THE INTENSIFIED REPORT

Premier League football is coming back after a three-month shutdown, with games to return from Wednesday, June 17. Aston Villa vs Sheffield United and Manchester City vs Arsenal will be the first two games when the Premier League resumes next month. Those two fixtures were originally postponed due to the EFL Cup Final and the rearranged Manchester City vs Arsenal game was due to be broadcast live on Sky Sports before the pandemic struck. Every club will have played 29 PL games after the two matches are held on June 17. Football in England has been suspended since March 13 following an emergency meeting between the Premier League, Football Association, the English Football League and the Women's Super League. Thursday's conference call was the second meeting of Premier League clubs in the last two days after they unanimously agreed to resume contact training. There have been 12 positive results across the first three rounds of coronavirus

A Bournemouth player was one of two people working for Premier League clubs who tested positive for COVID-19 following a second batch of testing, the club said on Sunday. Bournemouth did not disclose the player’s identity but said he would self isolate for seven days in line with league protocols before another test is conducted. "AFC Bournemouth can confirm that one of its players has tested positive for COVID-19, following the club's second round of testing," Bournemouth said in a statement  here . “Following strict adherence of the Premier League’s return to training regulations, the club’s training ground remains a safe working environment for players and backroom staff, who will continue to be tested for COVID-19 twice per week.” Since players returned to limited group training on Tuesday, eight positive tests for the virus have been confirmed at England’s top-flight clubs. Six individuals, including Watford defender Adrian Mariappa and Burnley assistant

Naomi Osaka has become the highest paid female athlete over a 12-month period in history, toppling Maria Sharapova’s previous record. Osaka, the 22-year-old world No. 10 tennis player from Japan, has earned $37.4million (£30.7m) in the past year from prize money and endorsements, setting a new record.  Sharapova, who retired from tennis earlier this year, held the previous record after earning $29.7m (£24.4m) in 2015. Osaka ranks at No. 29 in the top-100 highest-paid athletes in 2020, with Serena Williams – who earned $36m (£29.5m) over the same period – the only other sportswoman in the top-100. It’s the first time since 2016 that two female athletes have been ranked in Forbes’ top-100 best-paid athletes list. Williams had been the highest-paid female athlete throughout that period. Osaka shot to prominence by beating Williams in the controversial 2018 US Open final – a match that was overshadowed by Williams’ infamous row with umpire Carlos Ramos – before winning a second

Chelsea and England forward Callum Hudson-Odoi was arrested on Sunday (May 17) following an argument with a woman, The Sun newspaper reported. The Metropolitan Police told The Sun that officers and London Ambulance Service were called in the early hours of Sunday morning "to a report of an unwell woman". The report added that the woman was taken to hospital and a man was arrested at the scene and remained in police custody. Chelsea declined to comment on The Sun's report. Hudson-Odoi, 19, had made 17 Premier League appearances for Chelsea this season until the Covid-19 pandemic halted the campaign. He made his England debut last year and has a total of three caps for his country.

With 13 points clear at the top of the league table, Celtic football club are on the verge of becoming the Champions of the Scottish league for the ninth consecutive time. In April, the 42 SPFL clubs voted - after some controversy - to end the season in the Championship, League One and League Two amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. UEFA has asked Europe's top leagues to present their plans by May 25. The Scottish FA have suspended all football in Scotland until at least June 10, a date which is subject to review. The SPFL board were also given the power to end the season in the Premiership if it became clear the fixtures could not be played. In recent weeks, Scottish Premiership clubs have become resigned to the notion this season's league fixtures are unlikely to be completed.

A cousin of Argentine football star Lionel Messi, has revealed that the multiple Balon d'Or award winner exhibited formidable soccer skills as a kid which saw him attract bully and even death threats from bigger kids. Maxi Biancucchi disclosed to Ole newspaper, that bigger kids who played against Messi weren't happy with the skills the Magician displays against them. Maxi said, "In the neighborhood he played with us, we were bigger than him, and they told us: 'Crazy, get him out because we are going to kill him. They wanted to hit him, but he put up with it."  Maxi also added, "when he was eight or nine, I would get up early on Saturdays to watch him play and he'd do impressive things. I could not believe it.". Messi, 32, is regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time, and has won a record six Balloon d'Or awards and six European Golden Shoes.

