International Soccer - General Discussion

Now it's official : the 2019-20 Champions League will be awarded with a "Final Eight" which will be held in Lisbon, Portugal, with the Final on August 23rd. The decision was made by the UEFA executive committee. The competition will take place in a single game, like the Mundialito, starting from the Quarter Finals, which will start on August 12th. As for the missing return matches of Round of 16 (Bayern Munchen vs Chelsea, Manchester City vs Real Madrid, Juventus vs Olympique Lyonnais and Barcelona vs Napoli), they will be played in the cities of the home teams. Also for the Europa League a decision has already been made and it' s the same : the formula will be a "Final Eight", held in Germany, with the Final on August 21st. But first will be played the Round of 16 return matches left behind (Copenhagen vs Basaksehir, Wolverhampton vs Olympiakos, Bayer Leverkusen vs Rangers, Shakhtar Donetsk vs Wolfsburg, Basel vs Eintracht Frankfurt and Manchester United vs LASK). Different speech for Internazionale vs Getafe and Rome vs Sevilla, whose first leg matches have never been played and will be played in a single game in Germany. Then the "Final Eight", with Duisburg, Gelsenkirchen, Düsseldorf and Koln designated as the matches venues. Istanbul and Gdansk, originary hosts of this year's Champions ed Europa League editions, will host the finals in 2021, Coronavirus permitting, while the European Super Cup will take place in Budapest. As for Euro 2020, which should have started on June 12th in Rome and was postponed to June 11th, 2021, all the originary venues of this edition have been confirmed (Rome, Baku, Copenhagen, Munich, London, Dublin, Amsterdam, Bucharest, Saint Petersburg, Glasgow, Bilbao and Budapest).

2019-20 BUNDESLIGA : Week 31 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Hoffenheim 0 - RB Leipzig 2
Koln 1 - Union Berlin 2
Fortuna Dusseldorf 0 - Borussia Dortmund 1
Hertha Berlin 1 - Eintracht Frankfurt 4
Paderborn 1 - Werder Bremen 5
Wolfsburg 2 - Freiburg 2
Bayern Munchen 2 - Borussia Monchengladbach 1
Mainz 0 - Augsburg 1
Schalke 04 1 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1

2019-20 LA LIGA : Week 28 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Sevilla 2 - Real Betis 0
Granada 2 - Getafe 1
Espanyol 2 - Alavès 0
Valencia 1 - Levante 1
Celta de Vigo 0 - Villarreal 1
Leganès 1 - Valladolid 2
Mallorca 0 - Barcelona 4
Athletic Club 1 - Atletico de Madrid 1
Real Madrid 3 - Eibar 1
Real Sociedad 1 - Osasuna 1

2019-20 BUNDESLIGA : Week 30 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Freiburg 1 - Borussia Monchengladbach 0
Fortuna Dusseldorf 2 - Hoffenheim 2
Eintracht Frankfurt 0 - Mainz 2
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 2 - Bayern Munchen 4
RB Leipzig 1 - Paderborn 1
Borussia Dortmund 1 - Hertha Berlin 0
Werder Bremen 0 - Freiburg 1
Union Berlin 1 - Schalke 04 1
Augsburg 1 - Koln 1

Week 24 Recovery : PLAYED WEDNESDAY, JUNE 3RD Werder Bremen 0 - Eintracht Frankfurt 3

2019-20 BUNDESLIGA : Week 29 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Freiburg 0 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1
Hertha Berlin 2 - Augsburg 0
Mainz 0 - Hoffenheim 1
Schalke 04 0 - Werder Bremen 1
Wolfsburg 1 - Eintracht Frankfurt 2
Bayern Munchen 5 - Fortuna Dusseldorf 0
Borussia Monchengladbach 4 - Union Berlin 1
Paderborn 1 - Borussia Dortmund 6
Koln 2 - RB Leipzig 4

I can't wait to watch Juve on tv again, Italianfan

Italy’s top soccer league will resume on June 20th. Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora gave Serie A the green light to resume after a meeting with Italian soccer authorities on Thursday. A medical protocol for matches was approved by a technical scientific committee earlier. Spadafora says Serie A will restart on June 20th but the Italian Cup semifinals and the final could be played on June 13th and 17th. Serie A has been suspended since March 9th, when the government ordered a nationwide lockdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic.There are 12 rounds remaining in Serie A, plus four matches that were postponed from the 25th round.

Premier League clubs have agreed to restart the season in just three weeks' time in what is a huge breakthrough for their Project Restart plans. The Premier League have desperately been trying to finalise plans to get the season back underway again following its suspension at the beginning of March amid the coronavirus crisis. June 20 has been lined up as the first round of fixtures following the Premier League's resumption although Manchester City vs Arsenal and Aston Villa vs Sheffield United are set to go ahead on Wednesday June 17. These two matches are the 'games in hand' for these four clubs, which will take all 20 Premier League teams up to 29 fixtures for the season. Another game may be played on Friday June 19, with Sportsmail previously reporting that Tottenham vs Manchester United could be set for that slot, but the first full round of fixtures will start on Saturday June 20, with matches staggered across the weekend. In total, there are 92 matches remaining in the season. The restart date leaves Premier League managers with just three weeks to get their squads ready for the eagerly-awaited kick-off.

