LaLigaTV To Broadcast #LaLigaClassics From This Week During League Suspension

Starting this week, LaLigaTV, the 24/7 channel offering “All of LaLiga, All in one place” will feature daily matches celebrating the best of the past two decades of Spanish football.

The new #LaLigaClassics series will air daily on LaLigaTV, starting at 6pm GMT / 7 pm CET, each week from Monday to Sunday. Launched in January 2020 in partnership with Premier Sports, LaLigaTV is available in HD to viewers across the United Kingdom and Ireland on Sky channel 435, as well as Virgin TV subscribers via channel 554 (UK only). 

This week’s LaLiga Classics line-up includes David Beckham’s first ElClásico at the Estadio Santiago Bernabéu (2003/04) plus FC Barcelona’s memorable 2010/11 performance at RCD Espanyol featuring managers Pep Guardiola and Mauricio Pochettino. It also includes a star-studded Madrid Derby from 2009/10, a 4-3 thriller between Valencia CF and Málaga CF from the 2010/11 LaLiga campaign, and three other historic editions of ElClásico, totalling 15 goals, from the 2004/05, 2005/06 and 2006/07 seasons.

Furthermore, LaLiga’s UK and Ireland broadcast partner Premier Sports will show additional #LaLigaClassics matches and other exclusive content across its family of channels: Premier Sports 1 & 2 HD as well as FreeSports HD, which is currently available free-to-air on all major television platforms in the United Kingdom. Additional programming includes LaLigaTV’s ‘Talking Football’ series hosted by Guillem Balagué, as well as other LaLiga-focused shows such as: LaLiga 90 Years of History, the LaLiga World magazine show, LaLiga ZAP, Messi’s Top Goals, LaLiga Interviews, and more.

This is all part of LaLiga’s and Premier Sports’ commitment to fans in the United Kingdom and Ireland who continue to #StayAtHome in support of efforts to combat the Covid-19 outbreak.

For daily updates and a full schedule of all matches and other content, please visit:

Deltatre Hires Two To Strengthen Global Commercial Team

Deltatre has hired former Perform executive Adam Bowley, and Adam Bigwood, who joins from WWE, to strengthen its global commercial team.

Bigwood will take up the role of Director, Commercial Division and will be responsible for account management of key OTT clients. He will report to Pete Burns, VP, Commercial.

Bowley has joined as Commercial Manager and will assume account management duties for Deltatre’s LIVE clients in the UK. He will be based at the company’s London offices and report to Lawrence Bowden, Senior Director, Account Management.

Andrea Marini, Deputy CEO and Chief Commercial Officer, Deltatre, said: “We’re delighted to welcome both Adams to Deltatre. Their hires signal that even at this very difficult time, Deltatre is committed to helping clients offer the best services to their users.

Both have a high level of competence in delivering value to rights holders and rights owners, and I’m certain their knowledge will help Deltatre to foster new relationships across the industry, helping more partners reach their fans in ever more exciting ways.”

Bigwood joins Deltatre from WWE, where he served as Director of International Operations, MENA. While there he worked across all lines of the business, from content media distribution, OTT, content localization, live events, commercial, marketing and brand development. Previously, he lived in the Middle East, where he spent eight years working for OSN.

Bowley started his career with Sky Sports. From there he joined Perform Group where he spent ten years in various operational and management roles across design and production. He then supported the launch of DAZN in Japan and DACH regions, overseeing graphics and production workflows. Most recently, he spent 2 years working for Norwegian broadcast tech company Sixty, focussing on various business and product development functions.

Deltatre’s LIVE clients include BT Sport and the Swiss Football League, while in OTT, Deltatre works with the NFL and ATP Tennis TV. Both of these appointments continue the significant investment in high-profile appointments at Deltatre, that saw former MLB executive, James Johnson, join as VP of Business Development for the Americas earlier this year.

Olympic Games Facing ‘Unprecedented Challenge’ Says IOC President Bach

Thomas Bach, President of the International Olympic Committee, has stated that the Tokyo Games is facing an ‘unprecedented challenge’ following the decision to postpone this summer’s event.

Bach told a media conference call, ” We have never seen such a spread of a virus worldwide before. Therefore, it is also an unprecedented challenge for the Olympic Games. This is why, to my knowledge, this postponement of the Games is a first-ever in Olympic history.”

