Borussia Dortmund

Skipper Harry Kane’s future has been the subject of intense speculation in recent months amid Tottenham’s difficulties, and he is not alone.

Here, the PA news agency takes a look at some of those whose club futures may lie elsewhere.

Manchester United defender Maguire has been one of Southgate’s most dependable performers in recent campaigns, but has slipped painfully down the pecking order under Erik ten Hag and has been warned his international place could be under threat. The 30-year-old, who cost United £80million when he joined them from Leicester in August 2019, has been linked with West Ham, but also with a loan move to Italy with Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan and Roma said to be eyeing his situation.

Kane and Tottenham both have big decisions to make this summer after the club missed out on European football. The 29-year-old will enter the final year of his current contract and if he does not sign an extension, could leave for free in 12 months’ time. Manchester United are long-term admirers of the free-scoring striker – although it has been suggested Spurs would be unwilling to sell to a Premier League rival – while both Bayern Munich and Real Madrid have been credited with an interest.

Midfielder Mount was caught up in the malaise which engulfed Chelsea during a chaotic season and six of his last seven appearances before injury ended his campaign prematurely came from the bench. The 24-year-old is out of contract next summer and new boss Mauricio Pochettino has a decision to make with Manchester United leading a posse of interested parties waiting in the wings.

Rice’s reputation has continued to blossom despite what at times has been a difficult season for West Ham, and manager David Moyes is bracing himself. Arsenal and Bayern Munich have been linked with a summer move for the 24-year-old midfielder, with Manchester United and Chelsea also touted as possible destinations, while resurgent Newcastle could offer him Champions League football, but know they may not be able to compete financially as they attempt to comply with spending rules.

Maddison, another player with 12 months remaining on his contract, seemed destined to leave Leicester during the close season regardless of whether or not the Foxes retained their Premier League status. Newcastle pursued the 26-year-old playmaker doggedly last summed and remain keen on him as they strengthen for a European campaign, but they are likely to face competition with Manchester United and Tottenham rumoured to be among his suitors.

Liverpool’s interest in Borussia Dortmund teenager Bellingham is long-standing, but reports from Spain have suggested his future could lie instead with Real Madrid. Manchester City and neighbours United have also been touted as potential buyers with the 19-year-old former Birmingham midfielder one of the hottest properties in European football.

Achraf signed a two-season loan deal with Dortmund in 2018 and the Morocco international full-back has starred for the Bundesliga side.

The 21-year-old is set to leave Dortmund at season's end but not necessarily for a return to the Santiago Bernabeu in Madrid.

"Real Madrid are the club I call home," Achraf, who has scored 10 goals during his time with Dortmund, told Telefoot. "I've really enjoyed myself there and played lots of games there.

"If Madrid want me to go back, I'll go back. And if not, I'll have to write the next chapter at another great club."

Achraf added: "[Madrid head coach Zinedine] Zidane is the man who gave me my chance and the confidence to be able to play professional football.

"I'm grateful to him for his faith in me and the way he has treated me. I'll always be grateful to him."

Reflecting on his decision to move to Dortmund, Achraf said: "When I stop and think, I realise that it was the best decision I could have made, because I'm playing and developing as a footballer, which is what I need to be doing."

Achraf and Dortmund are preparing for Wednesday's Champions League last-16 return leg away to Paris Saint-Germain.

Dortmund won the opening leg 2-1 thanks to Erling Haaland's second-half brace and Achraf is eyeing silverware.

"I hope we can achieve as much as possible; in the short term beat PSG, and in the longer term try to win a trophy like the Bundesliga or go as far as possible in the Champions League," said Achraf, who has scored seven goals in all competitions this season.

"Anything's possible. Hopefully we can go as far as possible and win it if we can. And if not, then come away with the feeling that we've done well and given our all."

England followed up reaching the World Cup semi-final in 2018 by making their first major final in 55 years, where they lost to Italy on penalties at Euro 2020 at Wembley Stadium last July.

Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho all missed from 12 yards against Gianluigi Donnarumma, before the English trio were met with racial abuse online in the aftermath of the defeat.

England players and supporters rallied in support of Rashford, Saka and Sancho as the messages were greeted with widespread condemnation.

