Russian Premier League

With the outbreak of COVID-19 rapidly spreading across the globe, it has resulted in the postponement of competitions worldwide as governments attempt to combat the pandemic.

A small number of events still went ahead, but sports stars, teams and indeed supporters were otherwise left to find other means of entertainment.

With the number of confirmed cases worldwide now totalling over 155,000, we round up all the latest news and updates.

Germany's prestige friendly with Italylater this month became the latest football fixture to bite the dust, with the majority of upcoming international matches having now been wiped out.

More major organisations have halted all footballing activities until a later date, including Qatar, Moroccoand Egypt.

A small number of competitions, most notably the A-League, Russian Premier League and Mexico's Liga MX, did manage to go ahead as planned.

Indeed, NRL games also avoided the cut, as did a handful of Super Rugby matches before an indefinite ban was put in place later in the day.

Another competition to fall was Australia's one-day international series against New Zealand, which was already being played behind closed doors.

With New Zealand's government introducing strict protocols to attempt to slow the spread of the virus, the Black Caps – along with Super Rugby side Highlanders – returned home from Australia and Argentina respectively in order to beat the new restrictions, which will mean any new arrival to the country, even if they are a citizen, has to self-isolate for 14 days.

With the top-four tiers of English football being shelved until at least early April, there was plenty of focus on the National League as six games were given the green light.

There was some controversy in Argentina as River Plate's Copa Superligaclash with Atletico Tucuman was suspended after the home side refused to open their stadium.

Independiente's tie with Velez Sarsfield was played out in full, albeit behind closed doors, with the hosts claiming a 1-0 victory.

In Italy, Napoliurged their supporters to sing from their balconies in unison as Fiorentina's Patrick Cutrone and two more Sampdoriaplayers tested positive for COVID-19.

Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy revealed a negative test result after recently self-isolating, but Carlo Ancelottiand Angelo Ogbonna questioned the Premier League's handling of the outbreak, while Jordan Pickford denied reports he is self-isolating.

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady, meanwhile, claimed the competition should be "void" – a suggestion Liverpoollegend Jamie Carragher quickly dismissed.

The lack of football did not stop certain clubs from keeping supporters entertained, though, with LaLiga side Leganes posting live updates of a fictitious match against Real Valladolid, which they won 2-1.

Perhaps inspired by their Spanish counterparts, Southamptongot Manchester City involved in an online game of noughts and crosses to help fill the void.

The downtime also gave football stars a chance to recuperate, with Sergio Ramos and Alexis Sanchez among those to post images of their extra-curricular activities.

Others, such as Liverpoolgoalkeeper Alisson and FIFA president Gianni Infantino, opted to use social media to educate their followers on how to properly wash their hands, while Barcelonasuperstar Lionel Messi used his profile to echo the sentiments of Cristiano Ronaldo in calling for people to follow the guidance of health organisations.

As Ronaldo and Jurgen Klopp were praised by the World Health Organisation for "protecting people from coronavirus", former United States president Barack Obama hailed a host of NBA stars – including Giannis Antetokounmpoand Zion Williamson – for donating large amounts to help support arena staff during the league's hiatus.

UFC superstar Conor McGregor labelled the pandemic "a stupid f****** virus", but later moved to clarify his aunt did not die after contracting the disease after previously suggesting as such.

And in more positive news, Japan's prime minister Shinzo Abe revealed his country still plan for the 2020 Olympic Games to go ahead in Tokyo, starting in late July.

The International Olympic Committee will have the final say, but ABE is confident the Games will be staged "without problem".

On Friday, the Premier League, Bundesliga and Ligue 1 followed the example of LaLiga and Serie A by suspending fixtures, while golf's Masters tournament in the United States was also postponed.

The Giro d'Italia is awaiting a new date, while the NBA, NHL and MLB seasons have all been put on hold.

Planned Six Nations fixtures have also been postponed, including Saturday's clash between Wales and Scotland in Cardiff, while England's tour of Sri Lanka and South Africa's tour of India have been scrapped.

However, despite the upheaval, some events are still set to take place.

FOOTBALL

While most of the major leagues across the globe have been suspended, some are carrying on, though often with mitigating circumstances such as playing behind closed doors.

In Argentina, both the Superliga and Primera A competitions are scheduled to continue, while matches in Australia's A-League are also set to take place. Liga MX remains, and the Russian Premier League is likewise going ahead.

RUGBY LEAGUE

Though Leeds Rhinos' meeting with Catalans Dragons has been postponed, the rest of the Super League fixtures this weekend will be played, as will the Challenge Cup matches, with fans allowed to attend.

In Australia, the first round of NRL fixtures will take place, though the second round will be held behind closed doors, based upon government advice.

CRICKET

The Indian Premier League start date has been pushed back two weeks until mid-April, but the Pakistan Super League has been given the all clear to continue – although a number of players have pulled out, leaving a reduced schedule.

Four matches this weekend precede a pair of semi-finals next week.

There are question marks over Sunday's behind-closed-doors ODI between New Zealand and Australia in Sydney, however, as Black Caps pace bowler Lockie Ferguson is in isolation after complaining of a sore throat.

RUGBY UNION

Wales-Scotland, scheduled for Saturday, was the last of the three planned Six Nations games for this weekend to fall through. The Pro14 and all French rugby union fixtures have also been halted, and Sunday's Premiership Rugby Cup final between Sale Sharks and Harlequins belatedly joined the mass cull of fixtures.