The IOC President added that no specific dates have yet been discussed for the rearranging of the event, “The Prime Minister and I did not discuss the timeframe. This will be up to the Coordination Commission and the Organising Committee. This is part of their discussions about the scenarios. There are a lot of pieces in this huge and very difficult jigsaw puzzle.

“This is really a big challenge. Finances have not been discussed, because it’s about protecting human lives, and financial considerations cannot take priority. Prime Minister Abe has declared the full support and commitment of the Japanese government to make this solution work and to have successful Games in the end.”

When asked if the situation continues until next summer whether possible cancellation of the games could come into effect, Bach stated, “The concern and the commitment of the IOC are to organise Olympic Games in an environment and in a way which safeguards the health of all the people involved, of every participant in any capacity. This commitment will not change, and this principle will guide us in all the decisions we are taking, as it has guided us in all the decisions that we have been taking in the recent past.”

With other World Championships planned to take place next year, the IOC President commented, “These are exactly the reasons why on Sunday we had decided that we need at least four weeks to address these questions. These events are not the only ones. The Olympic Games is the most complex event in the world.”

Euroleague Basketball Partners With IQONIQ

Euroleague Basketball has announced a breakthrough partnership with IQONIQ, a new fan engagement platform made for sports and entertainment fans.

Euroleague Basketball manages and organises the continent’s two premier men’s basketball competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, which cover 42 basketball clubs based in 19 countries with a reach of 200 million worldwide fans and crown their seasons with the EuroLeague Final Four and the EuroCup Finals.

Starting immediately, the partnership makes IQONIQ the exclusive and official fan engagement and loyalty platform for the EuroLeague and the EuroCup for the next four years, until the end of the 2023-24 season.

IQONIQ is a new social media and fan engagement platform that targets the world of sport and entertainment by providing fans with an all-in-one ecosystem that rewards them for their commitment. As opposed to other social media platforms, IQONIQ offers direct benefits for its users, including loyalty program, in-app games and prizes, unique footage, special offers for tickets and merchandise, and much more.

For Euroleague Basketball, the partnership with IQONIQ exemplifies the organisation’s true commitment to engage with its fans and offer its clubs new and unique opportunities to further their ambitions in connecting with new and younger audiences, as well as with current and potential commercial partners.

For IQONIQ, the Euroleague Basketball partnership represents the third high-profile announcement within a month, following on from similar agreements with AS Monaco and Olympique de Marseille. The IQONIQ app is due to open to users at the start of the 2020-21 season.

Jordi Bertomeu, CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said: “Partnering with IQONIQ will help us achieve a new milestone in engagement with our fans. IQONIQ offers us the chance to build special relationships within our growing fan base and to bring that community closer together over a shared love of uniquely European basketball at its finest.

“In the last 20 years since the Euroleague Basketball’s inception, we’ve created a community of fans that we want to continue supporting. Having a fan ecosystem is the next logical step and we are eager to discover with IQONIQ new ways of rewarding our loyal fans.”

Kazim Atilla, CEO of IQONIQ, commented: “We are delighted to have signed this partnership agreement with EuroLeague Basketball, one of the most innovative and forward-thinking sports organisations in the world.

“Through this partnership, all clubs in the EuroLeague and EuroCup basketball competitions will be given unprecedented opportunities to engage with their fans, and vice versa, in new and mutually beneficial ways, further growing basketball across Europe – and the rest of the world – as a result. We look forward to working alongside Euroleague Basketball to fulfil our common ambitions in this regard.”

‘LaLigaSantander Fest’ To Bring Music And Sport Together To Beat COVID-19

Many people in various countries of the world are at home due to COVID-19. In view of this situation LaLiga, in collaboration with Banco Santander, Universal Music and its sponsors as well as players, clubs, artists and GTS have organised ‘LaLigaSantander Fest’.

This will be the first global charity festival that seeks to raise funds to acquire products necessary to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, which will be channeled according to the Spanish government’s health priorities in coordination with the High Sports Council (CSD). The charity macro-concert will bring together 20 top artists for the first time and will involve players from all LaLiga Santander clubs.   

The festival will take place on Saturday 28 March from 18.00 (CET) for fans around the world. A total of 20 top artists of the rank of Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, Aitana, Sebastián Yatra or Antonio Orozco, who have never previously been involved in the same event, will take part in ‘LaLigaSantander Fest’. Along with them will be 20 players from LaLigaSantander teams, who wasted little time in signing up to an initiative rolled out by the clubs’ association. All the participants in the festival will participate from their respective homes.

