The Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) has announced that it will release operational funds for 2019/2020 amounting to $150 million to its member associations. The organisation says this is the first step of a relief plan to help negate the economic impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Each of FIFA’s 211 member associations will receive $500 000 in the coming days as well as any remaining entitlements for 2019/2020.
The COVID-19 outbreak has brought soccer to a standstill and clubs have struggled to cope with the loss of revenue. The world football governing body has said it would immediately release the second installment of operational costs for 2020, originally due in July.
They will among others help member associations meet financial or operational obligations that they may have towards staff and other third parties.
Athletics
In athletics, Eliud Kipchoge and Kenenisa Bekele should have spent this week finalising their preparations for the London Marathon, but the two best distance runners in history are instead out alone on the trails of East Africa not knowing when they will race again.
The showdown, which was planned for Sunday, between the only two men to have gone under two hours, two minutes for the classic distance; was an early victim of the coronavirus pandemic.
Race director Hughb Rasher says although the race has been rescheduled for 4 October, it is far from certain if it will take place.
“Will the 4th of October happen? And the simple answer is I don’t know. We are scenario planning so many different possibilities. You know the speed of change that’s going in society at the moment, the information that’s coming out of the government, coming out of the scientists is incredibly difficult to keep up with.”
Rasher says it is also not clear in what form will it happen if it does happen and whether the two superstars will be on the start line.
“No, we don’t know what’s going to be happening with travel restrictions, we don’t know what’s going to be happening in the countries they live in, and training. So, you know, the London Marathon likes putting together the greatest field, likes having competition, and we had the greatest field I think ever in any marathon in the history of marathon running.”
For athletics fans, the absence of what Kipchoge said “could have been the best race ever” will leave them feeling particularly hollow on Sunday morning.
Kenya’s Kipchoge, the first man to run a sub-two hour marathon in an unofficial race, is the defending champion and would have been chasing a record fifth London title.
Discover Eliud Kipchoge’s thoughts on this photo. ?
The photo is taken right after running the marathon in under two hours during @INEOS159. #nnrunningteam pic.twitter.com/BJyMor6kbD
— NN Running Team (@NNRunningTeam) April 20, 2020
