CONOR MCGREGOR has teased the fighting world by saying he is in fighting condition ahead of UFC 249 on April 18 – after Khabib Nurmagomedov ruled out leaving Russia to fight Tony Ferguson.
We won't have Wimbledon this summer for the first time since WWII, amid claims tennis won't return until 2021.
The Premier League will surely return before then and we have all the latest on that along with updates from Anthony Joshua, the Grand National and The Open golf.
Follow all the latest news and updates as the sporting world deals with the threat of coronavirus…
WHEN THE LEVY BREAKS
Daniel Levy faces a grilling from rival clubs after being privately accused of damaging the Prem’s reputation.
Tottenham’s chairman sparked fury by furloughing all 550 non-playing staff and cutting wages by 20 per cent — despite paying Jose Mourinho and his squad in full.
It came the same day Spurs revealed Levy’s £4million annual pay in 2019 was boosted by a £3m bonus for completing the £1billion new stadium.
MPs accused football of operating in a “moral vacuum” while supporters also questioned the move.
And it ensures that Levy will feel the heat of his fellow chairmen and chief executives at today’s video conference “shareholder” meeting between the 20 clubs.
One chairman said: “He is a smart man but this wasn’t a smart move. It hurt the reputation of the entire League.
“A few of us simply don’t understand what Daniel was thinking.”
Some clubs are urging Prem bosses to step into the row and demand Spurs, Newcastle, Norwich and Bournemouth — who all announced furloughs — retract their positions and do not claim for government support.
They feel Spurs in particular made their move prematurely, with club accounts showing revenues of £460m in 2019 and a healthy profit of £68m, despite stadium debt of £17m per year.
Levy’s decision is set to save Spurs just £1m, a relative drop in the ocean — it all sees player wages become the most urgent subject on today’s agenda.
CRESS STRESS
Aaron Cresswell is ‘terrified’ of getting coronavirus after the birth of his daughter.
And the West Ham defender, 30, believes the Premier League should only return once the crisis has been resolved.
He said: “The most important thing is everyone’s health and wellbeing. Football can wait. I’ve got a five-week-old baby daughter and, I’ll be honest, I’m petrified.
“There has been a lot of talk about how quick we can get football back. But the focus should be on people’s health and staying indoors.
“Of course, we’re all missing it — but there is a whole bigger picture. We can’t rush back just because people say we must to finish the season.”
“I hope they don’t just ask us to play for entertainment on TV.
“If we go back too soon and a player tests positive, the competition would be suspended.”
CAPTAIN MARVEL
Virgil Van Dijk has made himself the guardian angel of Liverpool’s locked-down young stars.
And as captain of Holland he makes sure his international pals are coping as well.
Van Dijk, 28, said: “I speak to certain boys. The same goes for the national team.
“I try to get in touch and see how everyone is.
“The unknown is the difficult part.
“You just have to be patient, do the right thing and stay at home.
“We will all get past this if we all do the right thing.
“Everyone is doing their bit.”
SILVER LINING
British GP bosses want to host multiple F1 races at Silverstone – once the season is given the green light.
The opening eight races are either postponed or suspended and F1 chiefs are looking at doubling up races to ensure they get the season done once the coronavirus pandemic is over.
Last week, SunSPORT identified the French GP as a potential venue for two or three races during the coronavirus pandemic, given the circuit's location next to an airfield and ability to create different track layouts.
However, Silverstone MD Stuart Pringle says the Northamptonshire track would also be a suitable location given that seven of the 10 teams are based in the UK.
He said: “I have said to Formula One we are willing to work with them in any way, shape or form that they think is in the best interests of the championship.
“The majority of the teams are within a stone's throw of the circuit, so operationally it would be pretty straightforward.
“We've got the fixed infrastructure, the staff could go home to their own beds of an evening in large parts, so if that's how we can help then I'd be delighted to do that.”
INTERNATIONAL GAINS
Wolves have grabbed the bull by the horns despite the coronavirus crisis by signing a new television deal – for their Spanish speaking fans.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have been winning new admirers abroad since their successful return to the Premier League and the European stage this season.
They also have a massive Mexican following due to the success of top scoring striker Raul Jimenez who is a national icon in his homeland.
Now, in spite of football’s current problems, the Molineux club has signed a long-term TV deal with StreamAMG to broadcast Wolves TV in Spanish and have increased content on the channel to appeal to the Spanish-speaking market.
Russell Jones, head of marketing at Wolves, told Insider Sport: “For the first time this year WolvesTV offered free live audio commentary in Spanish as well as English.
“We all streamed live pictures of our Europa League qualification games and our under-21 fixtures across multiple devices with a registration or paywall to capture usage data and monetise.
“We look forward to working with StreamAMG to offer our fans around the world even more options to consume world-class content on multiple devices in multiple languages.”
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