mid-June. In the fantasy world before COVID-19, we’d see Euro 2020 begin on Friday; in the actual COVID-19 world, we’ll see the Premier League return Wednesday with a pair of fixtures that were originally scheduled for March 11.
French champion Paris Saint-Germain has signed striker Mauro Icardi on a permanent deal from Inter Milan, the Serie A club said on Sunday. Argentine Icardi, 27, joined PSG in September on a season-long loan with a buy-out option.
"FC Internazionale Milano announces the transfer of Mauro Icardi to Paris Saint-Germain FC: the striker, born in 1993, has permanently moved to the French club," Inter said in a statement. "The club thanks the player for the six seasons he spent with us and wishes him the best for his future professional career."
Of the four teams that’ve already booked their place in the Champions League quarterfinals, no side is as feared as Paris Saint-Germain. In the UCL, PSG’s remarkable front three of Neymar, Kylian Mbappé and Mauro Icardi have combined for 13 goals and six assists in eight games.
According to midfielder Ander Herrera, having “two of the top five players in the world” in Neymar and Mbappé gives PSG every right to believe they can lift Old Big Ears in Istanbul.
On April 1, 2020, the Champions League was suspended until further notice due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Four second leg Round of 16 fixtures had been completed, but four remained to be played, including Juventus vs. Lyon in Turin following the French club’s shocking 1-0 first leg victory.
Ligue 1 had a difficult time remaining relevant even before the season was canceled and PSG was awarded the title for the seventh time in the last eight years. France’s top flight is often considered the weakest of the big five leagues in Europe or left out all-together.
PARIS — Olympique Lyonnais will seek millions of euros in damages as they face being deprived of European competition for the first time in a quarter of a century following the decision to end the Ligue 1 season, club president Jean-Michel Aulas said.
The French League (LFP) said on Thursday it was ending the 2019-20 campaign amid the COVID-19 crisis, resulting in Lyon finishing seventh, outside of the positions that would offer a place in European competition for next season.
Paris Saint-Germain moved within a fingertip of being crowned Ligue 1 champion when the French league recommended to freeze the 2019-20 standings amid the COVID-19 crisis on Thursday, French sports daily L'Equipe reported.
According to the newspaper, the LFP's board will ratify the recommendation on Thursday afternoon and effectively hand PSG its seventh title in the last eight years. The decision would mean that second-place Marseille and third-place Rennes would be in next season's Champions League with PSG.
On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe confirmed that France’s top two tiers of football would not be able to resume the 2019-20 season. Philippe announced all major sporting events in the country will be put on hold until September.
OFFICIAL: "Big sporting events will not be able to take place before September," said French PM Edouard Philippe. "The 2019-20 season, notably for football, will not be able to resume." Ligue 1 & Ligue 2 are done.
MANCHESTER, England — European football leagues have been given a May 25 deadline to inform governing body UEFA of their plans to restart their domestic competitions.
Soccer has ground to a halt in all major leagues in Europe and none have yet to resume. But UEFA is keen to start planning for next season's European club tournaments.
FIFA has proposed that teams should be allowed to make up to five substitutions per match, instead of the usual three, as a temporary measure to help cope with potential fixture congestion in the aftermath of the novel coronavirus outbreak.
Football has been at a standstill since mid-March but many leagues and federations are still hoping to complete the season but to do so they would have to cram fixtures into a shorter period than usual once play re-starts.