English Clubs

It’s been six weeks since the English Premier League suspended play due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Arsenal has been out slightly longer, having gone into self-isolation after manager Mikel Arteta tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12. But Arsenal training is set to resume on shortly, even though England has yet to lift stay-at-home measures in the country.

Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Diogo Jota won the ePremier League Invitational title for his club on Saturday after beating Liverpool fullback Trent Alexander-Arnold with a golden goal in the final after the match ended 1-1 in regular time.

A number of top-flight players had signed up to represent their clubs in the virtual tournament to generate funds for Britain's National Health Service (NHS) during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Chelsea's first-team players are not taking pay cuts or contributing towards the club financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the club said in a statement on Saturday.

Following extensive talks, the players have instead been asked to continue "supporting other charitable causes," Chelsea said in the statement.

LONDON — Players at the Premier League's top clubs should "stick to their guns" and resist pressure to take pay cuts during the COVID-19 shutdown, ex-Manchester United captain Roy Keane said on Friday.

Professional soccer in England has been suspended since March 13 due to the pandemic and some Premier League clubs have furloughed non-playing staff under a government scheme.

Players at some clubs have accepted wage deferrals while Arsenal's players and coaching staff agreed a 12.5 percent salary reduction.

Tottenham defender Jan Vertonghen says that players who are free agents when the season ends will be coveted more than others as clubs look to rebound from the financial crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Professional football has been suspended across the major European leagues due to the pandemic and questions remain over whether players whose contracts end on June 30 will be allowed to continue playing for clubs if the season is extended. 

Unlike Emmanuel Adebayor, Gareth Bale and wife Emma have decided to donate some of their money to help those in need. The Bales are donating over $1 million and splitting it between the National Health Service in Wales and health services in Madrid.

Bale has been in Madrid on lockdown since early March. Along with the donation, he also teamed up with the NHS and thanked them for all of their work in a video posted earlier in April.

Liverpool manager Juergen Klopp feared getting sacked by the Premier League club early in his tenure if he was not afforded the time to reshape the squad, he said on Wednesday.

The early years were spent building the team into title contenders and Klopp said he knew he had to convince Liverpool's owners — Fenway Sports Group — that he needed time to change their playing style.

"It was clear we cannot fix it overnight. Everyone wanted that but we couldn't so I had to ask for time, I knew," Klopp said on Sky Sports' Football Show.

Liverpool loanee Loris Karius wants to cut short his time on loan in Turkey with Besiktas, according to the Liverpool Echo.

According to Erdal Torunogullari, a Besiktas board member, Karius has filed a complaint with FIFA as a result of the club's decision not to pay players during the coronavirus shutdown.