FIFA Extends Ban on Haiti's Yves Jean-Bart; Liverpool to Kick Off Title Defence Against Leeds United (Football Round-Up)
FIFA’s original four-month suspension of Yves Jean-Bart following sexual abuse allegations would have ended on August 23.
FIFA extended the ban for the president of the Hiatian Football Federation, Yves Jean-Bart, and continued to investigate the sexual abuse allegations. Football’s world governing body also suspended two more FHF officials including Wilner Etienne, the technical director.
Jean-Bart was given a 90-day ban from all football related activities in May following an investigation against him over sexual abuse. According to a report in the Guardian, the 72-year-old coerced various players to perform sexual activities. However, Jean-Bart, also known as Dadou, denied the allegations strongly.
The suspension was scheduled to end on Sunday, August 23. FIFA made the decision to extend the ban for another 90 days.
FIFA said in a statement, “This sanction has been imposed in connection with ongoing investigations into Mr Jean-Bart, as well as other officials within the FHF, who were identified as having allegedly been involved (as principals, accomplices or instigators) in acts of systematic sexual abuse against female football players.”
Liverpool to Begin vs Leeds
Liverpool will kick off their Premier League title defence against newly promoted Leeds United on September 12 at Anfield. The fixtures for the upcoming season was announced on August 20.
Following the match against Leeds, Liverpool travel to Chelsea prior to hosting Arsenal. Jürgen Klopp’s team will also face off against Manchester City on the weekend of November 7 at Etihad and Anfeild on February 6. However, they will not be facing Manchester United until January 16 next year.
City and Manchester United, after being promised 30 days of rest at the end of the European season, will not take part in the tournament until September 19. City and United were set to begin their campaign against Aston Villa and Burnley respectively but the games have now been postponed.
Arsenal will compete against the newly promoted Fulham, with Brighton facing Chelsea, and West Ham playing against Newcastle United on September 12.
Leeds’ Bielsa Contract
Chief executive of Leeds United, Angus Kinnear, stated head coach Marcelo Bielsa is extremely close to entering into a new contract at the club.
The 65-year old Argentinian led Leeds to the Championship title after sixteen years. Kinnear is certain that Bielsa will make a new deal with the club despite the expiry of his contract.
"I know fans are nervous, it makes me a bit nervous, but I don't think there is any reason to be," he said."Marcelo is absolutely focused on training, but like last season where I know everyone was nervous about the contract, it is about him getting the time to focus on signing it.”
"While we have conversations pretty much daily, it tends to be about the season preparations rather than his contract," he added.
Leeds are keen to buy Brighton centre-back Ben White and have made a third bid of around £25 million ($32.9 million) for the player.
"Brighton have been very clear in their position that he is not for sale and that's where we are unless something changes," Kinnear told BBC Radio.
Wigan Athletic Debt Waived Off
Previous Wigan Athletic owner Au Yeung Wai Kay agreed to waive off £36m that the League One club owes him. The money can now be used for the "benefit of the club" and a prospective buyer will not have to repay the money.
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The Hong Kong-based businessman left Wigan to the administration on July 1, just weeks after buying the club, which has now led to a 12-point deduction and their relegation.
Wigan owed a sum of £25.3m to Next Leader Fund and £10.7m to Wigan Athletic Holdings Limited.
Begbies Traynor, a club administrator said, "Mr Yeung has co-operated fully for the benefit of the club and has agreed, in order to ensure the survival of the club and to give the administrators the best possible chance to agree on a sale, to waive his rights to the repayment of the debts owed to him and to his companies."
Boris Tests Positive for Covid-19
India’s 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup team member Boris Singh Thangjam tested positive for the coronavirus. The 20-year-old Boris played as right back in two matches for India in the U-17 World Cup that India hosted in 2017. He is now under quarantine in Manipur.
“Boris has tested positive for COVID-19, his name has come in the latest list of those who have tested positive. He will be under quarantine,” a close relative of Boris told PTI from Imphal.
Boris currently plays in the Indian Super League for ATK Mohun Bagan. He was signed by ATK in 2018. He was also a part of the Indian U-20 team that defeated Argentina 2-1 in the Torneo Internacional de Fútbol Sub-20 de L'Alcúdia (COTIF) tournament in Spain in the same year.
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