Coronavirus and Football (Plus all Sport in General)

[McDermotX]

Bundesliga top four make 20m euro cash pledge to other German clubs

The four Bundesliga clubs in this season's Champions League have pledged 20m euros (£18.3m) to support fellow German teams during the coronavirus.

Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen will forego their share of the national media revenue and donate the remainder from their own funds.

The German Football League (DFL) will decide how the money will be distributed.

"We want to send a signal of solidarity to all clubs in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2," Bayern chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said.

The last Bundesliga fixture was played on 11 March and football in Germany's top divisions was suspended with immediate effect on 13 March because of Covid-19.

Former West Germany striker Rummenigge added: "In these difficult times, it's important that the stronger shoulders support the weaker shoulders. With this, we also want to show that football is standing together right now."

Dortmund chief executive officer Hans-Joachim Watzke said: "We have always said that we would show solidarity if clubs, through no fault of their own, should run into difficulties that they can no longer overcome themselves.

"Borussia Dortmund is currently having a major impact on society through a wide range of initiatives. And naturally we are prepared to help out other professional football clubs if it is ultimately a matter of cushioning the financial effects of the pandemic."

Christian Seifert, a spokesman for the DFL executive committee said: "The initiative shows that solidarity is more than just lip service in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2."

Bayern Munich striker Robert Lewandowski and his wife Anna have contributed one million euros (£923,900) to fight the virus, team-mates Leon Goretzka and Joshua Kimmich set up a fund called We Kick Corona and contributed one million euros between them, while Manchester City's German winger Leroy Sane has also made a considerable financial donation.

On Wednesday, players and directors at Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund agreed to take temporary pay cuts.

[Shaggy]

[ame]https://twitter.com/Simon_Hughes__/status/1243457719266349058[/ame]

[Harv]

Sick of hearing all these club chairman who have nothing at stake or ex players with a clearly biased view (like that camel lipped **** Ferdinand) say the season should be abandoned and voided. **** right off.

[Norbs]

Why don't they just make a ****ing decision for actual **** sake. It's obvious we won't be playing before August, maybe not even then so whatever they decide will be a fairly long way off.

I just don't get the reason why we don't resume once it's safe to do so and make contingency for the following season. A calendar season starting Jan 2021 after finishing this one during 4th quarter 2020 makes perfect sense. Or conclude this one and then make a decision on what happens next. It's bollocks not to finish this one but that is exactly where this is headed. Poor cunts who already won promotion to the Nation League yet it's been expunged. Total total bollocks. We're not playing any football and not thinking about it so what is the harm in starting again where we left off with no set date in place? Bollocks

[Phoenix07]

Wouldn't clubs have to pay back TV money and things like that? Refunds for season tickets?

And what happens if there's another spike in coronavirus related incidents later in the year? What happens to that season? This one needs to finish. Next season is the one where the planning needs to begin.

[Chris]

Even tiny clubs are threatening legal action after voiding them seasons from the 8th division the other day. It's never going to happen no matter how much cowardly chairmen or whatever of nothing clubs beg for it.

[Buzzo]

Also, given the competitions are all inter connected through Europe, with a shared calendar surely the decision needs to be made by UEFA?

[S-RED]

The next prem league meeting is 3rd April, i expect something to come out of that regarding next steps/plans

[labourRed]

Also, given the competitions are all inter connected through Europe, with a shared calendar surely the decision needs to be made by UEFA?

They have no jurisdiction over the Premierleague.

Personally, we and the championship teams have played over 75% of the season so i can't see anyone voiding anything. More so with the championship teams.

I can't see any football this year tbh, except for a summer champions league tournament, with heavy medical protocols and behind closed doors.

With no football this year, if that comes true, then i don't see how next season can be completed, so the only thing that makes sense to me is to finish this one then, give all legal challenges a swerve. And finally we can all move on from this **** show in a few years.

[Leyton388]

If they do abandon the season and void it I will be done with football as I cant be arsed listening to all the cuntish fans using the deaths of thousands of people to gleefully laugh at liverpool being denied the league plus after waiting 30 years for rival chairman just to throw the season away when it's almost done and drug cheats like rio sanggle tooth Ferdinand and biased ex players to use this as an excuse to deny liverpool what is rightfully ours.

Theres bigger things going on than this ffs but like I said the utter euphoria around liverpool having the title taken away from them when those cheating cunts down the road have 3 or 4 league titles in their pocket when it has been proven they have cheated in winning them.

The integrity of the league will be shot to bits if they **** us over while at the same time city get to keep theirs. It appears this "anyone but Liverpool" mentality also goes beyond the fans.

If we do miss out I want the club to take legal action against the league and change 18 on the wall of champions to 19. The league might not give us the trophy but we are champions and the club need to acknowledge that despite what some suits say down in london

[Norbs]

They have no jurisdiction over the Premierleague.

Personally, we and the championship teams have played over 75% of the season so i can't see anyone voiding anything. More so with the championship teams.

I can't see any football this year tbh, except for a summer champions league tournament, with heavy medical protocols and behind closed doors.

With no football this year, if that comes true, then i don't see how next season can be completed, so the only thing that makes sense to me is to finish this one then, give all legal challenges a swerve. And finally we can all move on from this **** show in a few years.

A fluid end of season with the same summer break as always. This one finishes Jan 2021, next one starts Feb 2021, pause for summer and resumes in August 2021. Health pending

[labourRed]

A fluid end of season with the same summer break as always. This one finishes Jan 2021, next one starts Feb 2021, pause for summer and resumes in August 2021. Health pending

Not quite the timeframes i had in mind.

A preseason of sorts in January. Players won't have played in about 9months.

This season resumes around February.

Finishes early. Then the Euros and whatever spread out all over and then we can start again as per in August/September, losing a season.

[ChesterDave]

I cant be arsed listening to all the cuntish fans using the deaths of thousands of people to gleefully laugh at liverpool being denied the league plus after waiting 30 years for rival chairman just to throw the season away when it's almost done and drug cheats like rio sanggle tooth Ferdinand and biased ex players to use this as an excuse to deny liverpool what is rightfully ours.

The solution to that is to simply highlight how much of a morally void cunt they are in taking delight at a global pandemic that has killed tens of thousands of people just so they can WUM about a sporting event

[Alex]

Why are people so horny to void this season to save a season that hasn’t even started?

[Lecter]

Wouldn't clubs have to pay back TV money and things like that? Refunds for season tickets?

And what happens if there's another spike in coronavirus related incidents later in the year? What happens to that season? This one needs to finish. Next season is the one where the planning needs to begin.

They will have to payback the TV money. Bundesliga put their cost to TV broadcasters at €770m. I have seen some suggestion that EPL would owe that amount to Sky alone and then we have BT and the foreign broadcasters. How many clubs could afford to payback £50-100m not many

Season tickets is a funny one, I have read that there is some small print in the season ticket terms and conditions which mean they wouldn't be under any obligation to payback their season ticket holders. Would be terrible PR though. For me alone with 4 games left I have lost about £200 worth of games on my Season Ticket and then there is my wifes ticket....