Chinese Super League (CSL) team Tianjin Tianhai, which once employed World Cup winner Fabio Cannavaro as coach and signed Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato, have declared bankruptcy and folded, the club announced on Tuesday (May 12). Tianjin, founded in Inner Mongolia as Hohhot Binhai in 2006, have struggled to pay the bills since the arrest and subsequent imprisonment of former owner Shu Yuhui, finishing second bottom of the CSL last year. Shenzhen FC, who were relegated after finishing bottom, have been reprieved and will replace Tianhai in the CSL for the 2020 season, which has been delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. "Given an unsustainable financial situation, the club is no longer able to maintain normal operations," Tianjin said in a statement. "After a period of thoughtful consideration... the club has no choice but to formally announce that Tianjin Tianhai is disbanding." The club were one of the league's most ambitious at the height of the

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin said Tuesday he was confident European football's governing body could deal with any worst-case scenario in relation to the upcoming Euro 2020 as the continent battles to contain the spread of the coronavirus. COVID-19 has been detected in 76 countries worldwide, killing over 3,000 people with Italy the worst-hit nation in Europe. The Italian capital Rome is one of 12 venues across the continent set to host matches at the European Championship in June and July. A long list of sports events around the world have been cancelled or postponed in recent days to avoid spreading the virus, including games in Italy's Serie A. The top two divisions of Swiss football have been postponed until the end of March. "You don't know how many concerns we have when we organize a big competition," Ceferin said at a press conference after the UEFA Congress in Amsterdam. "We have security concerns, we have political instabi

Three defeats in four games, Liverpool are extremely fragile. From a team poised for an unbeaten campaign in the premier league to an extremely fragile team that has lost it's proficiency in front of goal as they have failed to score in the three defeats they have suffered in four games. Frank Lampard and his Chelsea boys has only succeeded in adding salt to the wounds of Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool team as they defeated them 2-0 in Tuesday's FA Cup tie at Stamford Bridge. The reds has now lost three away games to in three different competition and has failed to score in each defeat. The sudden collapse in both attack and defense in the team has seen them knocked out of all domestic competition with only the premier league to spare and a very tight champions league second leg against Athletico Madrid. A team well equipped to challenge for silverware in all fronts has definitely lost their mojo which has made the premier league title the only guaranteed silverware

Daniel Sturridge has been handed a worldwide football ban until June and fined £150,000 after being found guilty of breaching the FA's gambling regulations. The former Liverpool striker,  who terminated his contract with Turkish side Trabzonspor earlier on Monday , was handed a two-week ban and a fine of £75000 in July, after a regulatory commission ruled that he had provided his brother with "inside information" and instructed him to bet on his possible transfer to Sevilla in January 2018. The FA considered the decision to be too lenient and lodged an appeal, and an independent appeal board has now found that the regulatory commission misapplied the FA's rules and found proven two further charges against Sturridge which were originally dismissed. "Daniel Sturridge has been suspended from all football and football-related activity from today until the end of 17 June 2020," said an FA statement on Monday. "Following an appeal by the FA of the

Real Madrid regained their lead on top of the La Liga table after they defeated champions, Barcelona on Sunday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Second half goals from Vinicius and Mariano ensured that Zinedine Zidane and his boys are top on  the log ahead of Barcelona with just a point. Vinicius Junior set the ball rolling for the Los Blancos when his shot was guided past the goal keeper by a sliding Gerard Pique in the 71st minute. The goal was his first against Barcelona after four Classico matches. A late goal from late substitute Mariano made sure that Real Madrid took the whole three points after a scoreless first leg. Real will next face Real Betis in league play on Sunday, while Barcelona will host Real Sociedad a day before.

The draw for the Europa league round of 16 has been made in Nyon, Switzerland, UEFA headquarters and the results of the draw are below: Istanbul Basaksehir vs Copenhagen Olympiacos vs Wolverhampton Wanderers Rangers vs Bayern Leverkusen Wolfsburg vs Shakhtar Donetsk Internationale vs Getafe Sevilla vs Roma Red Bull Salzburg/ Eintracht Frankfurt vs Basel LASK Linz vs Manchester United

Manchester United striker odion Ighalo has opened his goals account for the Red devils as he found the back of the net in the 34th minute of the match against Club Brugge. Ighalo made his first start for the Club against the Belgian side and also scored.

