WTF

Major League Soccer, following the lead of the NWSL, has had a mostly successful return from the novel coronavirus pandemic. Playing matches in a bubble in Orlando, Florida, MLS has helped show it is possible to resume sports, so long as a long list of necessary precautions are taken.

Perhaps then it’s no surprise the players association of MLS — and those from four other major sports leagues — has taken issue with a key aspect of Sen. Mitch McConnell’s latest stimulus legislation proposal. 

Players who deliberately cough at opponents or referees can be shown red or yellow cards under new guidelines issued by England's Football Association (FA) amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The instructions to referees taking charge of games when COVID-19 restrictions are in place will come into force immediately and be applied at all levels of the game.

VIENNA — Austrian second-tier side Floridsdorfer AC have apologised for a 9-0 defeat which allowed opponents Ried to win promotion on goal difference, but denied that they behaved improperly.

Ried finished top of Austria's Second League above Austria Klagenfurt, who beat Wacker Innsbruck 6-1 in the final matches on Friday. Ried's goal difference was 34 to Klagenfurt's 29.

Only the champions are promoted to the top flight.

To say it’s been a bad season for SPAL would be a massive understatement. Still, I’m not sure they deserved to wake up to a severed pig head.

SPAL announced a severed pig head was found outside the club’s training ground on Thursday alongside a banner reading “Pigs of Ferrara out.” SPAL is located in the northern Italy town of Ferrara. 

Zambia's football association (FAZ) said it will end its domestic season on Aug. 6, just weeks after it restarted, due to clubs failing to adhere to COVID-19 protocols.

FAZ had hoped to complete the Super League season following its resumption on July 18 but said on Friday only two more rounds are to be played before champions are declared with all teams having played 27 of their 34 scheduled matches.

Any teams unable to fulfil their remaining fixtures would forfeit the points.

BERN — Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has called for his successor, Gianni Infantino, to be suspended by the global soccer body after criminal proceedings were opened against Infantino in Switzerland.

Swiss authorities said on Thursday that proceedings had been launched against the current FIFA boss by a special prosecutor looking into meetings he had with Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber. Lauber and Infantino have denied wrongdoing.

Criminal proceedings have been opened against FIFA president Gianni Infantino by a special prosecutor looking into dealings between the head of the global soccer body and Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber, Swiss authorities said on Thursday.