SPORT | 06

F1 star Hamilton to set up

commission to increase diversity

SPORTIbrahimovic return on hold as AC Milan head for Lecce

SPORT | 07

MONDAY 22 JUNE 2020

A general view of an empty court and stands after the cancellation of the final match was announced after Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov tested positive for the COVID-19 in Zadar, Croatia, yesterday.

'Stay safe': Adria Tour final cancelled after Dimitrov tests positive for virusREUTERS — ZADAR, CROATIA

Grigor Dimitrov said yesterday he has tested positive for COVID-19, making him the highest-profile tennis player to reveal he has the disease.

The 29-year-old Bulgarian had been competing in the Adria Tour exhibition tour-nament in Croatia until he withdrew due to feeling ill during the weekend.

The final of the Croatia event in the coastal resort of Zadar, the second leg of the tour which would have fea-tured world number one Novak Djokovic and Russian Andrey Rublev, was cancelled as a

result. “I want to reach out and let my fans and friends know that I tested positive back in Monaco for COVID-19,” former world number three Dimitrov wrote on Instagram.

“I want to make sure anyone who has been in contact with me during these past days gets tested and takes the necessary precautions.

“I am so sorry for any harm I might have caused. I am back home now and recovering. Thanks for your support and please stay safe and healthy.”

Goran Ivanisevic, the director of the tour’s Zadar leg and Djokovic’s coach, was greeted with jeers from the fans

when he broke the news courtside. “We have just been informed that Grigor Dimitrov has tested positive for corona-virus and we will have to call off the final of the tournament in Zadar,” he said.

“Unfortunately we had to make the decision as we don’t want anybody else to catch the virus.”

Dimitrov pulled out of the tournament on Saturday after he felt unwell following his opening singles match against Croatian Borna Coric.

With international tennis suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Djokovic organised the Adria Tour as a charity

event designated to be con-tested over four legs across the former Yugoslavia.

Austria’s world number three Dominic Thiem won the opening leg in Belgrade, where a capacity 4,000 crowd turned up on each day at Djokovic’s tennis centre by the Danube river.

With both Serbia and Croatia easing lockdown measures weeks before the event, players were not obliged to observe social distancing rules in either country and were seen embracing at the net at the end of their matches.

Fans in Croatia, however, were subject to the rules and

had to keep their distance, m e a n i n g t h a t t h e 9,000-capacity Visnjik tennis complex was half-full for the event.

The third leg due in Mon-tenegro on June 27 and 28 was scrapped last week over coro-navirus concerns while the final leg, scheduled for July 3 and 4 in Bosnia’s Banja Luka, is now likely to be called off.

Djokovic’s brother Djordje, the director of the entire Adria Tour series, said everyone who has been in contact with Dim-itrov would be tested for COVID-19 in the next few hours.

“After receiving the news,

we took all the measures stip-ulated by the Croatian gov-ernment and everyone who has had any contact with Grigor will be tested,” he said in a courtside interview.

As well as Djokovic, Coric, Dimitrov and Rublev, also competing in the eight-man Zadar field were world number seven Alexander Zverev, former US Open champion Marin Cilic, Pedja Krstin and Danilo Petrovic. Nino Serda-rusic was drafted in as Dim-itrov’s replacement.

Olga Danilovic and Donna Vekic also featured in a mixed doubles match with Djokovic and Coric.

QSL holds meeting with coaches, officials to discuss second phase of protocolQNA — DOHA

As part of preparations ahead of the completion of 2019-20 season QNB Stars League, the Qatar Stars League (QSL) will hold a number of meetings with clubs today to discuss the most important precau-tions and action plan for the second phase of general protocol.

Ahmed Khellil Abbassi, Executive Director of

Competition and Football Development at the QSL, will hold a meeting with coaches of the clubs (Al Shahaniya, Al Sailiya, Umm Salal and Al Ahli) at the Kempinski Hotel in The Pearl, where they are staying. Meetings with other coaches will be held at a later time.

Ahmed Salman Al Adsani, Director of Competitions Department at the QSL, will also meet all club officials, via visual communication.

