LaLiga Reveal Results Of League COVID-19 Tests Prior To Return, Announce New Programme With Movistar

After carrying out the mandatory medical tests among essential staff at LaLiga clubs in order to resume training, a number of positive COVID-19 cases have been detected.

Concretely, five positive cases have been detected among players of LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank clubs, all of which are asymptomatic and in the latter stages of the virus. The identity of the players is unknown to LaLiga in line with data protection legislation. The aggregate results have been sent by LaLiga to the CSD (Spanish High Sports Council) and to the Spanish Ministry of Health. 

Among the objectives of these medical tests, carried out in accordance with LaLiga’s Return to Training protocol which incorporates recommendations from both the CSD and Spanish Ministry of Health, was to identify so-called ‘false negatives,’ or asymptomatic cases, that is to say infected individuals who can potentially infect others without showing symptoms. By doing so, the safety of all those returning to work is guaranteed in line with current workplace risk regulations. 

Per LaLiga protocol, The next steps for those who have returned positive COVID-19 results are:

  1. Remaining in quarantine at home. Players will stick to the same individual physical training routine they have been following until now, in line with the club’s instructions.  
  2. They will be tested for COVID-19 again in the coming days and, after two consecutive negative results, will be able to rejoin training at the team facilities. 
  3. LaLiga will also offer tests to people living with those affected. 

LaLiga will continue to apply the Return to Training protocol approved by the CSD and Spanish Ministry of Health, in order to guarantee as much as possible the health and safety of all players, coaching staff and club employees.  

LaLiga and Movistar are starting the countdown to the return of the competition with a series of special programmes that will be broadcast every Sunday on the Movistar LaLiga and #Vamos channels under the name El Partidazo #VolverEsGanar. These will be broadcasts in which the latest updates from the competition will be unveiled exclusively, such as the umbrella campaign designed to promote the return campaign of LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank, the schedules or audiovisual news that will include the broadcasts of this end of the season, among other aspects.

The president of LaLiga, Javier Tebas, will participate in the first of these programmes, which will be broadcast this Sunday, May 10 at 10:00 p.m CET. Together with Juanma Castaño and the rest of the programme’s collaborators, he will speak about the current situation in the league and announce the next steps that all parties involved in the return of the competition will follow.

In addition to Javier Tebas, in the Partidazo #VolverEsGanar this Sunday, several players from LaLiga Santander and LaLiga SmartBank will be present to talk about their feelings throughout the period of confinement and their expectations of the return of the competition.

In addition to Movistar, the first part of this special programme can be seen on the LaLiga Facebook page, as well as on the social networks of Santander Bank and the rest of the LaLiga sponsors, who have also joined this initiative.

Global FTP page to share training images with media

In addition, LaLiga will offer a service for the distribution of club training content for the national, international and regional media. Compact videos, photos and press releases will be provided with free online access.

Every day, LaLiga will send an alert to the media informing them of the access codes to the FTP folder with videos, photographs and press releases from the training sessions of the clubs to which the LaLiga communication teams have access.

City Football Group Acquires Belgian Side Lommel SK

City Football Group has agreed the acquisition of Belgian Football Club, Lommel SK. The investment further grows CFG’s global presence and focus on developing clubs, academies and players. As part of CFG’s network of clubs, Lommel will contribute to and benefit from the sharing of knowledge and experience across the Group. Completion of the agreement follows the renewal of Club’s professional footballing licence.

Lommel SK, currently in the Belgian second division, plays its home games at the city-owned 8,000 capacity Soevereinstadion in Lommel, in the province of Limburg. Renowned for a strong Academy and focus on youth development, the history of the Club dates back almost a century.

The newly comprised Club board will include Paul Kerkhofs, president of the Foundation from which CFG acquired the majority of the Club.

CFG, the world’s leading private owner and operator of football clubs, which is best known for its ownership of English Premier League Champions, Manchester City FC, also comprises New York City in the US, Melbourne City FC in Australia, Yokohama F. Marinos in Japan, Montevideo City Torque in Uruguay, Girona FC in Spain, Sichuan Jiuniu FC in China and Mumbai City FC in India.