Bellingham has admitted his shock and disgust at seeing fellow young, black team-mates sent such abuse as he called for change.

"You look at the run into that final and you felt as though the country had united," 18-year-old Bellingham told The Mirror.

"Then as soon as they missed a penalty, they were not English, just black. Anyone can miss a penalty. Anyone can make a mistake in their line of work.

"But to be criticised like that should never happen. They are human.

"They are all top, top characters. To see them brought down like that was disgusting. As a team-mate it's hard to take because that could have been me. What if I'd missed a penalty? You're English for seven games and then all of a sudden, you're nothing.

"I know these are select idiots, of course, and it's not the whole nation turning against them. I'm sure that they probably had a bigger comeback of support. But the only support they should need is for missing the penalty, not for the racism that they've received after it."

Gareth Southgate labelled the abuse as "unforgivable" as he insisted his England team were a side built around bringing a country together, with players from a variety of backgrounds.

Bellingham expressed his gratitude towards the England manager's response, hailing the work Southgate is doing to make the Three Lions setup inclusive and open.

"To be fair, Gareth Southgate was brilliant," the Borussia Dortmund midfielder added. "He has always brought it up as a topic in meetings when we are aware that we going to [a country with a history of racism].

"We went to Hungary shortly after the Euros and the same thing happened again but we felt more prepared. We felt more supported because of what Gareth had put in place. As a black player you feel very grateful for that."

Bellingham was fined £34,000 by the German FA for his outburst questioning the appointment of referee Felix Zwayer in a 3-2 loss to Bayern Munich last December.

The Dortmund midfielder referenced Zwayer's six-month ban from refereeing in 2005, with Bellingham saying more was made of that episode than his first experience receiving racist messages.

"There's not a single job in the world where you deserve to be criticised with racism," he said. "I'll never forget the first time I properly got a batch of messages.

"My club were quick to send someone to message me and make sure I was alright and I really appreciate that. I had team-mates message me and family members.

"I didn't receive anything from the DFB or FA. And I always kind of compare it to when I said the thing about the referee in December.

"They were very quick to get into contact to give me my fine, give me my punishment and kind of make it a big drama in the media."

The 23-year-old is currently under contract with Leverkusen until 2023 but is once again on the radar of some of the globe’s top clubs after a strong performance this season.  Bailey has scored 15 goals this season, including 9 in the Bundesliga.

The Jamaican has been linked with English clubs Everton, Manchester City, and Manchester United but has lately been tipped to replace Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho who could be heading to Manchester United.

Sancho has been a long-term interest of Man United but the club and Dortmund have had disagreements over the player’s price.  Bailey missed the last two weeks of the Bundesliga season after suffering a broken toe during a league match against Werder Bremen.

The winger has made 8 international appearances for the Jamaica national team and scored one goal.

Hansi Flick's team won a Bundesliga, DFB-Pokal and Champions League treble in 2019-20, seeing off Paris Saint-Germain in the final of the European football's premier competition in August.

Robert Lewandowski and Joshua Kimmich were the only Bayern players to make the long-list last year, and those two again feature this time around.

Lewandowski scored a remarkable 55 goals across all competitions for Bayern last term, and has hit the ground running this season, netting 15 times to take his tally for the year so far to 70.

Manuel Neuer enjoyed something of a resurgence last term and heads up a list of 10 goalkeepers.

David Alaba was last on the list in 2017 but returns after starring at centre-back alongside Jerome Boateng, who also makes his first appearance in three years.

Thomas Muller is back after a four-year absence, while Alphonso Davies, Serge Gnabry and Leon Goretzka are all included for the first time.

Philippe Coutinho was something of a bit-part player though did score twice and provide an assist in a thumping 8-2 win over Barcelona – where he has now returned after a loan spell in Munich – in the Champions League semi-finals, while Thiago Alcantara, now of Liverpool, also features.

The list, which is based on players who received the most votes from other professionals, also includes 11 new faces.

It is no shock to see Borussia Dortmund's scoring sensation Erling Haaland make the cut, while Manchester United playmaker Bruno Fernandes is also involved.

Dele Alli, meanwhile, is something of a surprise inclusion.

