National Sports

The Latest: Premier League clubs approve match protocols

by Associated Press

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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Premier League soccer clubs have approved the match protocols for when the competition resumes on Wednesday after a 100-day shutdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The procedures cover matchday operations and include splitting stadiums into red, amber and green zones to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.

Restrictions also have been placed on the number of people allowed into stadiums.

The season is scheduled to resume on Wednesday with Aston Villa hosting Sheffield United and Arsenal playing

The Latest: Everton allowed to play Liverpool at home

by Associated Press

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Everton will be allowed to host city rival Liverpool at Goodison Park instead of playing at a neutral venue when the rivals meet on June 21.

Police had initially believed the Merseyside derby could not be staged in Liverpool because of fears that fans would congregate outside.

Premier League games will take place without fans for the rest of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Ground Safety Advisory Group in Liverpool says Anfield and Goodison Park can now be used for Liverpool and

The Latest: Stoke says manager O’Neill positive for virus

by Associated Press

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English soccer club Stoke says manager Michael O’Neill has tested positive for COVID-19.

The second-division club says the 50-year-old O’Neill had tested negative in five previous rounds of testing but the positive result came from a test administered on Monday.

Stoke says O’Neill will “follow the relevant guidance and undergo a period of isolation.” Assistant manager Billy McKinlay will take charge of training.

Stoke is scheduled to play Reading when the Championship resumes on June 20.

The Premier

The Latest: French court upholds end of soccer season

by Associated Press

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France’s highest administrative court has upheld the decision to cancel the rest of the soccer season amid the coronavirus pandemic and suspended the relegations of Amiens and Toulouse to the second division.

The Conseil d’Etat issued its ruling after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas and the two demoted clubs took the case to court last month in a bid to force the league to play the remaining 10 matches of the aborted season.

The league was canceled with Paris Saint-Germain declared champion. Lyon

The Latest: Brighton to have cardboard cutouts of fans

by Associated Press

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English soccer club Brighton is offering fans the chance to have cardboard cutouts of themselves in the stadium when the Premier League resumes.

Games in the league will be closed to spectators for the remainder of the season because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Five of Brighton’s nine remaining games are at home. The first is on June 20 against Arsenal.

Fans need to send in a photo wearing a Brighton jersey and pay $25.

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Italy’s female soccer players are against the possibility of a playoff format

The Latest: Dortmund players fined for breaking restrictions

by Associated Press

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Borussia Dortmund players Jadon Sancho and Manuel Akanji have been fined by the German soccer league for breaking coronavirus-related restrictions to get haircuts.

The league says Sancho and Akanji “apparently violated general hygiene and infection protection standards” to have a barber visit them at home. There were no facemasks visible in photos posted on social media.

There were similar photos of Dortmund teammates Dan-Axel Zagadou and Raphäel Guerreiro with Düsseldorf-based barber Winnie Nana Karkari

The Latest: Valencia player says match may have spread virus

by Associated Press

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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Valencia striker Rodrigo says the return match against Atalanta in the Champions League “perhaps shouldn’t have been played” because of the coronavirus outbreak.

Rodrigo’s comments to Spanish television channel TVE come after the top health official in the Valencia region said Atalanta coach Gian Piero Gasperini “lacked responsibility” for traveling to Spain with symptoms of the virus. He recently told Italian media he felt sick the day before the March 10 match in Valencia.

Rodrigo says “this is in the

The Latest: Premier League clubs agree to use 5 subs

by Associated Press

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Premier League clubs have agreed to allow five substitutions in soccer matches.

They will adopt the temporary law change when the league resumes on June 17 amid the coronavirus pandemic.

There can still only be three pauses to bring on substitutes.

Premier League clubs have also agreed to temporarily increase the number of substitute players from seven to nine.

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The Italian soccer federation is launching a fund of nearly $25 million to help clubs and their members following the crisis caused by the