Australian star Cahill excited over FIFA World Cup 2022 progress

QNA — KUALA LUMPUR

Former Australia International Tim Cahill (pictured), Official ambassador of World Cup 2022 in Qatar, said he was excited about the progress being made after the inauguration of Education City Stadium that has capacity for 40,000 people.

“So far, so good,” Cahill said before adding that “everything is above schedule and on time. When you have the third s t a d i u m completed and 80 p e r c e n t completed on the

other stadiums with its infra-structure in place, its really pos-itive that Qatar can keep to that

schedule. At the same time, its impressive that it hasn't been affected.”

ythe thirds t a d i u mcompletedand 80p e r c e n tcompletedon the

other stadiustructure in pitive that Qat

scheduleits imhasn't

When you have the third stadium completed and 80 percent completed on the other stadiums with its infrastructure in place, its really positive that Qatar can keep to that schedule: Tim Cahill

Liverpool’s title march delayed by Everton draw; Chelsea sink VillaAFP — LONDON

Liverpool’s march towards the Premier League title was delayed as the leaders returned to action with a goalless draw against Merseyside rivals Everton, while Chelsea fought back for a 2-1 win at Aston Villa yesterday.

Jurgen Klopp’s side picked up following the top-flight resumption on Wednesday needing two wins to secure their first English title for 30 years.

But Liverpool looked rusty in their first game in 106 days following the coronavirus lockdown.

Despite their under-whelming display at Goodison Park, Liverpool are now 23 points ahead of second-placed Manchester City.

If City drop points at home to Burnley on Monday, then Liverpool can clinch the title against Crystal Palace at Anfield on Wednesday.

A City victory would delay Liverpool’s coronation until at least their clash with Pep Guar-diola’s team at the Etihad Stadium on July 2.

Liverpool have won just two of their last seven games in all competitions.

Reds star Mohamed Salah was left on the bench due to fitness concerns, while Andrew Robertson was also sidelined and they were not at their best as a result.

Liverpool improved after the break and Naby Keita fired just wide before Virgil van Dijk’s header was saved by Jordan Pickford.

But it was Everton who

came closest to a winner on the break when Dominic Calvert-Lewin’s effort was saved by Alisson Becker and Tom Davies fired the rebound against the post.

Frank Lampard believes Christian Pulisic can be Chel-sea’s trump card in the race to qualify for the Champions League after his decisive cameo at Villa Park.

Lampard’s side were rocked when Kortney Hause put Villa ahead against the run of play in the first half.

But Pulisic came off the bench to equalise after the break before Olivier Giroud bagged his fourth club goal of the season two minutes later.

Chelsea’s quick-fire blitz moved the fourth-placed west Londoners five points clear of Manchester United in fifth as they fight to qualify for next

season’s Champions League. A first away league win of

2020 was the ideal way for Chelsea to return to action in their first match since the Premier League was suspended

in March due to the coronavirus.

It was Pulisic’s first appearance since January after an abductor muscle injury and Lampard feels the United States winger is ready to make an impact again.

Steve Bruce hopes Joelinton is finally ready to deliver after the Brazilian ended a Premier League goal drought stretching back to August in Newcastle’s 3-0 win over 10-man Sheffield United.

Joelinton’s close-range finish in the 78th minute com-pleted the scoring after goals from Allan Saint-Maximin and Matt Ritchie.

It was a welcome boost for Joelinton, who has struggled since his move from Hof-fenheim last year and missed a glorious opportunity in the first half at St James’ Park.

Aston Villa 1 (Hause 43) Chelsea 2 (Pulisic 60,

Giroud 62)

Everton 0 Liverpool 0

Newcastle 3 (Saint-Maximin 55, Ritchie 69, Joe-

linton 78) Sheffield United 0

Played on Saturday

Brighton 2 (Dunk 75, Maupay 90+5) Arsenal 1

(Pepe 68)

Watford 1 (Dawson 90+3) Leicester 1 (Chilwell

90)

West Ham 0 Wolves 2 (Jimenez 73, Neto 84)

Bournemouth 0 Crystal Palace 2 (Milivojevic 12,

Ayew 23)

Today

Manchester City v Burnley (1900 GMT)

PREMIER LEAGUE RESULTS

Everton’s Gylfi Sigurdsson (second right) vies for the ball against Liverpool’s Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (right) and Jordan Henderson (second left) yesterday.