‘LaLigaSantander Fest’ will be broadcast simultaneously in all countries of the world. It can be followed through all LaLiga channels and the LaLigaSportsTV platform, as well as through the Movistar channel. In addition, LaLiga will offer the signal to all its international broadcasters.

Donations can be made through the Santander Foundation, through various channels that will be announced shortly. All funds raised will go towards the purchase of medical supplies in a coordinated effort with the health authorities and the CSD.

“LaLiga wants to support everyone who are in quarantine and at the same time, raise money to buy medical supplies to deal with COVID-19. We are very happy with the response we have received from all fronts; footballers, clubs, artists and sponsors have all joined together for this initiative. I am convinced that together we are going to create something very memorable,” said said Óscar Mayo, director of Business, Marketing and International Development at LaLiga.

Artists & international platforms

Alejandro Sanz, David Bisbal, Aitana, Sebastián Yatra or Antonio Orozco are just a few of the artists who will join the event this Saturday, with many more set to lend their voice to this cause. The identity of the remaining music artists will gradually be revealed throughout the week via LaLiga’s social media channels and by the artists and players on their own accounts.

LaLiga’s being played at home

This festival is part of the LaLiga se juega en casa (LaLiga’s being played at home) campaign, which seeks to support fans throughout this period of quarantine, making it more bearable and raising awareness about the importance of staying at home to halt the spread of COVID-19.

This concert will take place exactly a week on from #LaLigaSantanderChallenge, the online challenge that saw influencer Ibai Llanos invite all of the LaLiga Santander clubs to compete in a FIFA20 tournament. The competition, which was staged between Friday and Sunday, raised more than €142,000 towards UNICEF’s aid efforts.

NEW: IOC Confirm Tokyo 2020 Postponement, Games To Be Rescheduled No Later Than Summer 2021

The President of the International Olympic Committee, Thomas Bach, and the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, held a conference call this morning to discuss the constantly changing environment with regard to COVID-19 and the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.

They were joined by Mori Yoshiro, the President of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee; the Olympic Minister, Hashimoto Seiko; the Governor of Tokyo, Koike Yuriko; the Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission, John Coates; IOC Director General Christophe De Kepper; and the IOC Olympic Games Executive Director, Christophe Dubi.

President Bach and Prime Minister Abe expressed their shared concern about the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, and what it is doing to people’s lives and the significant impact it is having on global athletes’ preparations for the Games.

In a very friendly and constructive meeting, the two leaders praised the work of the Tokyo 2020 Organising Committee and noted the great progress being made in Japan to fight against COVID-19.

The unprecedented and unpredictable spread of the outbreak has seen the situation in the rest of the world deteriorating. Yesterday, the Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, said that the COVID-19 pandemic is “accelerating”. There are more than 375,000 cases now recorded worldwide and in nearly every country, and their number is growing by the hour.

In the present circumstances and based on the information provided by the WHO today, the IOC President and the Prime Minister of Japan have concluded that the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in Tokyo must be rescheduled to a date beyond 2020 but not later than summer 2021, to safeguard the health of the athletes, everybody involved in the Olympic Games and the international community.

The leaders agreed that the Olympic Games in Tokyo could stand as a beacon of hope to the world during these troubled times and that the Olympic flame could become the light at the end of the tunnel in which the world finds itself at present. Therefore, it was agreed that the Olympic flame will stay in Japan. It was also agreed that the Games will keep the name Olympic and Paralympic Games Tokyo 2020.

Olympic Postponement – Reaction From The Community And Olympic World

Reaction has been flooding in following today’s announcement of the postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games.

iSportconnect reached out to people around sport to get their views…

Ed Warner, Chair-Designate of Great Britain Wheelchair Rugby and former UK Athletics CEO, told iSportconnect, “The IOC has at last caught the mood of athletes worldwide and bowed to the inevitable.

“It now faces a critical few weeks not only to square away the logistical and financial issues of the postponement, but more crucially to ensure that the image of the Olympics is not tarnished by memories of the recent prevarication, but instead is burnished by the delivery of a joyous Tokyo 2021.”

Tim Crow, World Leading Sports Marketing and Sponsorship expert, added, “When it became clear that athletes globally were being affected the IOC had no choice. I know that may sound strange to people who aren’t familiar with the IOC and the Olympic Movement. But for the IOC the Games is first and foremost for the athletes and about the athletes.

