The Latest: Empty venues in Spain, no clear EPL timetable

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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Soccer matches and other sports events in Spain will take place in empty venues at least until the end of the summer, the mayor of Madrid said Saturday.

José Luis Martínez-Almeida told the Onda Cero radio station that the coronavirus pandemic likely “won’t be under control” by then for events with big crowds to resume normally.

“In the spring and summer there won’t be any events with crowds in Spain, and possibly not in the fall either,” Martínez-Almeida said. “Because obviously the situation will not be fully under control. We will have to change our habits and behaviors even after being allowed to go back on to the streets.”

Spain has been one of the hardest-hit countries with more than 190,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19, only behind the United States. More than 20,000 have died in the European nation.

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West Ham chief executive Karren Brady believes the timescale for an English Premier League return is no clearer than when the coronavirus lockdown started almost a month ago.

The EPL stated after talks with the 20 clubs on Friday that its objective remains to complete the season but “at this stage all dates are tentative while the impact of COVID-19 develops”.

Brady feels that complex questions still need to be answered over player training, the presence of police at matches, virus testing, hygiene and medical protocols.

Writing in her column in the UK newspaper The Sun, she said: “Players will have been able to retain some physical fitness at home. But if social-distancing rules are still in place, physical match-play training will not be allowed – you can’t tackle from two meters away. So, how match-fit will players be if the season commences, as we all hope it will, by mid-June?

“Police officers will need to be at games even if they are behind closed doors, as some supporters will travel to the stadium, even if they cannot come in to watch. But the police will want to ensure attending matches does not drain resources away from other matters.”

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