The Tottenham midfielder has fallen out of favour under Jose Mourinho, making only two Premier League appearances, with his only top-flight start coming in the opening day defeat to Everton – in total, Alli has played just 66 league minutes this term.

Premier League champions Liverpool have eight players on the list, including new signing Thiago.

Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are included among 15 forwards, while Dani Alves is the only player on the list not to play in Europe's top five leagues.

The 2020 FIFA FIFPRO Men's World 11 will be made up of the goalkeeper, three defenders, three midfielders and three attackers who receive the most votes, with the final spot going to the highest-ranking outfielder outside of the top nine.

The midfield general in the mighty Bayern machine won the ball in the centre circle and bundled in after exchanging passes with Robert Lewandowski for the 82nd-minute clincher.

Corentin Tolisso and Thomas Muller had earlier put Bayern 2-0 in front, but Julian Brandt and Erling Haaland brought Dortmund back to level terms.

Victory meant Bayern, whose 32-game unbeaten run ended with defeat at the weekend to Hoffenheim, delivered more success in the Hansi Flick era.

Kimmich had netted the winner in each of the sides' previous two meetings, clinching a vital Bundesliga victory last term and then settling September's DFL-Supercup final.

But the latest clash between Germany's two biggest clubs ended in markedly less impressive fashion for the versatile midfielder.

Kimmich sought to atone for a loose touch just inside the Dortmund half 10 minutes before the break but was beaten to the ball by Haaland, swiping wildly at the forward.

Haaland stayed on his feet, although the attack soon petered out before attention returned to the still prone Kimmich.

He was booked for the challenge, which might have earned a red card had it been closer to the Bayern goal, but it quickly became clear his outing would end regardless.

Kimmich appeared in real pain as he was belatedly lifted to his feet by medical staff and helped off the pitch to be replaced by Corentin Tolisso.

Bayern were drawing 1-1 at the interval after goals late in the first half from Marco Reus and David Alaba.

The German Football League (DFL) confirmed on Friday that all Bundesliga and 2. Bundesliga matches have been cancelled until at least April 2.

That followed an earlier announcement that games would go ahead as planned behind closed doors this weekend, leading to criticism from Bayern Munich star Thiago Alcantara.

Bayern president Karl-Heinz Rummenigge defended the DFL's initial decision to play one more round of fixtures, warning of the impact to smaller clubs if the season ended prematurely.

And Watzke agrees "other approaches" should have been taken, with clubs set to meet on Monday to discuss further postponements

"The Presidium of the DFL has made a decision that needs to be respected - regardless of the fact that there would have been other approaches," he said in a club statement.

"We all have to do this together in solidarity and discuss the corresponding derivations on Monday. 

"Nevertheless, it also applies – depending on what will be decided on Monday – that German professional football is in the greatest crisis in its history. 

"It is to be hoped that the Bundesliga clubs have built up so much substance in recent years that everyone will survive this crisis. 

"An existential threat to Borussia Dortmund can be excluded according to everything we can assess today."

Dortmund, who were due to face bitter rivals Schalke on Saturday, are second in the Bundesliga and four points adrift of leaders Bayern.

The long pursuit of Sancho has resulted in a deal that Stats Perform understands will see United pay £72.9million (€85m) for Sancho, with no add-ons included within the deal.

It makes the 21-year-old the fourth most expensive signing in United's history, behind Paul Pogba, Harry Maguire and Romelu Lukaku.

He has signed until 2026, with United having the option to extend that agreement for another year.

United were keen on Sancho last year but could not drive through a deal at the time, with Dortmund reluctant to sell one of their chief assets.

However, they have now been persuaded to part company with a player who scored twice in their DFB-Pokal final win over RB Leipzig last season.

Sancho established a strong understanding with the much-coveted Erling Haaland while at Dortmund and now joins a United side who have ground to make up on neighbours Manchester City.

He will look to build a similar rapport with his Manchester United team-mates, having experienced the agony of losing the Euro 2020 final on penalties alongside Luke Shaw, Harry Maguire and Marcus Rashford.

Both Sancho and Rashford missed from 12 yards in the shoot-out as Italy prevailed after a 1-1 draw following extra time to deny England a first major title since the 1966 World Cup.

