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BARCELONA’S UMTITI TESTS POSITIVE FOR CORONA VIRUS.

Barcelona defender Samuel Umtiti has tested positive for coronavirus but is not with the rest of the squad for their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich.

The Frenchman is currently injured and tested positive at Barcelona’s training ground on Thursday.

He is asymptomatic and is self-isolating at home.

Umtiti is the second player to test positive from Barcelona’s squad away from their Champions League preparations after a player tested positive from Tuesday’s round of testing.

The players tested on Tuesday were: Pedri, Trincao, Matheus Fernandes, Jean-Clair Todibo, Moussa Wague, Carles Alena, Rafinha, Juan Miranda and Oriol Busquets.

Barcelona said in a statement: “After the PCR tests carried out on Thursday the first team player Samuel Umtiti has tested positive for Covid-19. The player is asymptomatic, is in good health and is isolating at home.

The club has informed the relevant sporting and health authorities as well as tracing all the people who have had contact with the player so that they can undergo the corresponding PCR tests.”

Barcelona’s out-of-squad players had returned to pre-season training on Wednesday.

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Andreescu will not defend her US Open title

Defending champion Bianca Andreescu has withdrawn from this year’s US Open because the coronavirus pandemic has hampered her return from injury.

The Canadian, 20, has not played since sustaining a knee injury at the WTA Finals in October.

The US Open will be held behind closed doors in New York from 31 August.

“I have made the difficult decision not to return to New York this year,” said Andreescu, who beat Serena Williams in last year’s final.

“I have taken this step in order to focus on my match fitness and ensure that I return ready to play at my highest level.”

Andreescu added that “unforeseen challenges” including the cancellation of events because of the coronavirus pandemic have “compromised my ability to prepare and compete to the degree necessary to play at my highest level”.

World number six Andreescu is the fourth women’s top 20 player to pull out of the US Open after world number one Ashleigh Barty, Elina Svitolina and Kiki Bertens, who are ranked fifth and seventh respectively.

World number two Simona Halep, from Romania, is not expected to play either.

However, 23-time Grand Slam champion Williams says she still plans to compete at the tournament.

Men’s world number one Novak Djokovic has confirmed he will play but defending champion Rafael Nadal pulled out citing concerns over coronavirus earlier this month, while Roger Federer is absent recovering from injury.

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Juventus offer Ronaldo to Clubs including Barcelona

Serie A champions Juventus offered Cristiano Ronaldo to Barcelona, according to Spanish football expert Guillem Balague.

Juventus are trying to offload Ronaldo as they try to lower their wage bill.

The club have been hit hard by the coronavirus crisis and are looking to trim costs.

Ronaldo has had an immensely successful campaign for Juve, finishing as their top goalscorer with 35 in all competitions.

Also, it has helped them lift the Serie A title, though which was not enough to prevent their exit from the Champions League at the hands of Lyon.

Following their Champions League elimination, Maurizio Sarri was sacked and Andrea Pirlo has been brought in – despite just being made the Under-23 boss nine days prior.

Balague claims the former Real Madrid star is paid a whopping €23m-a-year and the club have offered his services to a number of clubs – including Barcelona.

“The reason why Cristiano Ronaldo has been linked to PSG is not so much that PSG are thinking of getting him, it is because Jorge Mendes has been given instructions to find a team for Ronaldo,” Balague told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“We’ve seen this in the last six months, he was linked to Real Madrid.

“They said no chance, he’s not coming back.

“And there’s been talks about the MLS because Juventus want to get rid of that wage.

“It is as drastic as that. He’s been offered everywhere, including Barcelona.

“I’m not sure if they can get rid of him easily [because] with the kind of money he still earns – 23million euros net – that he was earning at Real Madrid and I think he equalled those wages when he went to Juventus.

“Who is going to pay that kind of money?”

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FULHAM BOSS, SCOTT PARKER TO BE REWARDED WITH CONTRACT EXTENSION, SURVIVAL BONUS.