“Most if not all of the global sponsors will be breathing a huge sigh of relief. Activating an Olympic sponsorship while a global pandemic is raging was a no-win scenario.

“The IOC will involve its broadcast partners in the biggest markets very closely in the rescheduling of the Games. One, the broadcasters will have to clear their schedules in 2021. Two, the Games is reliant on broadcast revenues: they account for over 70% of total IOC revenue.

“I suspect we will see a lot of the Games’ sponsors re-work their campaigns given how dramatically the context of the Games has been altered by the pandemic. Inherent to the DNA of the Games, for example,  is that it’s a celebration of humanity, and I think we’ll see that dialled up much more.”

Dr. h.c. Klaus Schormann, President of the International Union of Modern Pentathlon, commented to iSportconnect: “Following the announcement to postpone the Tokyo Games until next year, UIPM and the whole Executive Board fully supports the decision made by the IOC and the Organising Committee. This is an unprecedented situation we are experiencing and we stand in solidarity with the whole sporting community.

“The IOC has always been very transparent and President Dr Thomas Bach has been exemplary in how he has communicated with all International Federations from the start of the pandemic. The message is clear: the safety and health of the athletes, organisers and volunteers is the most important. As the founder of the Modern Games Pierre de Coubertin envisioned it, the Olympic Movement is about uniting all nations in friendship and peace. And together we are united in these difficult times.

“For UIPM the coronavirus has already had a huge impact on our calendar with the cancellation of the World Cup season and the rescheduled World Championships postponed until later this year. Our Executive Board, our committees and commissions have worked closely together these past few weeks and we are ready for whatever may come next. We know that we are not alone: For us, unity and solidarity are what matters most.”

Some other reactions from key athletes and organisations on social media following the announcement:

Dina Asher-Smith, one of Team GB’s best medal hopes in the women’s 100 and 200 metres posted on Twitter following the announcement.

IOC Athletes’ Commission Statement

The IOC Athletes’ Commission welcomes and fully supports the IOC’s decision to postpone the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 until 2021 in order to protect the health of the athletes, as well as wider society.

International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons gave the following reaction:

“Postponing the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games as a result of the global COVID-19 outbreak is absolutely the right thing to do.   The health and well-being of human life must always be our number one priority and staging a sport event of any kind during this pandemic is simply not possible.

“Sport is not the most important thing right now, preserving human life is. It is essential therefore that all steps are taken to try and limit the spread of this disease.

The International Table Tennis Federation has expressed support of today’s decision.

“As partners of the IOC since 1988, we at the ITTF have lived very good times. We have grown as an Olympic sport and, more than ever, we are here to say that we wholeheartedly support today’s IOC decision. We are conscious of how difficult it is to deal with the organisation of a quadrennial event of such magnitude as the Olympic and Paralympic Games.” – ITTF President, Thomas Weikert

“We fully support this decision, and the whole World Triathlon staff is now working in close cooperation with the IOC, the IPC, the Tokyo Organising Committee and all the other stakeholders to help find the best dates for the Games to take place, as well as trying to find answers to all the questions raised by this difficult situation”, said World Triathlon President and IOC member, Marisol Casado.

Member Insights: Covid-19 and Sports Events – The Legal Angle

Portuguese sports lawyer João Lobão casts his legal eye over the current coronavirus crisis which is engulfing sport.


Covid-19 has been declared a public health emergency of international concern by the World Health Organization and continues to cause – in addition to the heavy and dramatic health consequences to those infected – serious and critical changes to the sporting world as we know it.


National and international competitions across all sports and geographies have been suspended and all of us are stationary whilst trying to understand when, how and under what conditions will we be abletoreturnto“​oldhabits”​,suchasasimple journey to the countryside to see old relatives or attend a football match with friends.


Today, such common habits appear unlikely to be possible in upcoming months, begging the question – in what conditions will we be able to proceed with our normal day-to-day life.


On reflection, we can understand the costs and losses behind the suspension of sports events. These range from direct ticketing revenue and tv/media rights to sponsorship deals, as well as the underlying value of the individual members of a team which will also be impacted by the financial conjuncture of each club. Additionally, the clarification of each competition’s rules under this unprecedented situation (e.g. which teams are promoted/relegated, who is awarded a title, etc) will require attention, especially if a longer quarantine period is needed.


