March 2020 - Soccer Wiretap

PSG Permanently Sign Mauro Icardi For $55.6 Million

May 31, 2020 9:43 PM

PSG have permanently signed Mauro Icardi, who was previously on a loan from Inter.

The transfer fee is believed to be around $55.6 million. Inter reportedly lowered their initial transfer valuation on Icardi due to the current pandemic.

Icardi signed a four-year deal with PSG.

The 27-year-old striker has scored 20 goals this season for PSG.

ESPN

Tags: Internazionale, Paris Saint-Germain, Official Transfer

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Lionel Messi: Football, Life Will Never Be The Same Following Pandemic

May 31, 2020 9:38 PM

Lionel Messi said that he believes that both life and football will forever be changed by the pandemic.

"I don't think football will ever be the same. But beyond football, I don't think life, in general, will ever be the same, either.

"All of us that have experienced this situation will remember what happened in one way or another. In my case, it's with a feeling of sorrow and frustration for those that have suffered the most due to the loss of loved ones," said Messi in an interview.

Messi also spoke of the strangeness upon returning to training amid the pandemic.

The La Liga season is set to return on June 11th.

"I am sure that football and sport, in general, will be affected. Financially, because there are companies linked with the world of sport that will maybe experience some difficulties because of the coronavirus.

"But also professionally, because with the return to training and competing, what was normal before now is going to be different. It will be a strange situation for us as athletes but also for anyone that has to change their usual work dynamic."

ESPN

Tags: Barcelona, Suspension

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Zero Premier League Players, Staff Test Positive For COVID-19

May 31, 2020 7:18 PM

A widespread test of Premier League players and staff returned zero positive tests for COVID-19.

"The Premier League can today confirm that on Thursday 28 May and Friday 29 May, 1,130 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19. Of these, zero have tested positive," said the league in a statement.

12 players have tested positive in the previous three rounds combined.

The testing revealed 10 positive results from Championship clubs.

The Premier League is currently set to restart on June 17th. 

ESPNFC

Tags: Brighton & Hove Albion, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Bournemouth, Burnley, Chelsea, Crystal Palace, Everton, Leicester City, Liverpool, Manchester City, Manchester United, Newcastle United, Norwich City, Sheffield United, Southampton, Tottenham Hotspur, Watford, West Ham United, Wolverhampton Wanderers, IQ

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Joachim Low: Bundesliga Is 'The Leader In Europe'

May 30, 2020 11:06 PM

Joachim Low discussed the Bundesliga's quality since the league's return behind closed doors.

"You also have to get used to a bit of football without the excitement that the fans provide. On the other hand, I am positively surprised by the high level of motivation from the players and teams, the attitude and also the way of playing," said Low.

Low added that he believes that the Bundesliga is the top league in Europe.

"You can tell that the players want to compete again, to battle, to score goals, to avoid [conceding] goals.

"This has also had a positive effect for me, that the players came out of such a long break so motivated and look as if they are playing in a stadium with 80,000 spectators," added Low.

Marca

Tags: FC Augsburg, Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, Borussia Monchengladbach, Darmstadt 98, Fortuna Dusseldorf, Eintracht Frankfurt, FSV Mainz 05, Germany, Hertha BSC, FC Ingolstadt 04, 1. FC Koln, RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, SC Paderborn 07, FC Schalke 04, SC Freiburg, TSG 1899 Hoffenheim, Union Berlin, Werder Bremen, VfL Wolfsburg, IQ

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Liverpool's Title-Winning Match Could Be Moved To Neutral Ground

May 30, 2020 7:29 PM

Liverpool's potential title-winning match against Everton could be moved to a neutral ground.

The Premier League is considering moving six matches to neutral grounds on the advice of the country's police chiefs.

Officers raised concerns about crowds potentially gathering should certain matches be played in the traditional home-and-away format.

Liverpool need just two wins to officially clinch the league title.

The neutral matches could be played at Wembley Stadium.

James Olley/ESPN

Tags: Everton, Liverpool, Misc Rumor

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Liverpool Still Hope To Sign Timo Werner From RB Leipzig

May 29, 2020 12:52 PM

Liverpool still hope to sign Timo Werner from RB Leipzig.

Liverpool have until June 15th to meet his release clause of €60 million (£52.7 million). Werner will wait for Liverpool's decision before choosing his future club.

Inter Milan had interest in Werner, but he doesn't want to play in Italy.

Werner started his career at Stuttgart and has been with RB Leipzig since 2016.

Fabrizio Romano/The Guardian

Tags: RB Leipzig, Liverpool, Misc Rumor, Transfer Rumor

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Brendan Rodgers Reveals He Survived COVID-19

May 29, 2020 12:49 PM

Brendan Rodgers revealed both he and his wife had COVID-19.