Having joined Dortmund in 2017, Sancho scored 50 goals and provided 57 assists in 137 appearances across all competitions for BVB.

It was City that Sancho left to join Dortmund in August 2017. He had come through the youth ranks with Watford initially before moving as a 14-year-old to the Etihad Stadium.

The balance of power in Manchester, and indeed in English football, remains weighted in City's favour after they won the Premier League title by 12 points from second-placed United last season.

United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have Sancho among his attacking options for his team's opening Premier League game against Leeds United at Old Trafford on August 14.

Sancho is the only player from Europe's top five leagues to have scored 10 goals or more and had at least 15 assists across all competitions in each of the past three seasons while playing at that high level.

United's penalty shoot-out defeat to Villarreal in the Europa League final in May means they remain without a major honour during Solskjaer's reign, which began when he was initially placed in caretaker control in December 2018 after Jose Mourinho was sacked.

The 19-year-old Norwegian struck the opener in his side's 4-0 victory at Signal Iduna Park on Saturday as Germany's top tier resumed following a two-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Raphael Guerreiro added a brace either side of an emphatic Thorgan Hazard finish to complete the Revierderby rout for hosts Dortmund, who showed few signs of rust.

Haaland suggested his 10th goal in nine Bundesliga appearances was to be expected despite admitting he was not yet fully up to speed.

"Of course I'm not the same. I haven't been playing games for seven weeks, so of course not," he told the Bundesliga's official website.

"But I know I have been working hard this period and I am not surprised [to score], no."

Haaland and Dortmund benefited from a brilliant Julian Brandt display that steered the title contenders to within a point of leaders Bayern Munich.

The attacking midfielder was involved in all four goals, each of them celebrated in unusual fashion as players attempted to keep contact to a minimum.

"You have to find a way to make the most of the situation and have fun," Brandt said.

"What better way to start than with a win? Obviously I'd prefer if conditions were normal, but it is what it is.

"It wasn't a perfect performance, but I'm happy after such a lengthy hiatus."

Reyna, 17, was named in Dortmund's line-up as the Bundesliga returned from a two-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic but sustained an injury in the warm-up. He was replaced by Thorgan Hazard.

Hazard teed up the opener for Erling Haaland and scored one himself in between a double for Raphael Guerreiro, helping BVB cruise to three points at an empty Signal Iduna Park.

Schalke lost Jean-Clair Todibo to a muscular injury at half-time, while Hazard hobbled off when he was replaced by Jadon Sancho in the 79th minute.

Favre insisted the Belgium international was only struggling with cramp, but he expects a number of players will suffer from niggles as the Bundesliga gets back up and running.

"A lot of teams will have a few players who will be injured," said Favre. "We started very late with the 10 against 10 games, tackling and so on.

"I hope Reyna has nothing. It won't be long for [Axel] Witsel and [Emre] Can, [Dan-Axel] Zagadou won't play again this season.

"Marco Reus has not yet played with the team. Nico Schulz has injured himself again, he is not allowed to do anything for two to three weeks.

"Hazard only had cramp, no injury."

Dortmund players kept their distance when celebrating – a touch of elbows the most contact they made with one another – while substitutes were spaced out on the sideline and wore masks.

Favre acknowledged the atmosphere behind closed doors was unusual but was proud of the way his team performed.

He said: "4-0 against Schalke - that's quite okay. The key was that the team played well together, also defensively. That was very, very special.

"There wasn't any noise, you shoot at the goal, make a top pass, a goal - and nothing happens. That's very, very strange. We really miss our fans.

"It was a completely different game than usual. It's hard to judge how good the game was. I had the feeling that it wasn't as committed as planned. The players were very focused on their task."

An error from goalkeeper Markus Schubert preceded Guerreiro's opener, while Dortmund's last two goals came at the end of swift counter-attacks.

Schalke boss David Wagner said: "We didn't have a good game, and at really bad moments we conceded the goals. At least two goals would have been easy to defend.

"Derby defeats are unpleasant in principle, even in this bizarre atmosphere. The feeling of the second half of the season is not there yet. The situation is quite extraordinary.

"I don't think we had any major physical deficits. We had deficits in defending the right spaces."