Real Madrid skipper saw read as they lost 2-1 to Manchester city in the first leg of their champions league round of 16 clash at the Santiago Bernabeu on Wednesday. Pep Guardiola and his city boys are a step closer to the champions league quarter finals as the defeated Real Madrid 2-1 on Wednesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Real Madrid who has now lost two games in a row will have to put up something special if they are to progress to the next round of the competition. Isco broke the deadlock in the 60th minute when he calmly placed the ball past Ederson from a Vinicius pass. However, City replied with a Gabriel Jesus header from a Kevin de Bruyne's cross to take the game to 1-1 and give City a very important away goal in the 78th minute. Kevin de Bruyne then made it 2-1 for the visitors from the spot after a foul on Raheem Sterling. Elsewhere, Ronaldo and Juventus lost 1-0 to Olympic Lyon in France.

The champions league round of 16 return leg may just be a mere formality because the future is totally bleak for Frank LAMPARD and his boys in this year  champions league as they were thoroughly beaten by the visiting Bavarians. With Alonso and Jorginho banned for the return leg,the journey to the Allianz Arena seems mission impossible. Two goals from Serge Gnabry and a goal from Robert Lewandowski was enough to give the Bavarians a comfortable advantage going into the second leg. It ended Chelsea 0, Bayern Munich 3. Meanwhile, Napoli held visitors Barcelona to a 1-1 draw in Italy.

Napoli leads at half-time thanks to a Dries Mertens goal in the 30th minute.  While at Stamford Bridge, it Chelsea 0, Bayern Munich 0.

It was a show of class,a display of total determination towards purpose,they were tested but in the end it was business as usual as Liverpool defeats West Ham in a five goal thriller at Anfield. The premier league elect are only a dozen points away from winning the league as they overcame a stubborn David Moyes West Ham side on Monday. Goals from Wijnaldum in the 9th minute, Salah in the 68th minute and a winner from Mane in the 81st minute was enough for the reds to equal Manchester City's record of 18 consecutive wins in the premier league and also equaling their own best of 21 consecutive home wins in the premier league. A Beautiful header from a Trent Alexander-Arnold cross saw Wijnaldum set the ball rolling for the Kops in the 9th minute. The goal which did not last for three minutes was equalized by a superb header by Issa Diop from a Snodgrass corner. Pablo Fornals gave the visitors the lead in the 54th minute,but a howler from Lukasz Fabianski

Fc Barcelona Talisman Lionel Messi returned to scoring ways and this time he hits four as the Catalan club thrashed visitors Eibar 5-0 at Camp Nou. Messi who is previously on four games without a goal was business as usual as his goals in the 14th,  37th, 40th and 87th minutes plus an Arthur finish in the 89th minute helped the La Liga champions climb back on top of the La Liga as rivals Real Madrid lost away to Levante. Barcelona are now top of La Liga with 55 points from 25 matches while Real Madrid and Athletico Madrid are second and third with 53 and 43 points respectively. In Italy, Cristiano Ronaldo continued his goal scoring streak as he found the net yet again as the Italian Giants defeated Spal on Saturday. The 35-year-old played his 1000th career match on Saturday and was on the score sheet in the 39th minutes after previously having a goal disallowed for offside. The Portuguese star has now found the back of the net on 11 consec

Manchester United new boy Bruno Fernandez has continued to impress Manchester United faithfuls ever since his first outing for the Club.  The former sporting Lisbon player has been on song for the red devils as he scored his first goal for the reads and also assisted Mason Greenwood's sturner and also played a major part in Martial's beauty. The midfielder has continued to show his amazing talent and importance to the Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side,who has now won their  last two matches in the league and also kept two clean sheets in the process. The midfielder won a penalty and converted from the spot to open his account for the reds in the 3-0 win over Watford on Sunday. Bruno played a very important role in Anthony Martial' goal before going ahead to assist Mason Greenwood's for a sensational goal. Bruno was voted Man of the match in the club official app and is likely to win the clubs player of month.

With the Sunday’s rematch in the books, fight fans will be hoping to see Tyson Fury take on compatriot Anthony Joshua – holder of the IBF, WBA and WBO belts – in a heavyweight unification bout. A British former professional boxer who competed from 2002 to 2018, David Haye, also believes Fury will switch his focus to Anthony Joshua after outclassing Deontay Wilder and claiming the WBC heavyweight title. The Gypsy King comprehensively defeated his American opponent who was sent crashing to the floor on three occasions before his corner threw in the towel in the seventh round. Wilder has the option to trigger a third fight but former cruiserweight world champion Haye believes the Bronze Bomber will have no interest in a trilogy given the comprehensive nature of his defeat in Las Vegas. Instead, Haye believes all roads lead to a unification match between Fury and Joshua which has the capacity to be the biggest fight in British boxing history, Metro UK reports. He said, “I am ve