Ferran Soriano, Chief Executive of City Football Group, said: “We are excited to welcome Lommel SK to City Football Group and to work together with the fans and the city to develop the Club. Belgium is one of Europe’s best football countries as demonstrated by the success of the national team and the development of world-class players, some of whom we know very well, like Kevin De Bruyne and Vincent Kompany.

“This investment is part of our long-term strategy to be present in key football countries, play beautiful football and develop talent. We were attracted to Lommel’s culture, training facilities and commitment to youth development and we look forward to learning from their approach and helping the Club to evolve in the months and years ahead.”

Paul Kerkhofs, President of the Lommel Not for Profit Foundation, added: “We are delighted that City Football Group has chosen to acquire Lommel and ensure the future of our Club. We are extremely impressed with their philosophy, track record and approach and look forward to working together to take the Club forward.”

Bob Nijs, Mayor of Lommel, added: “Lommel SK is an incredibly important part of our community. In City Football Group we have an ambitious, stable and reliable partner, which is committed to developing young players and will help the Club to grow and succeed in the future. It is excellent news for the Club and for the City”.

3D Digital Venue Announce New Partnership With PTI

PTI and 3D Digital Venue are pleased to announce a partnership which will see both companies present a combined offer of support to the sports and entertainment sectors through COVID-19 and beyond.

Both PTI and 3D Digital Venue have been assisting the market with free of charge consultancy and products over the last two months.  Now, with social distancing set to continue across 2020, this partnership unlocks the combination of PTI’s extensive and specialist experience in digital transformation and 3D Digital Venues Venue Business Intelligence (VBI) offering to enable technology to lead the way in scenario planning ticketing for clubs and venues.

VBI aims to support the decision making and implementation of new business models to maximize ticketing and premium seating revenue of the venues through the crisis of COVID-19, helping venue owners to achieve the most profitable scenario through re-activation.

VBI can propose new seating layouts for venues, respecting the safety and security recommendations of distance. The system allows you to enable several configurations and to easily adapt to different events via automatic algorithms on the fly.

We showed you VBI here last week, follow this link to see more – 3DDV Venue Business Intelligence.

Commenting on the partnership, Mike Bohndiek, CEO at PTI said “3D Digital Venue and PTI have a shared vision of support for the sports and entertainment industry to help clubs and venues deal with the current challenges. As long-time friends as companies, we are delighted to be formally in partnership to bring solutions to the market.”

Co-Founder and CEO of 3D Digital Venue Francis Casado commented “We are very excited with this new partnership with PTI and we believe it is going to be a fantastic opportunity for 3D Digital Venue. PTI is an experienced company providing high-quality consultancy services to Clubs and Venues.I am sure we can provide a bundled solution to help clubs and organisations to plan and simulate return to venues post Covid-19. We are really looking forward to working together.”

3D Digital Venue focus on Digital Venue Management Solutions for the sports and entertainment industry that heighten fan satisfaction, increase season ticket holder renewal rates and provide special viewing experiences for prospective VIP buyers.

PTI deliver integrated technology and digital strategy to the market, along with digital media expertise and venue technology solutions.

City of Birmingham and British Blind Sport to host IBSA World Games 2023

Birmingham has been selected as the host of the 2023 IBSA World Games, a multi-sport event for blind and partially sighted athletes.

The decision by the International Blind Sport Federation (IBSA) follows a combined bid between British Blind Sport, UK Sport, Birmingham City Council, the University of Birmingham and Sport Birmingham.

The Games, due to take place from 18-27 August 2023, will be held at the University of Birmingham, across the Edgbaston area and wider region.

The IBSA World Games are the largest high-level international event for athletes with visual impairments, with more than 1000 competitors from more than 70 nations.

Staged every four years the World Games are the pinnacle of the international calendar outside of the Paralympic Games. With three Paralympic and eight non-Paralympic sports, for some athletes it is the highest level they can compete at.