After the German government on Wednesday granted permission for the top two tiers to return behind closed doors, DFL chief executive Christian Seifert confirmed games will get back under way on May 16.

The Revierderby between Borussia Dortmund and Schalke will headline the first group of matches, while league leaders Bayern Munich are in action next Sunday and Bayer Leverkusen will travel to Werder Bremen the following day.

The rest of the Bundesliga season has also been mapped out, with the eight rounds of fixtures – and Werder's game in hand against Eintracht Frankfurt – to be contested before the final day on June 27.

Matchday 26 (all times local):
May 16 – 15:30: Borussia Dortmund v Schalke
May 16 – 15:30: RB Leipzig v Freiburg
May 16 – 15:30: Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin
May 16 – 15:30: Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn
May 16 – 15:30: Augsburg v Wolfsburg
May 16 – 18:30: Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach
May 17 – 15:30: Cologne v Mainz
May 17 – 18:00: Union Berlin v Bayern Munich
May 18 – 20:30: Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen

Matchday 27 (from May 22-24):
Bayern Munich v Eintracht Frankfurt
Borussia Monchengladbach v Bayer Leverkusen
Wolfsburg v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Union Berlin
Mainz v RB Leipzig
Freiburg v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Augsburg
Cologne v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Paderborn v Hoffenheim

Matchday 28 (May 26-27):
Borussia Dortmund v Bayern Munich
RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin
Bayer Leverkusen v Wolfsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Freiburg
Werder Bremen v Borussia Monchengladbach
Hoffenheim v Cologne
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Schalke
Augsburg v Paderborn
Union Berlin v Mainz

Matchday 29 (May 29-June 1):
Bayern Munich v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Borussia Monchengladbach v Union Berlin
Wolfsburg v Eintracht Frankfurt
Hertha Berlin v Augsburg
Mainz v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Bayer Leverkusen
Schalke v Werder Bremen
Cologne v RB Leipzig
Paderborn v Borussia Dortmund

Matchday 24 (June 2/3):
Werder Bremen v Eintracht Frankfurt

Matchday 30 (June 5-8):
Borussia Dortmund v Hertha Berlin
RB Leipzig v Paderborn
Bayer Leverkusen v Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt v Mainz
Werder Bremen v Wolfsburg
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Hoffenheim
Freiburg v Borussia Monchengladbach
Augsburg v Cologne
Union Berlin v Schalke

Matchday 31 (June 12-14):
Bayern Munich v Borussia Monchengladbach
Wolfsburg v Freiburg
Hoffenheim v RB Leipzig
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Borussia Dortmund
Hertha Berlin v Eintracht Frankfurt
Mainz v Augsburg
Schalke v Bayer Leverkusen
Cologne v Union Berlin
Paderborn v Werder Bremen

Matchday 32 (June 16-17):
Borussia Dortmund v Mainz
RB Leipzig v Fortuna Dusseldorf
Bayer Leverkusen v Cologne
Borussia Monchengladbach v Wolfsburg
Eintracht Frankfurt v Schalke
Werder Bremen v Bayern Munich
Freiburg v Hertha Berlin
Augsburg v Hoffenheim
Union Berlin v Paderborn

Matchday 33 (all at 15:30 local time on June 20):
Bayern Munich v Freiburg
RB Leipzig v Borussia Dortmund
Hoffenheim v Union Berlin
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Augsburg
Hertha Berlin v Bayer Leverkusen
Mainz v Werder Bremen
Schalke v Wolfsburg
Cologne v Eintracht Frankfurt
Paderborn v Borussia Monchengladbach

Matchday 34 (all at 15:30 local time on June 27):
Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim
Bayer Leverkusen v Mainz
Borussia Monchengladbach v Hertha Berlin
Wolfsburg v Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt v Paderborn
Werder Bremen v Cologne
Freiburg v Schalke
Augsburg v RB Leipzig
Union Berlin v Fortuna Dusseldorf

Manchester United, Milan and Paris Saint-Germain are among the major European outfits who are due to farewell high-profile players when free agency comes into force on June 30.

Domestic leagues across the world appear increasingly likely to run beyond that deadline, meaning sides up and down the divisions could be forced to renegotiate deals beyond the typical expiry date.