Grigor Dimitrov

06 MONDAY 22 JUNE 2020SPORT

THE PENINSULA — DOHA

The completion of Education City Stadium is the realisation of a dream for Engineer Muneera Al Jabir.

Since 2014, Al Jabir has played a pivotal role in the delivery of the third tour-nament-ready venue for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.The Qatar University graduate has gained a wealth of profes-sional experience after dedi-cating the last six years to the project.

And she cannot wait for the venue to host matches during the first FIFA World Cup in the Middle East and Arab world.

What has your role as a senior project engineer involved since you joined the Education City Stadium project?

I’ve been involved in eve-rything – from the design, to procurement, construction and managing all aspects of the project. I’ve been dele-gated to project manage every facet of the con-struction, including liaising with contractors, sub-con-tractors and stakeholders. When I first joined the project, there was nothing but a hole in the ground – but now we have created an

amazing World Cup stadium. It’s been a fantastic journey.

What have been the most memorable moments over the past six years?

The big lift activity, when we finalised the roof structure, was a huge achievement. That was the start of the major activities that gave us the structural shape of the stadium. That was in November 2018 and I remember it being a major accomplishment. Com-pleting the façade was also memorable. This gave the final look of the ‘Diamond in the Desert’ idea. I also remember the turf laying and seat installation

– as when these things happen you finally feel like you are in a stadium. You have the pitch and the seats – and are just waiting for the players.

What are your main lessons learned from being a part of this project?

This has been my first project since graduating, so I have learned so much. To be given this opportunity as an engineer and the chance to manage this whole thing – it’s been incredible. I feel like I wouldn’t have had this experience anywhere else in the world.

What do you make of the legacy plans for the stadium?

This stadium will serve the community in many different aspects long after the World Cup is over. It will be capable of hosting events, exhibitions and conferences, while the upper tier will be donated to a country which needs sporting infrastructure – something which will promote football in other countries. Some areas of the stadium will also be con-verted into educational and sporting areas. This venue will provide an amazing legacy for

the local community. Now the stadium is com-

pleted, what’s next for you? I’ll be continuing to support

the project. In general, I will continue to serve my country and support the delivery of the World Cup.

How proud will you feel when this stadium hosts matches during the World Cup?

I will be very proud of this venue being a part of an amazing global event. It will be an unforgettable moment for my country.

'I will be very proud when Education City Stadium hosts World Cup games'

When I first joined the project, there was nothing but a hole in the ground – but now we have created an amazing World Cup stadium. It’s been a fantastic journey: Engineer Muneera Al Jabir

A spectacular view during the unveiling of Education City Stadium.

The completion of Education City Stadium is the realisation of a dream for Engineer Muneera Al Jabir.

Formula 1 star Hamilton to set up commission to increase diversityAP — LONDON

Six-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton (pictured) is to set up a commission to increase diversity in motorsport.

The Mercedes driver said the aim of the Ham-ilton Commission would be to make the sport “become as diverse as the complex and multicul-tural world we live in.”

Writing in British newspaper The Sunday Times, Hamilton said it would be a research part-nership dedicated to exploring how motor-sport can be used as a vehicle to “engage more young people from Black backgrounds with science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) subjects and, ulti-mately, employ them on our

teams

or in other engineering sectors.”

“I’ve been fighting the stigma of racism

throughout my racing career - from kids

throwing things at

me while karting, to b e i n g

taunted b y f a n s

i n

black face at a 2007 Grand Prix, one of my first Formula One races,” he wrote.

“I’m used to being one of very few people of color on my teams and, more than that, I’m used to the idea that no one will speak up for me when I face racism, because no one per-sonally feels or under-stands my experience.”

Hamilton, who is the only Black world champion in F1, has spoken widely about racism after saying he was left feeling “so much anger, sadness and dis-belief” following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last month.

He wrote in the paper that the “institutional bar-riers that have kept F1 highly exclusive persist,” adding that the thousands of people employed in motorsport need to be more representative of society.

