Italy s minister for sport Vincenzo Spadafora believes a return date of May 3 for Serie A is too optimistic amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The Serie A, like most leagues around the world, has been suspended indefinitely due to the COVID-19 crisis, which has claimed more than 24,000 lives globally.
Italy – a country in strict lockdown – has been the hardest hit with over 8,200 casualties, while confirmed cases have exceeded 80,500.
Various Serie A owners have debated whether the 2019-20 campaign should resume or be cancelled, and Spadafora provided an update on Thursday, with the final decision down to the Italian Football Federation (FIGC).
The forecasts that made us think we could resume sports competitions in late April or May, have been too optim…
(GSM) English manager Hope Powell, who guided the England national women s team to the final of the 2009 European Championship in the summer, has revealed she would consider coaching in the men s game.
Powell was previously linked with a move to take over at Grimsby after the final against Germany but caretaker manager Neil Woods was appointed permanently.
But the 43-year-old has admitted she would take the right job if it was offered.
If an opportunity presented itself that I fancied, I m going to look at it, Powell told the Guardian.
It doesn t mean I m going to take it, though, she added.
Powell felt there was little difference between coaching women and men, adding: It s just football to me.
I think the scrutiny for the first femal…
Champions Barcelona will start 2010 as leaders of the Spanish top-flight after a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty sealed a hard-fought 1-0 derby win over Espanyol at Camp Nou on Saturday.
It was Barcelona s final league game in what has been an unforgettable 2009 and the victory guarantees top spot over the festive period with second-placed Real Madrid eight points behind with two games in hand.
Barca now head to the FIFA World Club Championship in Abu Dhabi, with their first match on Wednesday, in high spirits with all the pressure on Real to respond in Saturday s late match at Valencia.
Swede Ibrahimovic made it 11 league goals for the season with an unstoppable penalty on 39 minutes although Espanyol will feel aggrieved at the spot-kick which was awarded for a shir…
Ian Holloway wants to help reignite Marouane Chamakh s career as the striker prepares to complete a move to Crystal Palace.
The 29-year-old joined Arsenal from Bordeaux in 2010, but after scoring seven goals in 29 league appearances in his debut season, he has featured just 23 times in all competitions since.
After spending the previous campaign on loan at West Ham, it now looks likely that the Morocco international will complete a switch to Palace with reports suggesting that he completed a medical on Friday.
And Holloway is keen to help him back to his best.
It s about him getting going again and I normally do all right with people whose careers are faltering, Holloway told the Daily Mail after the 1-0 pre-season defeat against Lazio on Saturday.
I love t…
Chelsea playmaker Oscar is being linked with a big money move to China in January
According to reports from the Brazilian media, Chelsea playmaker, Oscar is wanted by Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG.
The reports suggest that the deal is 90 per cent right it just depends on some bureaucratic details .
However, reports from suggest that Oscar favours staying with Chelsea over a move to the Far East, despite the prospect of a bumper payday in China.
Struggled for first team football at Chelsea
Oscar is currently struggling to break into the Blues starting line-up, as Blues boss Antonio Conte has had a settled starting line-up this season.
The 25-year-old has made nine Premier League appearances this season, but only five of those ha…
Jose Mourinho has tied Brian Clough and Alex Ferguson to become the joint-most successful manager in EFL Cup history.
Manchester United s enthralling 3-2 victory over Southampton at Wembley on Sunday gave Mourinho his fourth EFL Cup trophy as a manager.
The Portuguese also claimed the trophy in 2005, 2007 and 2015 during his two spells as Chelsea manager.
Clough and Ferguson also won the tournament, previously known as the League Cup, on four occasions during their legendary managerial careers, with Mourinho now level after Zlatan Ibrahimovic s late winner settled a pulsating encounter.
4 Jose Mourinho has now won the League Cup four times, a joint-record among managers along with Brian Clough and Sir Alex Ferguson. Glory.
— OptaJoe (@OptaJoe) <…
Manchester City are celebrating their third successive Premier League title and a fifth in six seasons.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of the key games in their successful campaign.
October 2, Man City 6 Man Utd 3
City did not really hit their stride or find consistency until the spring but there were still some awesome demonstrations of their firepower – and particularly that of Erling Haaland – in the opening months. Their thrashing of arch-rivals United was especially sweet. Haaland helped himself to a hat-trick, his third treble in successive home games and one of six he notched in a record-breaking campaign, while Phil Foden also hit three in an emphatic display.
January 19, Man City 4 Tottenham 2
Pep Guardiola let his anger at his side be know…
Trent Alexander-Arnold was left out of the England squad that faced Germany on Monday, the last game Gareth Southgate s selected men played before the upcoming World Cup. Many now believe the Liverpool right-back will not be going to Qatar, and Gareth Southgate has come in for a fare share of criticism for leaving out one of the most creative players in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp feels the 23-year-old, who has won practically every trophy club football has to offer as a vital player for his team, has unjustly been branded as not a good defender .
“I see him differently, that’s clear. There are stories saying he [Trent Alexander-Arnold] is not a good defender. That’s not true.”
Jürgen Klopp on managing Trent Alexander-Arn…
Antonio Conte has declared Juventus 50 per cent champions of Italy following Sunday s 1-0 victory over Fiorentina.
Kwadwo Asamoah scored the only goal of the game three minutes before the break as Juve stretched their winning streak at home to a record-equalling 14 consecutive victories.
And coach Conte is confident his side, who sit 14 points clear of closest challengers Roma ahead of their trip to third-placed Napoli later on Sunday, are heading for a third straight top-flight title.
We did well to win the first Scudetto unbeaten (in 2011-12), while last season only Inter and Sampdoria got the better of us, he is quoted as telling Sky Sport Italia.
There are still 11 rounds to go, but we are 50 per cent champions of Italy. We re going at an extraordinary pace,…
Fiorentina striker Giuseppe Rossi is ignoring the prospect of representing Italy at the FIFA World Cup as he continues his recovery from injury.
The luckless 27-year-old, who has played for his country 29 times, went down with a knee injury on in a Serie A match against Livorno on January 5.
Italy coach Cesare Prandelli said in February he hoped Rossi would be fit to at least travel as part of the squad for Brazil 2014.
Speaking to The New York Times, Rossi said he had turned his attentions to short-term goals rather than looking ahead.
That (the World Cup) has been my goal from the beginning of the season, but it s not my goal now, Rossi said.
What I m thinking about now are the short-term goals. I can t think long-term, even a couple of months. I ve got t…