Football News: Review Of The Day 12th April 2020

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Review of the Day

Contracts

Spanish midfielder Javi Eraso has signed a new deal with Leganes which runs until 2022.

Transfers

Ayr United's Alan Forrest has signed a pre-contract to join Livingston at the end of the season. The signing was unveiled on Zoom.

Norwich City have signed Luxembourg forward Daniel Sinani from F91 Dudelange.

Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been told to move by the president of the Gabon Football Association. Aubameyang is a Gabonese international and his Arsenal contract is due to expire at the end of the 2020-21 season. Pierre Alain Mounguengui told ESPN: "Right now, he's at Arsenal, and he's won nothing here, so it's a collective failing. I don't want to say that Arsenal aren't ambitious, but Arsenal don't have ambitions as high as some other clubs as far as Europe is concerned. If Pierre could secure a contract with a more ambitious club, he'd definitely find his place there. All Gabonese people see Aubameyang at this level, where he can now end his career at a major club and, above all, beyond individual trophies, to bring home a major competition."

Coronavirus Latest

With the Belarussian Premier League the only league still playing in Europe, reigning champions Dynamo Brest are still finding their gates dropping as supporters choose to stay at home. To fill the stands, Brest are inviting people to buy virtual tickets online and have photographs of their face pasted on top of a mannequin in one of the stadium's seats. The dummies are being used to make the stadium look full. The virtual ticket also comes with a matchday programme, which will be mailed to the fans' home address. Money raised is to be given to charity which is fighting against the pandemic.

Two football legends have contracted the coronavirus. England and Leeds United great Norman Hunter is in hospital being treated. The World Cup winner, nicknamed 'Bites yer legs', is now 76 years old. Scotland, Celtic and Liverpool's King Kenny Dalglish is also in hospital being treated after testing positive though he is asymptomatic. The Scot, who won the English league as both player and manager, is 69 years old and was suffering an infection when he was routinely tested for the virus.

West Ham United have become the second Premier League side after Southampton to announce that their players are to defer part of their wages. Manager David Moyes, vice-chairman Karren Brady and finance director Andy Mollett will also take a 30% pay cut. To help the club through, joint chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold, as well as other shareholders, are to put £30m into the club.

The SPFL's members ballot to decide what happens with the league has been thrown into disarray by allegations of a lack of "fair play" by Rangers. The Gers have called for an investigation into the league's handling of the ballot and the suspension of SPFL chief Neil Doncaster and the removal of SPFL legal advisor Rod McKenzie. SPFL chairman Murdoch MacLennan said: "It is extremely concerning that Rangers have chosen to make a number of very serious allegations against the SPFL. In the often-heated atmosphere of Scottish football, rumour and misinformation can very quickly reach fever-point. However, allegations of a lack of even-handedness and fair play go to the very integrity of the league. I will be writing to Mr Park asking him to urgently communicate any and all information he possesses."

Sheffield United have placed some of their staff on furlough. A club statement read: "Sheffield United Football Club has informed its staff of the decision to furlough some employees who are unable to perform their regular day-to-day duties at this time. These are predominantly casual employees but include a small number of permanent staff."

Barca Board Members Resign

Six members of the Barcelona board have resigned and criticised president Josep Maria Bartomeu's running of the club. The six wrote a lettter asking for fresh presidential elections: "We have arrived at this point because we cannot reverse the way the club is managed in the face of important challenges in the future, especially in the post-pandemic era. We also want to show our displeasure over the unfortunate episode about the social media accounts, known as 'Barcagate', which we learned about through the press. As our last act of service to the club, we recommend that elections are called as soon as circumstances permit so that the club can be managed in the best way possible and deal with the important challenges of the immediate future."

Written by Tris Burke April 11 2020 20:37:12