“Winning champion-ships is great, but I want to be remembered for my work creating a more equal society through education”, he added.

backgrounds with science, technology, engineering andmathematics (STEM) subjects and, ulti-mately, employthem on our

teteamamms ssss

stigma of racisthrougho

my racincareer from ki

throwinthings

me whikarting, b e i n

tauntbf a n

i

I’ve been fighting the stigma of racism throughout my racing career - from kids throwing things at me while karting, to being taunted by fans in black face at a 2007 Grand Prix, one of my first Formula One races: Hamilton

Italy's Zanardi remains stableAFP — MILAN

A l e x Z a n a r d i ’ s condition remained stable in hospital yesterday, a ‘positive’ sign for doctors two days after the former Formula One driver turned Paralympic champion suffered serious head injuries in a handbike crash in Italy.

“The positive thing is that the more time passes and conditions remain stable, this gives us hope,” Dr Sabino Scolletta, head of critical care at the Santa Maria delle Scotte hospital in S i e n a , t o l d journalists.

Zanardi suffered serious head injuries with multiple facial factures.

Four-way tie after third round of RBC HeritageREUTERS — NEW YORK

Webb Simpson was forced to make some room at the top of the leaderboard after the third round of the RBC Heritage in South Carolina, with a four-way tie for first injecting drama into finale.

The 2012 US Open champion played a solid round with four birdies and a bogey, but it was not enough to fend off Briton Tyrrell Hatton, who had eight birdies on a day of stellar putting to equal Webb’s three-day, 15-under par effort.

Rounding out the four-way tie for first were Abraham Ancer and Ryan Palmer, who shot six and five under par respectively, with 11 other golfers all within two strokes of first place heading into the final round.

Daniel Berger, who walked away with the winner’s plaid jacket at last weekend’s Colonial, hit nine birdies for eight under par, sitting one stroke behind first place.

The fierce competition on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, showed there was little rust left to shake off as the PGA Tour returned to action last week after a three-month, hiatus due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Tyrrell Hatton of England reacts to his birdie on the 18th green during the third round of the RBC Heritage.

198 - Tyrrell Hatton 71-64-63, Abraham Ancer (MEX) 69-64-65, Ryan Palmer65-67-66, Webb Simpson 65-65-68199 - Carlos Ortiz (MEX) 69-67-63, Daniel Berger 67-69-63, Joel Dahmen 68-68-63 200 - Joaquin Niemann (CHI) 69-68-63, Chris Stroud 68-69-63, Sergio Garcia (ESP) 70-65-65, Michael Thompson 65-69-66, Erik van Rooyen (RSA) 66-68-66,Ian Poulter (ENG) 64-69-67, Matthew Fitzpatrick (ENG) 66-66-68, Corey Con-ners (CAN) 68-63-69201 - Brice Garnett 65-71-65, Andrew Landry 68-67-66, Alex Noren (SWE) 69-66-66, Dustin Johnson 68-66-67, Brooks Koepka 67-66-68, Bryson DeCham-beau 67-64-70 202 - Matt Wallace (ENG) 68-68-66, JT Poston 67-69-66, Tony Finau 66-68-68,Sam Ryder 69-65-68, Tyler Duncan 71-63-68, Jhonattan Vegas (VEN) 70-63-69203 - Doc Redman 72-66-65, Scott Stallings 70-68-65, Rory McIlroy (NIR) 72-65- 66, Justin Rose (ENG) 70-67-66, Lucas Glover 69-68-66, Matt Kuchar 70-66-67,Sebastian Munoz (COL) 65-69-69, Mackenzie Hughes (CAN) 66-68-69

RBC HERITAGE SCORES

Qatar clubs prepare for Presidential elections

QNA — DOHA

As the resumption of QNB Stars League draws nearer, sports clubs are also preparing for its election for the 2020-2024 term.

Elections are set to be highly competitive at Qatar SC, Al Arabi SC, Al Khor SC, Al Sailiya SC, and Al Rayyan SC despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has affected professional sports all over the world.

Clubs have already sent their general assembly dates to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, with the first one belonging to Al Markhiya SC on July 16.

