Off the Pitch

Dave Kitson's bid to become the players' union chief has been opposed by former Arsenal striker Ian Wright, while the head of anti-racist campaign group Kick It Out has raised concerns over his past comments about England forward Raheem Sterling.

Ex-player Kitson is aiming to replace Professional Footballers' Association (PFA) chief Gordon Taylor, who has been at the helm since 1981, saying the body's response to the COVID-19 crisis was "an absolute embarrassment."

Players will be able to use outdoor team training fields for solo workouts from next Wednesday, Major League Soccer said on Friday as the sport takes its first steps towards a return to action following the shutdown forced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Like most North American sport, MLS shuttered operations mid-March and a league wide moratorium on group and team training remains in place through May 15.

Players will not be allowed access to club facilities, including locker rooms, gyms or training rooms.

German top-flight soccer team FC Cologne said on Friday that group training was continuing despite three people at the club testing positive for COVID-19.

In a statement the Bundesliga side said the entire squad and coaching staff had been tested on Thursday.

"Three people tested positive, all are symptom free," the club statement said. "After an assessment of the cases by the responsible health authorities, the three people who tested positive will go into a 14-day quarantine at home."

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.

MADRID — LaLiga clubs will begin testing players for the novel coronavirus next week as the first step towards restarting the season in June, a source familiar with the league's plans said on Wednesday.

Athletes in Spain have been forced to train at home since early March due to one of the strictest lockdowns in Europe, but Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez has announced they are free to begin individual training at facilities from next Monday.

MANCHESTER — English cricket's governing body said it has been given the leading role for all sport in the country, including soccer, in examining how to create 'bio-secure' venues as leagues look for ways to restart their competitions without fans.

Carli Lloyd, like the rest of us, would prefer life would return to normal sooner rather than later. But the two-time Women’s World Cup winner, as she often does, is finding the positive aspects of being forced to shelter in place, with the NWSL season on hold and 2020 Olympics pushed back a year.