Sports Burst - LaLiga's Stars Are Out
LaLiga's players return after nearly two months of isolation to begin COVID-19 testing ahead of training restart
By Tim Stannard/beIN SPORTS USA
Lionel Messi is out and about at Barcelona's training camp as long, delicate process of the new normal begins
Although many of LaLiga's stars have not exactly been reclusive over the two months or so of social isolation, with more workout scenes being published than the internet knew what to do with, actual pictures of actual soccer stars out of their actual houses were published on Wednesday.
And they weren't quarantine-breaking Tottenham players either.
Today saw clubs such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Sevilla, Valencia and Atletico Madrid bringing in their players for medical checks and COVID-19 tests ahead of what is hoped to be the return of individual training sessions from Friday.
The footballers arrived one by one under strict supervision for their tests before returning home. Should this first phase go smoothly, two weeks of individual practice is expected with players arriving in their training clothes, just one of many protocols that includes having no more than six people on a training field at the same time with just 12 permitted in the installations.
The Sports Burst live show will bring all the latest news from Spain. Head to our beIN SPORTS USA Facebook page, Youtube channel and beIN XTRA channel at 12PM ET / 9AM PT.
🚨 BREAKING NEWS 🚨
The Turkish Lig is set to restart from June 12th after the league went into lockdown at the middle of March due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The announcement was made by the president of the Turkish Football Federation (TFF), Nihat Ozdemir. And what better time to remind y'all that beIN SPORTS is the proud home of the Turkish Super Lig.
View this post on Instagram 🇹🇷🏆 Turkish #SuperLig to restart from June 12 🗓 La Superliga turca se reiniciará a partir del 12 de junio 🔝🔥 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🔜 You can enjoy it only on beIN SPORTS A post shared by beIN SPORTS USA (@beinsportsusa) on May 6, 2020 at 5:35am PDT
Barcelona reacts to cranky Courtois thoughts
While real life was taking place on Wednesday in Spain, virtual squabbles were all the rage in the country's sports media.
There was fearsome mock outrage in the Barcelona press over Thibaut Courtois declaring to the Belgian media that it would not be fair if Barcelona were to be handed the LaLiga title without the season being completed. "We were better than Barcelona," huffed the Real Madrid goalkeeper.
"Why don't you shut up?" was the charming response from Sport on the paper's front cover on Wednesday.
Quique Setien somewhat ruined the mood though by siding with Courtois a little. "I wouldn't like to win the title in this way," said the Barcelona manager.
Bundesliga expected to be given restart signal
At time of writing, no formal decision on the future of the Bundesliga has come out of a meeting on Wednesday between German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and the country's federal states. However, all indications in the German media are that a green light for a restart will be given.
A speculative date of the 22nd May is the most likely with a proviso that the players and staff of the clubs of Germany's top two divisions are in quarantine in their respective training centers two weeks before that date.
The Bundesliga was suspended at the beginning of March and has between nine and ten rounds to play depending on the team in question.
The Bundesliga would be in line with the whole country easing social restrictions by potentially allowing the phased reopening of bars and restaurants between May 9th and 22nd.
The Sports Burst PM show will go live to Berlin to bring the latest on a big day for soccer. Head to beIN SPORTS at 7PM ET / 4PM PT.
Italian PM set to bang heads over Serie A restart
Over in Italy and an exasperated Prime Minister, Giuseppe Conte, has admitted that he will have to try and get to grips on what to do with the squabbles taking place between Serie A bosses and members of his own government over a possible resumption of Italian soccer.
"I still haven't dealt with football," admitted Conte who is planning to have a big meeting with all parties on Wednesday and potentially knock some heads together.
Meanwhile, the Italian press is reporting that Juventus are in the process of recalling their players who left Italy during the pandemic. Cristiano Ronaldo is already back in Turin and beginning a required phase of two weeks of quarantine. However, there is no word yet on the plans of Gonzalo Higuain.
MLS clubs begin individual training for players
The situation in regards to American sports is complicated to say the least, notwithstanding that most of the leagues in the country involve Canada as well.
However, MLS has begun early attempts to restart with some teams allowing voluntary practice for players on an individual basis based on guidelines from local health authorities.
Those clubs currently confirmed as permitting training today are Atlanta United, Inter Miami and Sporting KC. However, a suspension of the league itself remains in place until at least June 8th.
The NHL, NBA, and MLB have no fixed plans to restart practice for players while the NFL is set to release its 2020 match schedule on Thursday, a timetable that has already moved games that were being held outside of North America, back to this side of the Atlantic.
Future of 2020 Tour de France in doubt
There could be more bad news for French sports fans.
However, that date was expected to allow a reshuffled and supporter-free 2020 Tour de France to carry on - the jewel in the crown of the country's sport. However, France's sports minister, Roxana Maracineanu, has cast doubts on that by declaring that “I hope it will take place but I am not sure."
Elsewhere in cycling, Europe's two other major events will be coexisting with the Giro d'Italia set to run between the 3rd and 25th October and the Vuelta de Espana to go from the 20th October to the 8th November.
In cheerier news, Taiwanese baseball is giving a boost to the world by announcing that supporters will be allowed in stadiums to watch games from Friday. 1,000 will be permitted into venues as long as face masks are worn and people are seated at least one meter apart.
How beer will be drunk is another matter for the scientists to work out.