There are over two million people in the UK living with sight loss, with over 28,000 people from the VI community resident in Birmingham.

Alaina MacGregor, Chief Executive Officer, British Blind Sport commented “As the IBSA affiliated organisation representing Great Britain, we are delighted to have been selected to host the 2023 IBSA World Games. This is really an immense opportunity for us and all stakeholders to showcase an amazing sporting event for visually impaired people from across the globe. Our choice of Birmingham as the host city put us in great position, showcasing to the host selection committee a city that is vibrant, inclusive and welcoming.

“The whole team at British Blind Sport are delighted with the outcome and cannot wait to raise the profile of sport for people living with sight loss, as well as the aspirations of the participating athletes.

“A huge thank you to all those who supported us to submit such an impressive bid, particularly the teams at MLS Contracts, the University of Birmingham and UK Sport.”

Jannie Hammershoi, IBSA President, said: “We are confident that Birmingham 2023 will contribute towards our goal of being the world’s leading body for sports for athletes with visual impairments.

“That is why in three years’ time we hope to raise the bar for the IBSA World Games. We want athletes to have the best platform for their skills, as well as ensuring as many people as possible can experience the sports for themselves.

“We are excited to work with the team at British Blind Sport in reaching our common goals and making 2023 a really memorable year.”

Esther Britten, Head of Major Events, UK Sport said “We are delighted Birmingham has been announced as host city for the 2023 IBSA World Games. Sport is for everyone and so to have world class athletes in such a diverse range of sports coming together promises to create a truly inspirational event.

“At a time when sport is facing such unprecedented challenges, this news brings a welcome boost to the major events landscape and provides the UK with a fantastic new event to look forward to. We look forward to working with all partners to host a world class competition for the athletes, the local community and the nation.”

Professor Sir David Eastwood, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Birmingham said: “I am delighted to hear that Birmingham has been chosen to host the 2023 IBSA World Games.

“The University of Birmingham has a long and proud sporting tradition and an enviable track record in hosting world-class sports events, including the British Transplant Games in 2018.

“The IBSA Games will be another opportunity for us to demonstrate our deep commitment to diversity and inclusion through sport, and to showcase the world-class sports facilities enjoyed by our staff and students, as well as the wider community.

“We look forward to welcoming athletes to our beautiful Edgbaston campus, along with team members, officials and supporters; and to giving them a truly immersive and holistic Games experience.”

Cllr Ian Ward, Leader of Birmingham City Council said: “The announcement of Birmingham as host city for the 2023 IBSA World Games is great news for us and underlines our credentials as an inclusive and international sporting city.

“We have a strong track record for welcoming athletes from all over the world for events in Birmingham, with the knowledgeable and enthusiastic crowds and the warm welcome from our citizens always regarded highly by those who come here.

“I look forward to working with the organisers and want to congratulate all of those involved with the successful bid – and offer thanks to the other candidate cities who helped us raise our game to win this contest.”

Vlad Marinescu Takes Over As International Esports Federation President

International Esports Federation (IESF) President, Colin Webster, has decided to step down from his role as head of IESF.  Due to circumstances resulting directly from the COVID-19 crisis, and the ever increasing challenging situation in South Africa related to travel restrictions,  Colin has decided, for the continued growth and development of International Esport Federation, to step down from his position as President of IESF.

Colin proposed to the board that Vlad Marinescu (IESF Vice-President) to assume the position of President and His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Sultan Al Nahayan to rise to the position of Vice President. The Board unanimously ratified the proposal, and it was agreed that both President and Vice-President shall hold such positions until the next Ordinary General Assembly.

Colin was instrumental, and was the driving force, in turning IESF into a transparent and global federation. From 2009 until present, Colin can be credited for much of the Statutory amendments which have increased the level of the democratic process in IESF. Under Colin’s stewardship, the number of member federations grew from 30 through to over 70. Other key milestones that have been reached ranged from being a WADA signatory, establishing a referee’s academy, through to being instrumental in overseeing the development of the Organisation.