It remains to be seen how governing bodies will approach the unfamiliar territory but Edinson Cavani, Mario Gotze and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be watching closely like dozens more across Europe's top five leagues.

These are the stars and solid supporting cast members whose contract situations are worth monitoring in England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

LaLiga

Athletic Bilbao: Aritz Aduriz (retiring), Benat, Mikel San Jose
Atletico Madrid: Antonio Adan
Espanyol: Ander Iturraspe
Granada: Roberto Soldado
Real Valladolid: Hatem Ben Arfa
Sevilla: Ever Banega (joining Al Shabab at end of contract), Nolito
Valencia: Ezequiel Garay
Villarreal: Santi Cazorla 

Premier League

Bournemouth: Ryan Fraser
Burnley: Joe Hart
Chelsea: Olivier Giroud, Pedro, Willian
Liverpool: Adam Lallana, Nathaniel Clyne
Manchester City: David Silva (confirmed he will leave at end of contract)
Manchester United: Nemanja Matic, Timothy Fosu-Mensah, Odion Ighalo (loan ends)
Newcastle United: Matty Longstaff
Tottenham: Jan Vertonghen, Japhet Tanganga

Serie A

Atalanta: Jose Luis Palomino
Hellas Verona: Fabio Borini
Inter: Ashley Young
Juventus: Gianluigi Buffon
Milan: Lucas Biglia, Giacomo Bonaventura, Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Napoli: Jose Callejon, Dries Mertens

Bundesliga

Bayer Leverkusen: Charles Aranguiz
Borussia Dortmund: Mario Gotze, Lukasz Piszczek
Hertha Berlin: Salomon Kalou
Schalke: Benjamin Stambouli
Wolfsburg: Robin Knoche

Ligue 1

Lille: Loic Remy
Monaco: Jemerson
Nice: Walter Benitez, Arnaud Lusamba
Paris Saint-Germain: Edinson Cavani, Thomas Meunier, Tanguy Kouassi, Layvin Kurzawa, Thiago Silva

Fresh from his move to Camp Nou in the transfer window, Lewandowski will return to familiar surroundings with Barcelona and Bayern Munich – who boast 11 Champions League titles between them – drawn in a tough Group C along with Inter.

And another reunion will see Haaland come up against Borussia Dortmund, whom he left to join Pep Guardiola's Manchester City. They find themselves in Group G alongside Sevilla and Copenhagen.

Another heavyweight clash will take place in Group H, with Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus set to lock horns.

Will tournaments be completed when conditions are suitable? Will things finish as they are? Will the campaign be declared null and void?

With the help of Opta, we look back over the previous 10 seasons to see who would have been crowned champions if the Premier League, LaLiga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Bundesliga had stopped where there are now.

Aguer-no!

It was an iconic moment in Premier League history. Sergio Aguero scored Manchester City's second stoppage-time goal as they came from behind to defeat QPR 3-2 and clinch their first top-flight title in 44 years, beating crestfallen arch-rivals Manchester United to the trophy on the final day of the season.

However, if the campaign had been stopped where it is now it would have been United who were celebrating due to a one-point advantage.

It is the only occasion since 2009-10 that the team on top after 29 matchdays has not won the Premier League.

Atleti's title wiped out

Atletico Madrid incredibly broke the Barcelona and Real Madrid duopoly in LaLiga in 2013-14, with Diego Godin salvaging a draw at Camp Nou on the final day to ensure they finished top of the pile.

However, it was local rivals Real Madrid, led by Carlo Ancelotti, who sat three points clear after 27 games of the season, meaning Diego Simeone's crowning achievement would not have occurred.

The only other instance of a team being displaced in the final 11 matches came in 2009-10, when Madrid sat ahead of Barca on goal difference but ended up seeing Pep Guardiola's men go on to win LaLiga for a second straight season.

Juventus dominance broken up

Eight straight Serie A titles have seen Juventus create history in Italy, but they would have only managed five if the previous seasons stopped after 26 games – the total the majority of clubs have completed in 2019-20.

The Bianconeri went undefeated under Antonio Conte in 2011-12, although it was Milan who topped the table at this point in the campaign, meaning Massimiliano Allegri would have won successive Scudetti at San Siro.