The World Health Organization [WHO] stated that “​people can catch COVID-19 from others who have the virus. The disease can spread from person to person through small droplets from the nose or mouth which are spread when a person with COVID-19 coughs or exhales. These droplets land on objects and surfaces around the person. Other people then catch COVID-19 by touching these objects or surfaces, then touching their eyes, nose or mouth. People can also catch COVID-19 if they breathe in droplets from a person with COVID-19 who coughs out or exhales droplets. This is why it is important to stay more than 1 meter (3 feet) away from a person who is sick​”1. This information has particular relevance when assessing the reasons behind any suspension or cancelation of national and international sports events.


The WHO believes that the dissemination of the disease can happen through air and therefore the imminent risk is a reality. It is impossible to take any measure to stop the Covid-19 other than simply avoid any social contact. As a result, these circumstances are meaningfully different than what the Royal Moroccan Federation of Football (FRMF) faced in 2015 in relation to Ebola virus2 concerns, when it was not allowed to postpone the African Cup of Nations tournament.


In 2015, the Royal Moroccan Federation of Football stated that it was ​difficult to organise the African Cup of Nations due to the Ebola virus threat and that the risk of contagion to fans and players would allow it to invoke the force majeure provision of its arrangement to host the tournament. 3 We have learn from CAS 2018/A/5779 that “(…)the legal concept of force majeure is widely and internationally accepted and, in particular, is valid and applicable under Swiss law. As a general rule it could be said that, under ​some extraordinary and limited circumstances​, a party that does not fulfill a contractual obligation could be excused for its breach if it can prove that the breach is due to the occurrence of an event or an impediment that is not only beyond its control (and that it cannot avoid to get over) but also that it could not have been reasonably expected to have taken into account when it assumed the relevant obligation that was breached. Force majeure takes place in the presence of extraordinary and unforeseeable events that occur beyond the sphere of activity of the person concerned and that impose themselves on him/her in an irresistible manner.


Force majeure implies an objective (rather than a personal) impediment, beyond the control of the “obliged party”, that is unforeseeable, that cannot be resisted, and that renders the performance of the obligation impossible​. However, the conditions for the occurrence of force majeure are to be narrowly interpreted, since force majeure introduces an exception to the binding force of an obligation”. The bottom line is that, only when it is considered ​impossible for a party to fulfill its obligations, can a valid force majeure situation take place.


In the situation of the Royal Moroccan Federation of Football in 2015, the event turned out to be “difficult”, not “impossible”, and therefore the RMFF was deemed too not facing a force majeure situation.


Considering what Europe, and the World, have been facing in recent weeks, it is impossible for all parties at this stage – clubs, national leagues and even UEFA – to organise any public event without being at serious risk of severe contamination of the attendants. As such, national Governments have already forbidden such events from taking place, claiming that such events would pose an imminent risk of a wider spread of the disease. The grounds for force majeure, in this situation, appear valid.


On the other hand, one may claim that force majeure is clearly defined in most contracts, and that a “pandemic” is not included in the strict shortlist of events4 that would negate responsibility to a party. Nonetheless, even if a pandemic is not expressly included in such a shortlist, the reality is that the unprecedented measures being implemented by national Governments will open the door for any defaulting party to claim no responsibility.


The Swiss code of Obligations synthesises in Art. 119 that “an obligation is deemed extinguished where its performance is made impossible by circumstances not attributable to the obligor”. Hence, again the term “impossible” is a crucial condition to understand the impact of any compensation. If it is undisputed that is “impossible” to perform an obligation, then compensation shall usually be limited to amounts already exchanged.


Regarding the UEFA Euro 2020, a closer look to the Regulations of the UEFA European Football Championship, and its Art. 69 [“Unforeseen circumstance”]5, shows that the decision invoke force majeure to such event relays on the UEFA Emergency Panel any in ultima ratio in the sole discretion of the President of UEFA. As such, the President of UEFA has the ultimate responsibility to act in accordance to recent events.


It is widely agreed that a decision is to postpone the Euro 2020 competition in light of recent events will be the prudent response. Although it is believed that the Covid-19 situation may be controlled within 2/3 months, and therefore not being impossible to organise the event on time, it could be reckless to facilitate and encourage such a degree of social interaction following such a devastating epidemic.