The Board unanimously agreed to keep Colin on the Board to continue in a support role paying special attention to legal and financial matters.

“I have always believed that a leader, like the organization itself, must always serve its members. The challenges of the current crisis has sorely tested my efficacy in serving those who elected me, and after long and hard introspection, I believe that Vlad Marinescu and His Highness Sheikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Bin Sultan Al Nahayan would be better suited to lead IESF in these troubled times. I have absolute confidence knowing that the IESF will continue to flourish through this next chapter. There is no doubt in my mind that IESF shall continue to unite that which is fractious, protect the esports athlete, and deliver more than ever before.”

Vlad was co-opted to IESF’s Board in early 2019, and then at IESF’s Ordinary General Meeting was elected to the Board for a three-year-term. Vlad is President of the United States Esports Federation, and is Chief Media & Marketing Officer of International Judo Federation. Vlad also served as Director General of Sport Accord, now GAISF.

“We are truly indebted to President Webster. His life has been committed to public service. We are fortunate that we managed to convince him to stay on the board to continue to provide sage advice. The solid foundations that IESF is built upon is down to Colin who has shown tremendous leadership in growing IESF as a truly global esports governing body. IESF, a purely non profit association, was established in 2008. During the next period I will dedicate myself to continuing the mission proposed by Colin and together with the united IESF Board, we will ensure to serve our members while growing and uniting the esports world further.”

 

Sportradar Brings K League To A Record Number Of Territories Ahead Of 2020 Season

The 2020 Hana1Q K LEAGUE 1 will be broadcast live from the opening match on 8 May in 17 countries, including Australia (Optus), Germany (Sportdigital), Hong Kong (TVB) and Malaysia & Brunei (ASTRO), with more territories still in negotiation.

The K League in December 2019 appointed Sportradar AG as its international broadcast rights distributor. Interest globally to broadcast the league has grown since the 2020 season was confirmed and announced in late April 2020.

With a day left till kick-off, 17 countries and 12 channels around the world have confirmed live broadcasting and streaming of K League matches. Discussions are currently ongoing with a number of broadcasters based in Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, USA, and Brazil.

German based Sportdigital Fussball, a broadcast channel dedicated to football, has acquired the rights to broadcast K League 1 matches in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and will begin live broadcast in these countries starting from the season opener.

In Australia, where the reputation and popularity of the K League has increased due to the strong performance of Australian footballers in the league, Optus Sports will broadcast two K League 1 matches per round. Optus Sports is a sports channel under the Australian IPTV service provider, Optus.

Arena TV Sports, a sports channel under Arena TV which is based in Serbia, will cover seven countries in the Balkan region including Croatia, Montenegro, and Serbia.

K League matches will also be broadcast and streamed live in China, India, Hong Kong and Israel, rounding out the number of territories at this time that the K League will be available in.

Besides TV broadcast, online content platforms such as Copa90 (UK) and Laola.tv (Austria) will carry out live streaming services across Europe and the rest of the world, excluding Korea.

Dylan Chuan, Sales Director, Audiovisual, Sportradar, said: “Live sport is an integral part of daily life for many people around the world, especially in these difficult and unique times. With the K League season kicking off on Friday, we are delighted to have worked with our partners – media companies, broadcasters and OTT platforms to deliver great entertainment and pulsating football action to fans across the globe.”

K League’s newly established media centre will be using a cloud server and an in-house Off-Tube system for the 54 main matches that will be broadcast overseas, with English commentary for the first time being sent to overseas satellites.

The season opener on 8 May between Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors and Suwon Samsung Bluewings will be specially streamed live on Twitter and YouTube.

LaLiga Clubs Turn To New Forms Of Communication To Connect With Fans During COVID-19

  • Clubs including Athletic Club and Celta de Vigo have opted for virtual press conferences where players talk to media and fans from home.
  • Other clubs like Sevilla FC and Málaga CF are calling older fans who live alone to provide company during these difficult times.