Maurizio Sarri would also not have had to have waited until winning the Europa League with Chelsea last year for his first major title.

Sarri's Napoli only surrendered top spot to Juve on matchday 27 in 2017-18 and they failed to recover it, missing out on their best chance to finish top since the Diego Maradona era.

QSI off to the perfect start

The landscape of Ligue 1 changed dramatically when Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) bought Paris Saint-Germain in June 2011, although no silverware was added to the Parc des Princes trophy cabinet in the first season following the takeover.

However, they would have been crowned champions had the 2011-12 season finished after 28 games, denying a Montpellier side powered by the goals of Olivier Giroud an unlikely first Ligue 1 title.

There would have been bad news for PSG in 2014-15, though, as the trophy would have gone to Hubert Fournier's Lyon due to a one-point margin.

Bordeaux would have made it back-to-back titles in 2009-10, too, with Marseille having made the most of a collapse that saw Laurent Blanc's side slip from first to sixth over the final 10 matches.

Bundesliga business as usual

What changes with the Bundesliga title winners if you stop the previous 10 seasons after 25 games? Nothing.

Bayern Munich would have won eight championships to Borussia Dortmund's two.

Bavarian authorities announced on Tuesday that all events where more than 1,000 people would be attending between now and April 19 are to be cancelled.

It means the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie at the Allianz Arena will be held without fans present on March 18, assuming the match goes ahead.

Bayern lead the tie 3-0 after a commanding first-leg victory at Stamford Bridge.

The decision comes despite RB Leipzig's match at home to Tottenham on Tuesday proceeding as planned, with supporters allowed to attend.

Valencia against Atalanta, Paris Saint-Germain's game with Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona versus Napoli are also being played behind closed doors as the coronavirus continues to spread across Europe.

There are suggestions Juventus' clash with Lyon in Turin could be postponed after Italy went into lockdown to try to control the outbreak of COVID-19.

Saturday's Bundesliga derby between Dortmund and Schalke will also be staged without fans.

There were 1,129 confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Germany as of Monday.

The German football season is on hold at least until April 30 due to the spread of COVID-19, which has infected almost 40,000 people in Germany – the third most-affected European nation.

Suspension of the campaign is set to have major consequences on the finances of many clubs, with the situation forcing some to implement salary cuts or similar measures.

Players of Bundesliga side Union Berlin are waiving their salaries to aid the wider business, but a new approach from Germany's four Champions League sides should help alleviate the strain on many teams in the top two divisions.

A statement released on Thursday by the German Football League (DFL) confirmed the €20m support fund will be created by the four clubs initially foregoing "their share of the undistributed national media revenue of the DFL in the coming season".

That figure, which stands at €12.5m, will be supplemented by contributions from the clubs' own resources.

"This campaign underlines that solidarity in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga is not lip service. The DFL Presidium is very grateful to the four Champions League participants in terms of the community of all clubs," DFL spokesman Christian Seifert said.

Bayern CEO Karl Heinz Rummenigge added: "Together with the three other Champions League participants, we want to send a signal of solidarity to all clubs in the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga with this initiative.

"In these difficult times, it's important that the stronger shoulders support the weaker shoulders. With this, we also want to show that football is standing together right now."

The DFL will decide on matters relating to the distribution of the €20m.

Germany's top flight, like the majority of European leagues, is suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The top two tiers in Germany are suspended until at least April 30, with mass gatherings having been prohibited by the government until the end of August.

However, this month German Football Federation (DFL) chief executive Christian Seifert said discussions were in place over a return to action in early May with matches behind closed doors.

Seifert confirmed the DFL's plans to continue with the season and that the start date will be May 9 so long as the plan gets government backing.

But senior union official Jorg Radek believes doing so would pose a risk to public health.

"Maybe it is possible to control what is happening in the stadium. This does not apply to the public space in front of it. The stadiums become a potential target for fans who want to support their team," Radek said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

"That would be devastating. We can't have large crowds outside the stadium gates. It's not only forbidden, it would be irresponsible.

"It becomes relevant to the police at that moment, we then have to ensure that the requirements that currently apply to behaviour in public space are complied with - the requirement of a distance of one and a half metres, the ban on the assembly of large groups, the wearing of masks.