Fulham manager, Scott Parker is set to be rewarded with a new contract that includes a significant Premier League survival bonus.

The 39-year-old led Fulham back to the big time after only a single season in the Championship by beating Brentford in their play-off final at Wembley.

Parker, whose current contract only runs until 2021, has been taking time to unwind following that win and discussions over a new deal are expected to be a formality.

His predecessor Claudio Ranieri was believed to have a seven-figure bonus built into his contract, which would have been triggered had they not been relegated to the Championship.

Fulham went down but were brought back by Parker, who could receive similar terms. His coaching staff are also set to be given extensions on their current contracts.

Captain Tom Cairney previously suggested Parker is destined for a job at a top club someday.

The former England midfielder is popular among the players and he also gets along with Tony Khan, Fulham’s hands-on vice chairman and director of football.

Parker and Khan work together closely on transfers and are set to make additions this summer – but there will be no repeat of their £100m spending spree in 2018

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Barcelona player test positive for Corona various

Barcelona say an unnamed squad member has tested positive for Covid-19.

He was one of nine reporting for pre-season training, showed no symptoms and has been quarantined at his home.

Barca say he has not been in contact with any senior players, who travel to Lisbon on Thursday to prepare for a Champions League quarter-final.

Valencia confirmed two cases of Covid-19 this week, while Atletico Madrid reported two positive tests before their Champions League quarter-final.

Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Champions League is concluding with a ‘final eight’ tournament in Lisbon, comprising single-leg games held behind closed doors.

Barcelona play Bayern Munich on Friday, the day after Atletico Madrid face RB Leipzig.

Everyone who has been in contact with the Barcelona player has been tracked to perform tests.

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Sancho will not Leave Dortmund

England forward Jadon Sancho will remain a Borussia Dortmund player next season, says the club’s sporting director Michael Zorc.

The 20-year-old has been named in the Bundesliga club’s squad for this week’s training camp in Switzerland.

It comes on the day of the deadline set by Dortmund for any deal to be agreed for Sancho, who is Manchester United’s top summer target.

“We plan on having Jadon Sancho in our team this season,” said Zorc.

“The decision is final. I think that answers all our questions.

“Last summer we adjusted Jadon’s salary to match the development of his performances. So in context, we had already extended his contract until 2023 back then.”

Dortmund want about £100m for Sancho, who they signed from Manchester City for £10m in 2017.

Sancho and England Under-17 midfielder Jude Bellingham are among 31 players to travel to Bad Ragaz.

Bellingham, 17, joined Dortmund from Championship side Birmingham City in July.

Dortmund have two matches during their training camp, against Austrian sides SCR Altach on Wednesday and Austria Vienna on Sunday.

They set the deadline for Sancho, who is under contract with them until 2022, because they want undisturbed preparation for the 2020-21 Bundesliga season.

The new campaign starts on 18 September, with the transfer deadline for international deals on 5 October.

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Morikawa wins Pga championship

American Collin Morikawa emerged from a stacked leaderboard to win the 2020 US PGA Championship after a flawless final round in San Francisco.

At one point on the back nine, six players shared the lead – but an eagle two on the 16th saw Morikawa go clear.

The world number 12, playing in just his second major, carded a six-under 64 at TPC Harding Park to reach 13 under.

England’s Paul Casey was two shots back in a tie for second with overnight leader Dustin Johnson after a 66.

Like Morikawa, Matthew Wolff was another unheralded American to rise through the field on Sunday, shooting a 65 to finish on 10 under.

He tied for fourth with compatriots Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau, plus Australia’s Jason Day, who all carded 66s on a nail-biting final day that made a mockery of concerns over how competitive the year’s first major would be with no fans.

Justin Rose hit a 67 to finish a shot further back after being three behind the lead overnight, along with fellow Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, who slipped to three under.

Two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka trailed Johnson by two heading into the final round, but the American stumbled to a four-over 74 to also finish on three under.