In relation to the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Champions League, both competitions have in their regulations the same provision as Art 69 of6 UEFA European Football Championship. Nevertheless, the non-completion of these competitions for the 2019-20 season appears to fall under the force majeure provision7 , as such competitions need to be finalised by 30th June 2020, which is not practically possible due to ongoing restrictions by national Governments. Even if remaining games were to be played at closed-doors, both Europa League and Champions League are international competitions which require teams and staff to travel cross-borders, as well as UEFA personnel, match organisation officials, TV producers and media crews, etc. Such travelling would most likely be rejected by national Governments.


In assessing the current situation, it is possible to assume that the present “pandemic” may set the basis for a force majeure event which can protect UEFA in the event of the non-realisation of the remaining Europe Competitions matches this season. However, another issue arises in determining which clubs are eligible to play European Competitions in 2020/2021 season in the event national championships are not completed.


It is clear and indisputable that UEFA shall not directly interfere on the decisions taken by the National Associations8 and Leagues. However, such decisions will have a direct impact on UEFA competitions and therefore UEFA should be listened to. The fairness and integrity of sport is in ​ultima ratio the common goal for all the entities governing sports. With this in mind, UEFA cannot ignore that many teams which participated in the 2019-20 season of the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Europa League, would not qualify to these competitions in the 2020-21 season if their National League was deemed finished today, with current standings becoming the final standings.


If National Leagues can not be concluded, UEFA will be faced with an unprecedented challenge, and may have just two potential courses of action. Either it considers last season’s standings for UEFA classification purposes, and ignores the ‘incomplete’ 2019-20 season for relegation or champion title attribution; or, it considers the National Leagues’ standings at the time of their deemed ‘completion’, as well as the European standings for the 2020-21 seasons of the European Club events, title attribution and relegation places. The former would ignore clubs that have done well and are well positioned to date in their National Leagues, whilst the latter would ignore clubs that may have started their season less well an opportunity to rightfully gain a place in the European competitions.


As an example, Tottenham Hotspur Football Club9, Società Sportiva Calcio Napoli10, Valencia Club de Fútbol11, Club Atlético Madrid12, Koninklijke Racing Club Genk13 which played on the UEFA Champions League this season are today below the Champions League access positions and, if the national decision is to deem this season’s competition invalid, and use the last year standings to decide who are eligible teams for UEFA, these clubs would be eligible for European competitions. Under this scenario, granting access to such clubs would undoubtedly harm the fairness and integrity of the 2020-21 Champions League edition, which gives ground for UEFA to have a say in such decision making process.


No decision will be perfect in this likely eventuality, however sport authorities face a choice in the event that remaining National League matches are cancelled. Either (i) ignore the almost 70% disputed matches in National Leagues relying on the uncertainty of the potential results of the 30% of matches remaining and their potential impact on current standings; or, (ii) choose to value the investments made to date, as well as results and effort of clubs and players alike, and validate current standings as final standings ( as occurred on the Fudbalski Klub Partizan title in 199914 and in a most recent case The Polish Handball Association decided to finish today the national league and award this year title considering the current standings)15.


Lisbon, 24th March 2020.


João  Lobão is Vice-President of Portuguese Sports Law Association and was previosuly Legal Adviser for Sporting Clube de Portugal – Futebol, SAD (2015 – 2019), Head of the Sports Law Department in Portugal of Gomez Acebo & Pombo (2014-2015) and worked for the Legal Department of the Portuguese Player’s Union (2012-2014). – j​lobao@lspadvogados.com


References


1 ​https://www.who.int/news-room/q-a-detail/q-a-coronaviruses


2 Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football in v. Confédération Africaine de Football, Award of 17 November 2015 and see N. (2017) CAS 2015/A/3920 Fédération Royale Marocaine de Football v. Confédération Africaine de Football, Award of 17 November 2015.


3 On the same tone we see “Arbitration CAS 2015/A/3909 Club Atlé​tico Mineiro v. FC Dynamo Kyiv, award of 9 October 2015” considering that “The legal concept of force majeure is widely and internationally accepted and is valid and applicable under Swiss law. It also forms a well-established doctrine in CAS jurisdiction. Specifically, under CAS jurisprudence force majeure implies an objective (rather than a personal) impediment, beyond the control of the “obliged party”, that is unforeseeable, cannot be resisted and which renders the performance of the obligation impossible. Notwithstanding, CAS jurisprudence has also warned that the conditions for the occurrence of force majeure are to be narrowly interpreted, since force majeure introduces an exception to the binding force of an obligation.”