"We will have to intervene in terms of maintaining security and order if this is not guaranteed.

"I want to state that we as a police union are not fundamentally against football games.

"I can also understand that there is a need for many people to stop watching old international matches or old Bundesliga games, but we must not forget what special situation we are all in - this includes the police.

"Games behind closed doors are a danger, even if the organiser does everything in the stadium to ensure that hygiene regulations are observed in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible."

He said the DFL plans do not appear to cover such aspects and spoke of the prospect of an "additional burden" on police.

"Running the league on the weekends is a huge burden for us even without a corona pandemic," said Radek. "By pausing, we gained a personnel reserve that we could fall back on to increase our presence elsewhere."

Germany's top flight, like the majority of European leagues, is suspended due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The top two tiers in Germany are suspended until at least April 30, with mass gatherings having been prohibited by the government until the end of August.

However, this month German Football Federation (DFL) chief executive Christian Seifert said discussions were in place over a return to action in early May with matches behind closed doors.

Seifert confirmed the DFL's plans to continue with the season and that the start date will by May 9 so long as the plan gets government backing.

But senior union official Jorg Radek believes doing so would pose a risk to public health.

"Maybe it is possible to control what is happening in the stadium. This does not apply to the public space in front of it. The stadiums become a potential target for fans who want to support their team," Radek said in an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

"That would be devastating. We can't have large crowds outside the stadium gates. It's not only forbidden, it would be irresponsible.

"It becomes relevant to the police at that moment, we then have to ensure that the requirements that currently apply to behaviour in public space are complied with - the requirement of a distance of one and a half metres, the ban on the assembly of large groups, the wearing of masks.

"We will have to intervene in terms of maintaining security and order if this is not guaranteed.

"I want to state that we as a police union are not fundamentally against football games.

"I can also understand that there is a need for many people to stop watching old international matches or old Bundesliga games, but we must not forget what special situation we are all in - this includes the police.

"Games behind closed doors are a danger, even if the organiser does everything in the stadium to ensure that hygiene regulations are observed in order to keep the risk of infection as low as possible."

He said the DFL plans do not appear to cover such aspects and spoke of the prospect of an "additional burden" on police.

"Running the league on the weekends is a huge burden for us even without a corona pandemic," said Radek. "By pausing, we gained a personnel reserve that we could fall back on to increase our presence elsewhere."

Germany's top two tiers are suspended until April 30 due to the coronavirus pandemic, while mass gatherings have been prohibited by the government until the end of August.

DFL chief executive Christian Seifert said this month the organisation was working towards a return to action in early May with games played behind closed doors.

Following a virtual meeting between the 36 clubs on Thursday, the DFL confirmed its plans to continue with the season.

Seifert said: "The Bundesliga is ready to resume, whether on May 9 or a later date. But it's not up to us to find a date, the political decision-makers decide.

"We have not defined an exact date today. The fact that we are even able to think about resuming games underlines the performance of the German authorities. It would be presumptuous for the DFL to name an exact date for the restart.

"If the signal comes in the next week that it can be May 9, then it will be May 9. It's not up to us whether we can play at all. It is only up to us to create the framework conditions.

"The season should be finished by June 30. If we need to play in July too, we will. We are currently not thinking about next season. First of all, it is the matter of ending the current season."

Guidelines for the staging of matches include strict hygiene requirements, close testing and permanent monitoring of those at the games. The DFL will also provide €500,000 to public health authorities to help with coronavirus testing.

Access to Bundesliga stadiums will be limited to 213 people on matchdays and Seifert urged fans not to gather outside arenas.

"When we start playing again, gatherings outside the stadium must be avoided," said Seifert.

"Otherwise the fans will need to accept the fact that the matches will not take place. If this happens during the match, it will be cancelled.

"The situation might even require us to talk about games without fans next year. Therefore, the clubs should plan without income from spectators for the time being."

It was also announced by the DFL that €7.5million from the solidarity fund set up by Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig and Bayer Leverkusen will be shared equally between the 3. Liga and women's Bundesliga.

In Germany there have been over 151,000 confirmed cases of coronavirus and 5,354 recorded deaths.