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JUVENTUS FIRE SARRI AFTER CHAMPIONS LEAGUE OUSTER.

Juventus have sacked Maurizio Sarri following their Champions League exit at the hands of Lyon.

The Continassa hierarchy held a meeting following the Old Lady’s failure to progress to the quarter-finals of Europe’s premier club competition, with Sarri’s future at the club the only point on the agenda in the wake of the continental disappointment.

It was decided that the 61-year-old former Chelsea and Napoli boss is no longer the man to take the club forward, with Juve’s signing of Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid making clear that their intention was to win the Champions League after several years of near-misses.

“The club would like to thank the coach for having written a new page in Juventus’ history with the victory of the ninth-consecutive championship, the culmination of a personal journey that led him to climb all the divisions of Italian football.”

Sarri’s future had been previously called into question despite leading the club to a ninth-successive Scudetto, with the former banker admitting himself that he had been struggling to impose his famous ‘Sarriball’ style on the squad.

Indeed, following the first-leg defeat against Lyon, Sarri stated that his charges had been moving the ball too slow but that he would continue working with his players until “sooner or later this concept will get into their heads”.

That admission will have done the Italian few favours as the board considered their options, with the feeling amongst those in charge that the head coach had failed to win over the players and that a new approach would be required to see the club progress.

It is no secret that Simone Inzaghi is well liked by those at Continassa following his successful season with Lazio, while Zinedine Zidane still under contract with Real Madrid is another name that is never far from discussions in Turin.

Mauricio Pochettino and Andrea Pirlo are some of the other names possible to take charge at the Old lady.

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CITY BEAT REAL MADRID TO REACH UCL QUARTER FINALS

Raheem Sterling and Gabriel Jesus seized on defensive mistakes to lead Manchester City to a 2-1 victory over Real Madrid in the Champions League on Friday, reaching the quarterfinals with a 4-2 aggregate victory.

After knocking out the record 13-time European champion, City’s mission to win the continent’s elite competition for the first time will continue against Lyon on Aug. 15 as part of UEFA’s unique, pandemic-enforced last eight tournament in Lisbon.

Leading 2-1 from the first leg in February before the coronavirus shut down sports Sterling extended the advantage in the ninth minute at an empty Etihad Stadium.

The former England champions will now face Lyon who eased out Italian champions, Juventus to book a spot in the quarter finals.

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BOATENG WON’T SAY NO TO PREMIER LEAGUE MOVE

Bayern Munich defender, Jerome Boatenf has said he will not mind a move to the English premier league.

The German has suffered a consistent injury setback in recent times despite being a key player for the Bundesliga giants.

“There were hard times,” Jérôme Boateng says as his mind drifts back to Bayern Munich’s wobbles at the start of the season. “It’s like being a child. As a child if I had no confidence, if you don’t get trust from your friends, then you lose the joy of the game. That’s what happens now, even when I’m older.”

Boateng, one of the finest defenders of his generation, could feel the spark ebbing away. Bayern were on the slide under Niko Kovac, a coach struggling to connect with a champion squad, and time finally appeared to have caught up with the old guard. Thomas Müller and Manuel Neuer were under pressure and Boateng, aware that people were starting to view him as a fading force, wondered whether a change of scenery was required.

“There were thoughts at some stage,” he says. “Do I need to change now? I won’t play for ever and I want to enjoy football. I knew I still trained good and in my opinion not everybody has to have the same opinion, I deserved a chance to play and to show that I can play at a high level. At some point if you see it’s not working between the sides then you have to make a clean cut. A nice cut, not a dirty cut.”

Yet Bayern, languishing in seventh place in the Bundesliga at one stage, have come roaring back since replacing Kovac with Hansi Flick in December. They have won their eighth successive title, thumped Bayer Leverkusen in the German Cup final and are one of the favourites to win the Champions League before the second leg of their last-16 tie against Chelsea at the Allianz Arena on Saturday night.