Rodgers is the second Premier League manager, after Arsenal’s Mikel Arteta, to have confirmed catching the virus.

“I wasn’t well and it was later detected I had the virus,” Rodgers said. “A week after that, my wife had it. We spent about three weeks feeling the effects. We were nowhere near as bad as a lot of people but we lost our smell and taste for three weeks, we lost our strength, so I had a little feeling of whatever it must be like. It was tough.

“The strangest thing was the smell and the taste. You’re eating your dinner every day and you could not smell or taste anything. Then you lose your strength, you could hardly walk 10 feet and you were really blowing. I felt similar to climbing Kilimanjaro and you get to a certain altitude, you walk and you really suffer in your breathing. You’re walking 10 to 20 yards and you’re thinking: ‘Goodness me.’

“At the time I hadn’t been tested but you know it’s different. The headache felt like it isolated one side of your head. Your strength gets taken out of you.”

Paul Doyle/The Guardian

Tags: Leicester City

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La Liga To Resume Matches On June 11th

May 29, 2020 12:47 PM

La Liga will resume play on June 11th.

An official statement from the CSD read: "The Spanish football federation [RFEF] and La Liga have agreed, as part of the Contact Group formed together with the National Sports Council [CSD], the format of the eleven remaining matchdays to complete La Liga Santander and La Liga SmartBank [the first and second divisions]."

The first division will resume with the Seville derby between Sevilla and Real Betis on Thursday, June 11.

Matches will be played behind closed doors, following a strict safety protocol as prepared by La Liga and approved by the Ministry of Health.

Alex Kirkland/ESPN

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Barcelona To Cut Scouting Staff By 50 Percent

May 28, 2020 1:44 PM

Barcelona will cut their scouting department in half as part of a restructuring operation. 

The department employs approximately 40 members but only 15-20 are expected to survive the restructuring.

The majority of those working in the department are out of contract at the end of June and won't have their terms renewed.

Many of the scouts have been furloughed since March, when La Liga was indefinitely suspended and Barca acted to deal with the financial consequences of the coronavirus.

Moises Llorens, Sam Marsden/ESPN

Tags: Barcelona

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Premier League Will Return On June 17th With City/Arsenal

May 28, 2020 12:39 PM

The Premier League will return on June 17th.

Sources have told ESPN that Manchester City vs. Arsenal and Aston Villa at home to Sheffield United will be the first fixtures, taking all teams to 29 matches played.

The remaining 90 games will then continue from the following weekend with a match likely to be moved for television on Friday.

Their aim is to complete all League fixtures by Aug. 1.

The Premier League was suspended on March 13 with the last game, Leicester's 4-0 win over Aston Villa, played on March 9.

James Olley/ESPN

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Banc Of California Pays $20.1M To End Stadium Sponsorship With LAFC

Eben Novy-Williams

Premier League Clubs Agree To Resume Contact Training

James Olley/ESPN

MLS Shortening Time Frame For Return-To-Play Tournament

Jeff Carlisle/ESPN

Jose Mourinho Predicts Fewer 'Crazy' Transfers Due To COVID-19

PA Media

Arsenal Delays Contract Decision On David Luiz

James Olley/ESPN

Bayern Goes Up Seven Points With 1-0 Win Over Dortmund

RealGM Staff Report

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Suffers Calf Injury, Escapes Achilles Tear

Sky Sports

Barcelona Needs $76.8M In Player Sales Before End Of June

Sam Marsden, Moises Llorens/ESPN

Mario Gotze To Leave Dortmund This Summer On Free Transfer

ESPN

La Liga Able To Resume Season On June 8th

BBC Sport

Premier League Confident Of June Restart

ESPN

Premier League Clubs Fear Major Rebates To TV Companies

Jacob Steinberg/The Guardian

Manuel Neuer Extends Contract With Bayern Through 2023

Stephan Uersfeld/ESPN

United Interested In Buying Wissam Ben Yedder From Monaco

Julien Laurens/ESPN

Premier League Has Six Positive COVID-19 Cases Out Of 748 Tests

ESPN

Premier League Clubs Vote To Reopen Training On Tuesday

Mark Ogden/ESPN

Dortmund-Schalke Match Records 725% Increase In FS1 Ratings

Dino-Ray Ramos/Deadline

Juventus, Barcelona Reportedly Close To Nelson Semedo Swap

Football Italia

Rennes Fighting Off Real Madrid Advances For Eduardo Camavinga

As.com

Lucien Favre Hopes Gio Reyna Injury Is 'Nothing'

BeIn Sport