It will be followed by Al Wakrah SC, who will hold their general assembly on July 18, with H E Sheikh Khalifa bin Hassan Al Thani favourite to continue leading the club.

July 20 will see Al Khor SC hold their general assembly, with former Qatar national team player Mohammed Mubarak Al Mohannadi looking to be the next president.

Afterwards comes the general assemblies of Muaither SC, Al Kharatiyat SC, Al Shi-haniya SC, and Al Rayyan SC on July 27, August 11, August 13, and August 24 respectively. The general assembly of Al Sadd SC will be less than a week later on August 30.

Elections are set to be highly competitive at Qatar SC, Al Arabi SC, Al Khor SC, Al Sailiya SC, and Al Rayyan SC despite the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic that has affected professional sports all over the world.

Clubs have already sent their general assembly dates to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, with the first one belonging to Al Markhiya on July 16.

It will be followed by Al Wakrah SC, who will hold their general assembly on July 18, with H E Sheikh Khalifa bin Hassan Al Thani favourite to continue leading the club.

07MONDAY 22 JUNE 2020 SPORT

Pakistan have a very good chance of winning T20 WC, says MalikIANS - LAHORE

Veteran Pakistan batsman Shoaib Malik (pictured) feels that the team stands a very good chance of winning the 2020 T20 World Cup, if it goes ahead as per plans.

The fate of the showpiece event, which is scheduled to be played in Australia later this year, hangs in balance due to implications put forward by the coronavirus pandemic.

Malik, who won the trophy once in 2009, stated Pakistan have a very good bowling attack and that is why they will be one of the top contenders at the tournament.

“I believe our chances are very good,” Malik told PakPassion.com.

“In order to win these kinds of events, you have to have a very strong bowling attack and I think we have that box ticked. In addition, we also have a good batting line-up to complement that strong bowling attack.”

“Not only that, but our fielding has also developed and improved over the years, which is important on big grounds.

“Our fitness is much improved and better than it was in previous years, so overall, I

think we will be right up there as a team that stands a very good chance of winning this tournament if it goes ahead,” he added.

Malik, in July, will join the 29-man Pakistan squad that leaves for England on June 28. The tour is set to consist of three Tests and as many T20Is and will all be played in empty sta-diums due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Of course, we all like to see packed stadiums and matches that have a buzz from the crowd, which all adds to the spectacle.

“But right now, the situation around the world is very con-cerning and we must do what is right for everyone’s health and safety,” he said.

“Hopefully one day and not too far into the future crowds will be back. But for now, cricket needs to be played and if this is what needs to be done to get cricket back on then we must support it and accept it.” Pakistan U-19 women crick-eters to undergo fitness assessment

Meanwhile the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Sunday announced that it will hold online fitness assessment of 19

under-19 women cricketers from today. The assessment is designed to keep up and coming cricketers focused and moti-vated during the Covid-19 pan-demic, which has put a halt on outdoor physical activities.

“The players will take tests from 22-26 June in which their hand-eye coordination, body balance, core muscle and lower body strength along with upper body endurance will be gauged,” the PCB release said yesterday.

“The investment on this group of emerging players is in line with PCB’s strategy of enhancing the pool of women cricketers by creating an U19 pathway programme,” it added.

The players were picked on the basis of their performances in the Skills2Shine U-18 Women T20 Championship, a four-team tournament which was held in Lahore in November last year.

Following the tournament, the players underwent a 14-day-long training camp at the Hanif Mohammad High Per-formance Centre in Karachi.

“Physical fitness is one of the key elements for any cricketer in order to be suc-cessful and thrive in this day and age. It is important that the

players are made aware of these requirements right from the moment they enter the system,” Urooj Mumtaz, chair of the national women’s selection committee, was quoted as saying in the statement. “With the aim to create a fitness-centric envi-ronment, these players have been engaged in training pro-grammes provided by the strength and conditioning coach over the past two months.

“The testing battery has been designed keeping in mind the challenges of training

indoors in these unprecedented times. The basic purpose behind this assessment is to gauge the baseline fitness of this group along with keeping them involved and motivated.