2019-20 BUNDESLIGA : Week 28 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Borussia Dortmund 0 - Bayern Munchen 1
Werder Bremen 0 - Borussia Monchengladbach 0
Eintracht Frankfurt 3 - Freiburg 3
Bayer 04 Leverkusen 1 - Wolfsburg 4
RB Leipzig 2 - Hertha Berlin 2
Augsburg 0 - Paderborn 0
Fortuna Dusseldorf 2 - Schalke 04 1
Hoffenheim 3 - Koln 1
Union Berlin 1 - Mainz 1

2019-20 BUNDESLIGA : Week 27 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Hertha Berlin 4 - Union Berlin 0
Borussia Monchengladbach 1 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen 3
Freiburg 0 - Werder Bremen 1
Paderborn 1 - Hoffenheim 1
Wolfsburg 0 - Borussia Dortmund 2
Bayern Munchen 5 - Eintracht Frankfurt 2
Schalke 04 0 - Augsburg 3
Mainz 0 - RB Leipzig 5
Koln 2 - Fortuna Dusseldorf 2

La Liga has permission to return from June 8th : the Spanish government announced that it can come back on a day in which they said lockdown sanctions would be slowly coming to an end in the weeks to come. The country went into complete lockdown and football has been on hold for two months. "Spain has done what it should and now new horizons are opening for everyone. The time has come to bring back many day-to-day activities", said Spain’s prime minister Pedro Sanchez. "From 8 June, La Liga will be back. Spanish football has a huge following but it will not be the only recreational activity that will return". La Liga are likely to restart with the Seville derby on June 12. "We are very pleased with the decision," said La Liga chief Javier Tebas. "It is the result of the great work of clubs, players, coaches, CSD (National Sports Council) and agents, but we cannot lower our guard, it is important to follow health regulations and ensure the pandemic doesn't come back".

2019-20 BUNDESLIGA : Week 26 Complete Results :
MATCHES PLAYED WITHOUT SPECTATORS, DUE TO COVID-19 EMERGENCY :

Borussia Dortmund 4 - Schalke 04 0
RB Leipzig 1 - Freiburg 1
Hoffenheim 0 - Hertha Berlin 3
Fortuna Dusseldorf 0 - Paderborn 0
Augsburg 1 - Wolfsburg 2
Eintracht Frankfurt 1 - Borussia Monchengladbach 3
Koln 2 - Mainz 2
Union Berlin 0 - Bayern Munchen 2
Werder Bremen 1 - Bayer 04 Leverkusen 4

The German government has given the green light for the return of the Bundesliga during the second half of May. The Bundesliga will now decide whether to resume on May 15 or May 22. But the players will have to go through a one-week quarantine to reduce the risk of Covid-19 infection first. The government was satisfied that football can make a comeback under certain strict conditions as lockdown measures are being eased in Germany. The players and club staff would presumably be isolated together, potentially at the club's training ground, away from family and friends to reduce the risk of infection, for a week. This was the amount of time recommended when plans were drawn up to get the Bundesliga season up and running again. And it means the first games could be played on May 15 - a week on Friday - and over the weekend of the 16/17, or a week later. All players would be subject to testing on a regular basis, which is happening anyway.

Paris Saint-Germain have been crowned champions of France despite the season being ended early due to the Coronavirus pandemic. France's top-flight season was called to a halt on Tuesday and after a meeting on Thursday, Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) CEO Didier Quillot confirmed that the Parisiens have been handed the title on the basis of points-per-game. Quillot added that he hoped that cup competitions in France could be completed in August behind closed doors, subject to approval from UEFA, with Europa League places being allocated to the winners. As it stands Lille have been awarded a Europa League spot, however it is unclear who might join them. PSG play Saint Etienne Coupe de France and Lyon in the Coupe de la Ligue. If those games are able to go ahead and PSG win both, the spots will go to Nice and Reims via league position. Lyon and Saint Etienne will qualify if they beat the newly-crowned champions in either final. If the games do not go ahead then it is expected that Nice and Reims will be awarded the spots. "We were genuinely ready to finish the season like the Germans & Spanish", Quillot said, while also confirming the goal is to start the new season by August 22. "But there were government decisions made which we respect". It was also confirmed that two teams will be relegated from Ligue 1 and two promoted, meaning Lens will come up along with Lorient, while Amiens and Toulouse will drop down to Ligue 2. The decision is likely to have massive ramifications and could lead to a string of appeals from clubs to have missed out on promotion or to have been relegated. In finishing the season, Paris Saint-Germain, Marseille and Rennes have qualified for next season's Champions League. Marseille will appear in the competition for the first time since 2013/14, while Rennes will make their debut. Third-bottom Nimes, although in the relegation zone, will keep their place in the top flight, given there will be no Ligue 2 play-offs and a chance for a third team to earn promotion from the second tier. France's top-flight season was called to a halt on Tuesday and after a meeting on Thursday, Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) CEO Didier Quillot confirmed that the Parisiens have been handed the title on the basis of points-per-game. Lorient, top of Ligue 2 when football came to a halt in March because of the Coronavirus, have been promoted as champions. L' Equipe reported that of the three governing bodies within the organisation, the first voted on Thursday morning, the second voted on Thursday afternoon, and the third will vote in early May. The season's last round of fixtures were played on March 7 and 8, and the final standings see PSG sitting 12 points clear of second-placed Marseille with a game in hand. The decision means PSG have won their third-consecutive league trophy, and the ninth title in their history.

