Seven ISL players, One Assistant Coach Test Positive For Covid-19; ‘Premier League Needs to Protect Entire Football Family’ and More (Football Round-Up)
Players who tested positive need to have three negative results in seven days before they can join their team in the Indian Super League biosecure bubble in Goa.
Seven Indian Super League (ISL) players and an assistant coach have tested positive for Covid-19 ahead of this season’s edition, to be held in Goa next month. According to a source, who spoke to PTI, all of them are asymptomatic, and have now been kept under isolation in their separate hotels that serve as bio-secure bubbles and their details have not been disclosed.
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"It is mandatory for all the players and officials to have the Aarogya Setu app and ISL Health App through which contact tracing can be done. So, there will also be contact tracing and we have to test those who have had contact with these players and coach," the source added.
Players who tested positive need to have three negative results in seven days before they can join their team. The ISL will be played among 11 teams this season and will be held behind closed doors with strict health safety guidelines in wake of the pandemic.
British PM’s Call for Support
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s spokesperson has put the onus on protecting the game on top soccer clubs in England saying they need to figure out a way to protect and support the whole sport, further adding that the current proposal lacks widespread support.
“We would strongly urge the Premier League and the EFL (English Football League) to continue to work constructively to come up with a deal to provide the comprehensive package of support for the whole football family,” the spokesperson said.
Previously, the minister who supervises sports in Britain said that he feared a restructuring of the Premier League as planned by Liverpool and Manchester United and believed that it was a power grab that might encourage a deeper look at the governance of the sport.
“It’s clear that this proposal does not command support throughout the Premier League, and it is exactly this type of backroom dealing that undermines trust in football governance,” said PM Johnson’s spokesperson after being asked about the plan.
Scholes Caretaker Manager at Salford City
Salford City co-owner Paul Scholes has been appointed caretaker manager of the English League 2 (fourth tier of English football) club replacing Graham Alexander.
“Salford City Football Club announces that manager Graham Alexander has left the club with immediate effect,” said a club statement yesterday. “Paul Scholes will act as the interim head coach while the club looks to secure a new manager. Warren Joyce (club’s development manager), currently in isolation, will join Paul once he is able to.”
Paul Scholes along with his former Manchester United team mates David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Phil Neville and business Peter Lim are the co-owners of Salford City.
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Scholes has won 11 Premier League titles, three FA Cups along with two Champions League crowns before he retired in 2013. Salford remain fifth in the standings after five games. Scholes’ first match in charge will be against Port Vale on Saturday.
Loew Struggles with Criticism
Germany will host Switzerland on Tuesday while the national team's head coach Joachim Loew, is struggling to get over the national team’s 2018 World Cup debacle.
Germany have had a low key start in the Nations League with two draws, against Spain and Switzerland this year. Their 2-1 win over Ukraine was the first in the Nations League. They face Switzerland in Cologne later tonight.
Toni Kroos, barring any unexpected turn of events, will make his 100th appearance in the game, but Julian Draxler, Marcel Halstenberg and Lukas Klostermann seem like doubtful starters.
"I see the big picture on the way to the European Championships," Loew insisted when questioned about his side’s effectiveness in recent months..
TV pundit Bastian Schweinsteiger, who was a crucial part of Loew's 2014 World Cup winning team, told broadcaster ARD he feels "the public can no longer identify 100 percent" with the players in the national side. "It's a pity. I hope things can be turned around soon," he said.
Radical Plans for Premier League
Radical proposals made to change English football backed by Liverpool and Manchester United have come under a lot of scrutiny but EFL chairman Rick Parry insists he is going to move ahead with the plan anyway.
The proposals in question will provide the big Premier League clubs with a lot more power and they will be able to reduce the number of teams from 20 to 18 for the 2022-23 season. They will also do away with the League Cup and Community Shield.
The implementation of the plan also means the Premier League will commit to giving 25% of the league’s revenue to EFL clubs and will also maintain a £250 million ($325.58 million) rescue fund to help with the Covid-19 crisis.
Former Liverpool and Premier League CEO Parry, insisted that the proposals are not being kept on a side. “Clearly there will be a huge amount of debate but this is about coming up with a bold plan for the future and if that doesn’t please everybody, frankly, so be it,” he told reporters.
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