“The investment in women cricketers at the emerging and age group level is of great sig-nificance for the PCB as they are the future of the game and it is important that the board regu-larly engages with these players and assists them in under-standing the essential attributes of modern day cricket,” she said.

Interim chief Hockley looks to reset Australian cricketAFP - SYDNEY

Interim Cricket Australia chief Nick Hockley says he intends to repair broken relationships and ensure everyone is “pointing in the right direction” again after accepting the top job at the troubled organisation.

The Englishman assumed the hot seat last week after Kevin Roberts resigned barely halfway through his tenure over simmering anger at his han-dling of the coronavirus crisis.

Roberts laid off most of Cricket Aus-tralia’s staff and tried to slash budgets to state bodies and players, arguing rev-enues would be hit hard by the virus.

But there was widespread pushback after it became clear that most of Aus-tralia’s home season, including a

lucrative Test series against India, was likely to go ahead.

Hockley has his hands full working to appease players and staff. “I feel like I want to sit down with every single person,” he said.

“I’m just really keen to find out how everyone’s feeling, in the first instance, and I’m starting to understand that,” he added in a Q&A on the Cricket Australia website.

“Everyone wants a solution and every bit of clarity we can get really helps. The challenge is that time is of the essence to sort all that out. And we owe it to the game to sort it out.”

A day after Roberts quit, Cricket Aus-tralia axed 40 jobs, or some 15 percent of staff, aimed at saving Aus$40m ($27.6m).

The governing body said it was con-cerned about further financial shocks this year, with smaller crowds expected and extra spending on safety measures to keep COVID-19 at bay.

All planned Sheffield Shield and Twenty20 Big Bash League matches will continue but Australia A tours and Cricket Australia XI games have been put on hold.

There is also uncertainty over whether Australia can host the T20 World Cup this year in the midst of the global pandemic.

Hockley, who was the T20 World Cup chief, said it was important to “get everyone pointing in the same direction”.

“And I’m pretty clear on the prior-ities, which are getting the teams back to work, reaching out to all our

stakeholders and coming together, and focusing on delivering this summer,” he said.

An international search is underway for a permanent appointment, with a range of candidates touted in the local press from former England captain Andrew Strauss to ex-Australian football chief David Gallop.

Hockley, who worked on the 2015 Cricket World Cup organising committee and before that with the 2012 London Olympics team, was circumspect when asked if he wanted the job full-time.

“My approach throughout my entire career has been to focus on doing the best job I can with what I’ve been tasked with, and the future will look after itself. And I’ll continue the same approach,” he said.

Kohli is a ‘terrific guy’, says SmithAFP - NEW DELHI

Australia’s Steve Smith has hailed Indian superstar and on-field rival Virat Kohli as a “terrific guy” and a strong leader who plays hard on the field.

While international sporting events were halted when the coronavirus pan-demic hit, cricketers have been keeping in touch with each other through mes-sages, phone and video calls.

“I had few conversa-tions with him (Virat) off the field, few messages here and there in recent times just to see how things are going in India,” Smith told Indian broadcaster Star Sports.

“He is a terrific guy and we both play hard out on the field.”

After India beat Aus-tralia in last year’s World Cup in England, Kohli apol-ogised to Smith for chants of “cheater” from the stands towards the former Aus-tralia captain for his role in the ball-tampering scandal that rocked Australia during their 2018 tour of South Africa.

The gesture was sur-prising because Kohli had once stopped just short of calling Smith a cheat after a Test match in Bangalore in 2017 when the then skipper looked up towards the dressing room for help during an umpire review -- something not permitted under the rules.

“Virat’s gesture in the World Cup to the Indian fans that were giving me and David Warner a little bit of a stick -- I appre-ciated that and I shared that with him straight up,” said Smith. “He is a terrific guy and the way he has led the Indian team has been amazing.”

CSKA Moscow fans in the stands during a Russian Premier League match against Zenit Saint Petersburg at VEB Arena, Moscow, Russia, on Saturday.

Dynamo Moscow reports virus cases, game postponedAP - MOSCOW

Dynamo Moscow said yesterday that three of its players had tested positive for the corona-virus as its game on the Russian soccer league’s restart weekend was postponed.