4 On a common contract it shall be expected to be included in a simple force majeure clause events such as strikes, work stoppages, accidents, acts of war or terrorism, civil or military disturbances, nuclear or natural catastrophes or acts of God, and interruptions, loss or malfunctions of utilities, communications or computer (software and hardware) services.


5 Art. 69oRegulations of the UEFA European Football Championship says that “Any matters not provided for in these regulations, such as cases of force majeure, will be decided by the UEFA Emergency Panel or, if not possible due to time constraints, by the UEFA President or, in his absence, by the UEFA General Secretary. Such decisions are final.”


6 Art. 80 on the Regulations of the UEFA Europa League 2018-21 Cycle and Art. 83 on the UEFA Champions League Regulations 2019

7 ​UEFA has formally taken the decision on 23th March 2020 to postpone the club finals originally scheduled for May 2020. No decision has yet been made on rearranged dates.


8 Art. 51 bis Par 4 of the UEFA Statutes


9 Currently in 8o Position in the Premier League


10Currently in 6o Position in the Serie A


11Currently in 7o position in La Liga


12Currently in 6o Position in La Liga


13 Currently in 7o Position in the Belgian Pro League


14 ​In 1999 UEFA – in the absence of a National Football Association – decided to give the national champion title to Partizan of Belgrade who led the championship when it was suspended due to the Balkan war.


15 The Polish Handball League 2019/2020 was on 23rd March 2020 declared to be concluded due Covid-19 pandemia and the national champions title was awarded according to the current standing, also it was decided that no relegation will occur this year.


Logitech G And McLaren Renew Esports Based Partnership

Logitech G, a brand of Logitech today announced a renewed partnership with McLaren bringing about a new era of racing. Combining McLaren’s rich heritage in the worlds of motorsport and automotive with Logitech G’s expertise in eRacing, eSports and gaming technology, the two companies will expand deeper into eSports this year.

Mark Waller, Managing Director, Sales and Marketing at McLaren Racing said:

“Logitech G has supported McLaren’s eSports endeavours from the start, and I’m pleased to extend this partnership across the Group. Logitech G is unique in their process and the way they collaborate with their partners to create the best experience and high-quality products for gamers. We are excited to bring a new G Challenge to gamers and open a new gateway into the world of racing.”

Logitech G and McLaren have been at the forefront of the ongoing eRacing explosion. Competitions like the McLaren Shadow Project and the Logitech G Challenge have played a key role in the rapid growth of the community and interest in the sport. In 2018 and 2019, the two-event series drew more than a million competitors combined. Moving forward, McLaren and Logitech will combine efforts into a single thrilling competition, G Challenge 2020, the most inclusive eRacing competition in the world.

Vincent Borel, General Manager of Gaming Simulation said:

“McLaren is a pioneer in the automotive space and hyper-competitive world of Formula 1. We are thrilled to continue our partnership and broaden our commitment to a shared vision that elevates eRacing within the world of gaming and beyond. Together with McLaren, we will create a thrilling eRacing experience that will ignite the passion and racing spirit in all of us.”

The countdown to G Challenge online racing competition begins today. Stay on top of this cornerstone event, by visiting www.logitechgchallenge.com to receive up-to-date information on G Challenge and plans for the 2020 competition.

iSportconnect Announce First eMasterclasses

iSportconnect are delighted to now reveal our first set of eMasterclasses to be taking places in the coming weeks.

Over the course of the new few weeks we will be hosting six eMasterclasses and will soon be announcing the speakers who will be taking part in these new iSportconnect offerings, that everyone within the iSportconnect community will be able to access for free.

To sign up for iSportconnect’s eMasterclasses please email joe@isportconnect.com

Our opening eMasterclasses will focus on broadcasting, following the postponement of our recent Broadcast Masterclass.

The first will surround the topic of ‘Understanding Your Pay TV And OTT Subscribers’, which will be taking place on the 7th of April.

On the 9th of April this will be followed by ‘Facing the Platform Giants: Consolidation and Competitive Strategies’, before our third eMasterclass will then cover ‘Renewing The Package: Innovation That Wins Audiences’ and take place on the 14th of April.

‘Direct To Consumer: Rights Holders And Channels’ will take place on the 16th of April, before ‘Evaluating Social Media ROI’ on April 21st.

‘Using Data To Build Engagement’ is the final eMasterclass in our opening set on the 23rd of April.