Lionel Messi has told Barcelona that he wants to leave the club immediately – and on a free transfer. Messi's camp believes that a clause in his contract means that he can walk away for no fee. Barcelona, by contrast, insist that he is still bound by a €700m buy-out clause. Manchester United captain Harry Maguire has been withdrawn from the England squad to face Iceland and Denmark early next month after being convicted in a Greek court following a high-profile fracas outside a bar in Mykonos last Thursday night. He was found guilty of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and attempted bribery, and subsequently withdrawn from the squad he had earlier been named in with his trial ongoing. He will appeal the decision. Derry City were in Europa League qualifying action last night, beaten 3-2 by FK Riteriai after the Lithaunians grabbed an extra-time winner.
The Pro14 has confirmed that South African sides will not compete at least until 2021. This has forced tournament organisers to draw up two plans for next season, which starts on October 2nd. The first will have no South African teams and the second will attempt to map a schedule that allows them catch up on three months of fixtures. Gordon D'Arcy's column returns this morning (Subscriber Only), and he's been impressed with how rugby people have grasped the gravity of the Covid-19 guidelines, unlike the Oireachtas Golf Society: "amateur hour is not an option for professional rugby during a pandemic. Neither is the feeling of elitism that clearly exists elsewhere. The consequences are too real. It's not about what you say, it's about what you do."
Croke Park could be safely reopened and filled to up to 30 per cent of normal capacity while still adhering to social distancing guidelines, according to UK-based analytics company SAS. They are providing several clubs and sporting leagues in Europe and America with more exact stadium numbers and capacities that keep spectators safe and socially distanced while also maintaining the financial viability of such attendances. In his column this morning, Sean Moran explains why Wexford's Covid club championships struck the perfect note, making the most of a tough situation: "Wexford got a fair amount of flak for organising a rapid-fire hurling championship, to be followed by a similar exercise in football. Those of us who were sceptical about it were also wrong."
Meanwhile the Irish Champion Stakes, the €750,000 centrepiece of the upcoming Irish Champions Weekend, will not be sponsored. Ireland's smaller racecourses are in a better position to cope with the prospect of operating behind closed doors into the future due to the coronavirus pandemic. However more high profile tracks face a "very difficult" outlook if they aren't able to welcome back large attendances again next year.