FINAL 2019-20 LIGUE 1 TABLE AFTER 27 MATCHDAYS PLAYED :

1. PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN 68 points - Winner of the 2019/20 Ligue 1 & Qualified to 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Group Stage

2. OLYMPIQUE DE MARSEILLE 56 points - Qualified to 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Group Stage
3. STADE RENNAIS FC 50 points - Qualified to 2020/21 UEFA Champions League Group Stage

4. LOSC LILLE 49 points - Qualified to 2020/21 UEFA Europa League Group Stage

5. OGC Nice 41 points
6. Stade de Reims 41 points
7. Olympique Lyonnais 40 points
8. Montpellier Herault Sport Club 40 points
9. AS Monaco FC 40 points
10. Racing Club de Strasbourg 38 points
11. Angers SCO 38 points
12. Football Club des Girondins de Bordeaux 37 points
13. Football Club de Nantes 37 points
14. Stade Brestois 29 34 points
15. Football Club de Metz 34 points
16. Dijon FCO 30 points
17. AS Saint-Etienne 30 points
18. Nimes Olympique 27 points

19. AMIENS SC 23 points - Relegated to 2020/21 EFL Ligue 2
20. TOULOSE FC 13 points - Relegated to 2020/21 EFL Ligue 2

Ligue 1 has been forced to cancel the 2019/20 campaign due to the Coronavirus pandemic. French football bosses will reportedly meet in May to determine whether to enact promotion and relegation as well as which teams can qualify for next season's European competitions. With 23.293 confirmed deaths from 165.842 cases of Covid-19, France has been one of the worst-affected regions by the pandemic, much like the United Kingdom where 157.149 tests have returned positive with 21.092 people known to have died. On Tuesday afternoon, French prime minister Edouard Philippe announced that all sporting events will be cancelled until September. And RMC report on Ligue 1 preparing to decide on the fate of clubs across the top tiers next month. Like several other European countries including the UK and Italy, French sides had hoped to return to training in May with a view to completing the season in June. However authorities have banned any sporting events taking place, even behind closed doors. The September deadline now set may not allow Paris Saint-Germain to finish their Champions League campaign with the capital club already in the quarter-finals before the touted return of the competition for August. PSG are also 12 points clear in the Ligue 1 title race and it remains to be seen whether they will be rewarded for their efforts. Marseille and Rennes sit in the other two Champions League qualification spots, ahead of Lille and Reims in the Europa League places. UEFA have asked leagues to come up with their own plans to award European qualification places on "sporting merit", meaning a full table completed on points-per-game or even a round of play-offs. The vast majority of clubs still have ten games left to play in addition to the Coupe de France final, between PSG and Saint-Etienne. Nimes, Amiens and Toulouse occupy the Ligue 1 relegation spots, the latter having won just three of 28 games all season. In Ligue 2, a tight promotion race has Lorient leading Lens before Ajaccio, Troyes and Clermont Foot sit in the three play-off positions, the top-five altogether separated by just five points.

We have no official Thread for the Coronavirus outbreak so this is as best a place to share my worries and concerns. Like most people in the world I have been watching in horror as this disease as somehow managed to escalate all the way from Wuhan, China and like most people when I seen the news a few months ago I thought what a tragedy but thank god we are miles away and safe. I couldn't have been more wrong in my assumptions as minor outbreaks in other countries close to China then started to occur the world over and become major.

The worst effected country at present being Italy, my heart was bleeding watching the tragic news reels coming in. What is happening is absolutely terrifying. In the Tayside area where I live which covers the Perth and Dundee regions we currently have 31 known cases, none of which has become fatal as of yet. The total number of deaths so far in Scotland stands at 6 with 144 in the UK as a whole. We have all been asked to avoid social contact and as of today all pubs, restaurants, gyms, cinemas, leisure centres have been ordered to close with immediate effect by the UK Government and devolved Parliaments.

As of yet nobody really knows or fully understands the real reasons as to how such a catastrophic disease managed to manifest itself and infect the world over. Plenty of theories are doing the rounds on the internet but it would be foolish for anybody to come to their own conclusions until we fully have all the facts. My only concern is that no more innocent lives are lost and that everybody does their bit to contain the spread of this terrible infliction on mankind and sincerely hope that nobody on this forum becomes the next causality.

stay safe everyone and pray that the situation resolves itself with no more loss of life.

Regards - Dave.

Rallkin123 wrote:I hope that you are safe and keeping healthy and well, Italianfan God bless Italy, a beautiful country with warm and friendly people.

I'm fine, thanks Rallkin and I hope everyone in this forum is safe and healthy too.
Let' s hope all the world will get rid from this virus as soon as possible.