Yesterday’s game was the second to be disrupted by the coronavirus since the Russian league restarted Friday after a three-month pause.

League and federation offi-cials said this development did not justify stopping the season.

Dynamo said the team and staff were confined to its training base after the positive tests for forward Clinton N’Jie and midfielders Charles Kaboré and Sebastian Szymanski.

All other players tested

negative in samples taken Sat-urday, the club added.

Dynamo was due to play at third-place FC Krasnodar yes-terday but Krasnodar agreed to a postponement.

On Friday, Sochi beat FC Rostov 10-1 after Rostov was forced to field youth players, some as young as 16.

Rostov’s entire first team is in isolation because of a sus-pected virus outbreak in the squad and Sochi refused to postpone the game.

“There is no talk of stopping the season,” the Russian soccer federation and the league said in a joint statement.

“Strictly adhering to our requirements and recommen-dations will make it possible to reduce the risks and to play the

championship to its end.”The Russian Football Union

set July 19 as the new date for the Krasnodar-Dynamo game. It also outlined a contingency plan, saying the Russian Cup semifinals and final could be delayed to clear space in the calendar if a team involved in the cup semi-finals has a league game rescheduled.

The different approaches of Sochi and Krasnodar to coro-navirus cases in their oppo-nents’ squads mean that the virus has already affected the fight for Russia’s three Cham-pions League places.

Fourth-place Rostov is immediately below Krasnodar in the table.

The title race looks effec-tively over. Zenit St. Petersburg

won 4-0 over CSKA Moscow on Saturday and, with seven games remaining, leads by nine points from Lokomotiv Moscow, which beat Orenburg 1-0 on Sunday.

Dynamo already reported coronavirus cases last month. The club said then that one player and one coach had been diagnosed with the virus, that two people had “borderline” results and two more people had antibodies indicating they previously had the virus.#

Meanwhile Bergamo, Italy, free-scoring Atalanta continued where they left off before the novel coronavirus stoppage by thumping Sassuolo 4-1 in Serie A yesterday as football returned to Bergamo, one of the Italian cities worst hit by the pandemic.

Duvan Zapata netted twice as the Serie A top scorers took their tally to 74 goals in 26 games while Sassuolo's Mehdi Bourabia scored at both ends with a bizarre own goal and a late consolation from a free kick.

Atalanta stayed fourth with 51 points having had their coach

Gian Piero Gasperini sent off for dissent in the second half. At the height of the coronavirus out-break, Bergamo's hospitals were overwhelmed by infected people and, with morgues unable to keep up, convoys of army trucks carrying away the dead became a chilling symbol of the global pandemic.

CSKA Moscow’s Kristijan Bistrovic in action with Zenit Saint Petersburg’s Daler Kuzyayev at VEB Arena, Moscow, Russia, on Saturday.

Ibrahimovic return on hold as AC Milan head for LecceAFP - MILAN

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will miss AC Milan’s first Serie A match back after a three-month coro-navirus shutdown with the Swedish veteran struggling for fitness after a calf injury, coach Stefano Pioli said yesterday.

Ninth-placed Milan travel south to play rel-egation candidates Lecce in an empty Stadio Via del Mare today looking to push their way closer to the Europa League places.

But they will be without the 38-year-old Swedish forward, who picked up a calf injury after returning to team training last month.

“Ibrahimovic is better, he’ll have another check-up next week,” said Pioli.

“He’s working extremely hard, but I still don’t know when he’ll be able to return.”

Argentine defender Mateo Musacchio’s

season looks over as he prepares to undergo ankle surgery.

“I fear that Musacchio’s season has been cut short,” the coach said. “In recent months he has lived with a problem that has become unmanageable.”

AC Milan players all underwent coronavirus tests yesterday morning before taking the plane south to Lecce, in the boot of Italy.

Pioli’s side were knocked out of the Italian Cup by Juventus this month and face a battle to qualify for Europe next season.

“If football hadn’t returned, it would have been a Serie A full of regret for us, but now we have 12 games to try to achieve our aim,” he said.

“There’s a lot at stake and we must aim for European qualification.”