With COVID-19 now having caused a month of confinement in Spain, many traditional forms of communication have been disrupted. As league competitions remain halted, press conferences or fan get-togethers are also not taking place.

This has led club communication departments to come up with new forms of entertainment for their fans and to launch initiatives that keep lines of communication open through less traditional formats.

Many clubs have created new digital content with activities to do at home, from training routines to recipes through recommendations for books and movies, with the aim of making this period of confinement more enjoyable. Others are taking a step further in trying to facilitate conversations with key audiences, using the telephone and online platforms.

In a time of pandemic, these measures not only help to maintain a steady flow of new information. They provide an important human connection too.

Athletic Club: keeping contact with virtual press conferences
The communications department at Athletic Club has used this period to begin virtual press conferences, held online for fans and media to speak with the players, who answer questions from their home. The idea came from what the club described as “the need to keep our social following and the media in contact with our players,” while considering the reduced possibilities.

“Virtual press conferences are one of the ideas that we have launched and we post a new video every 3 or 4 days,” the club added. “This solution has been appealing to fans and the press, but we know that it is not the ideal and hopefully we can return to normal press conferences, because that will mean that the health emergency has subsided….

To read the full piece and subscribe to LaLiga’s Global Fútbol Newsletter please follow this link: https://newsletter.laliga.es/global-futbol/laliga-clubs-turn-to-new-forms-of-communication-to-connect-with-fans-during-covid-19/rrss

Bundesliga And Bundesliga 2 To Resume On May 16

At an Extraordinary Assembly of the DFL, held today by video conference, the 36 clubs of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 discussed the resumption of match operations. After the Executive Committee of the DFL yesterday, Wednesday, agreed in principle to continue the season “from 15 May”, 16 May has now been set as the specific date. The DFL is therefore following the wording of the federal and state decision, which says that the return of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 would be acceptable “from the second half of May”.

In both leagues, the season will continue from matchday 26. The subsequent matchdays will follow in the order originally planned. The final matchdays of the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 are scheduled for 27 and 28 June, respectively. As the scheduling of the matchdays until the end of the season requires an adjustment to the overall schedule, final talks to coordinate this adjustment are currently being held with the DFB.

Meanwhile, the second wave of coronavirus tests scheduled before the start of team training is now complete. It comprised 1,695 tests. Two cases of infection were identified and reported immediately to the local health authorities, which will decide on what steps to take.

Infront and IIHF launch Esports Fan Championship

Infront, a Wanda Sports Group company and the exclusive media and marketing partner of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), will launch the IIHF Esports Fan Championship on 15 May in cooperation with eSport Studio, one of the leading esports companies in Germany.

Fans from the 16 nations which had qualified for the 2020 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship will be given the chance to represent their country in the digital tournament, which will be hosted on a new IIHF esports online platform.

Games will be played in EA SPORTS™ NHL™ 20 on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One enabling participants to compete from home.

The first phase will consist of qualification tournaments run online from 15-22 May. Once a national PS4 and Xbox champion has been chosen they will compete in a playoff phase that will begin on 29 May, with a champion crowned on 5 June.

Both the national champions and the playoff finalists will have the chance to win prize money, hockey merchandise and ‘money can’t buy’ VIP-experiences.

The playoff tournament will be streamed live on the IIHF’s Twitch channel, making it publicly available to fans worldwide. Supporters can also follow the action on the IIHF’s other social media channels.

René Fasel, IIHF President, said: “We very much value our partnership with Infront as, thanks to its growing expertise in esports, we are able to bring ice hockey action to fans’ homes in a new and engaging manner. We look forward to seeing the fans create their own destiny and become stars of the virtual tournament by representing their home nation.”

André Fläckel, Infront’s Head of Gaming & Esports, said: “The IIHF Esports Fan Championship is a perfect example of how to leverage the potential of esports in the current situation and deliver a product that fans can get passionate about. Infront is proud to jointly work with the IIHF and eSport Studio, introducing such a promising project in such a short space of time.”

World Sailing Appoints David Graham As CEO