There are six Super Rugby matches to look forward to across the course of the weekend, however, despite the Australian government advising against non-essential gatherings.

Meanwhile, the RFU Championship fixture list has also been largely unaffected, the weekend's action starting with Newcastle Falcons' home match against Bedford Blues on Friday.

The Russian Football Union (RFU) announced the decision following an executive committee meeting on Tuesday.

It comes after the number of confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country reached 93.

An RFU statement on Tuesday said all matches under their control between March 17 and April 10 would be suspended.

These include the Russian Premier League, the Russian Cup and regional divisions.

League leaders Zenit had been due to face CSKA Moscow away from home on Sunday.

They are nine points clear at the top of the table after 22 rounds of matches.

Russia's top-flight campaign briefly continued as other elite leagues were paused due to the crisis, before the season was halted on March 17.

An initial April 10 suspension was then extended to May 31, with now more than 260,000 cases of COVID-19 in the country.

However, with Germany's Bundesliga returning this weekend and restarts in Portugal, Italy and potentially England and Spain to follow, the Russian Football Union has agreed a resumption date.

The remaining eight rounds of fixtures will be played behind closed doors until July 22, with four midweek dates scheduled.

Relegation and promotion remain, but there will be no play-offs at the foot of the table, with the bottom two teams replaced by the top two in the second tier if they meet the licensing criteria.

The Russian Cup will also continue, leading to a July 25 final.

Russian Premier League president Sergey Pryadkin said: "I am glad we are resuming the season at the optimal date for the current situation - in the penultimate week of June.

"This will allow all players to prepare for their return to the pitch and play the season in a short but reasonable time.

"We all have a lot of work to do, such as returning players and coaches from abroad, and preparing for matches under difficult conditions.

"We will do our best to ensure the safety of all competitors."

Defending champions Zenit boast a nine-point lead over Lokomotiv Moscow and Krasnodar at the top of the league ahead of the restart.

With the world attempting to stop the spread of a virus that has claimed over 6,000 lives, leagues and events have been suspended in many countries.

Some competitions are still ongoing, though, and we have picked out five match-ups from Monday's slate.

Tambov v Krylya Sovetov - Russian Premier League

The title race is all but over in Russia as Zenit streak clear, but there is plenty still to play for at the foot of the table. With two relegation places and two more for a relegation play-off in the 16-team division, the bottom seven teams are separated by just five points.

Tambov - promoted last season - are 15th but only trail Monday's 14th-placed opponents Krylya Sovetov on their head-to-head record. This clash could be huge in the race to avoid the drop.

Southern Steel v Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic - ANZ Premiership

The 2020 netball season began in New Zealand at the weekend, with defending champions the Central Pulse quickly impressing again in victory over the Mainland Tactix.

On Monday, it is the turn of 2017 and 2018 winners the Southern Steel to lay down a marker. They will hope to adapt quickly to life after departed Silver Ferns star Te Paea Selby-Rickit against the potentially dangerous Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic.

Antalyaspor v Sivasspor - Turkish Super Lig

There is an intriguing title tussle in Turkey as the teams head for the home straight. And the group at the summit only became more bunched up on Sunday when top two Trabzonspor and Istanbul Basaksehir played out a 1-1 draw.

That result means fourth-placed Sivasspor could now move within a point of the pair with victory at Antalyaspor. The hosts are unbeaten in seven in the league after a poor run, though, and should provide the title hopefuls with a stern test.

Prime Bank v Gazi Group Cricketers - Dhaka Premier League

Another competition to get under way in recent days was cricket's Dhaka Premier League, and two-time defending champions Abahani Limited soared straight to the top of the standings.

Two former winners will face off in their first match on Monday. Gazi Group Cricketers have recruited Bangladesh star Mahmudullah, too, and will hope for a serious challenge in 2020.

Lanus v Argentinos Juniors - Copa Superliga

The Copa Superliga endured a tough start to just its second season over the weekend as giants River Plate refused to open their stadium and prompted the postponement of a meeting with Atletico Tucuman.

But there is an intriguing clash on the cards on Monday, as Argentinos Juniors visit out-of-form Lanus. The hosts have slipped three points below their opponents in the league amid a five-match winless run but will be looking for the cup to provide some respite.

Farke, who was sacked by Norwich in November after three years at the club, joined Krasnodar in January on a deal that was supposed to keep him there until 2024.

But Russian president Vladimir Putin began a full-scale invasion of neighbouring Ukraine last Thursday, an attack that has been met with international condemnation.

That has been reflected by Russian teams – clubs and national sides – being banned from competing in UEFA and FIFA competitions, including the World Cup.

Markus Gisdol quit his post at Lokomotiv Moscow earlier in the week, confirming to BILD that he felt unable to work in a "country whose leader has invaded another country in the middle of Europe".

He added: "That does not go together with my values and I have therefore resigned as manager of Lokomotiv Moscow with immediate effect.

"I can't stand at the training ground in Moscow and coach the players, ask them to be professional when a few kilometres away there are orders given that brings suffering to the people of a whole country. This is my personal decision and I am absolutely convinced it is the right one."

His compatriot Farke has seemingly taken a similar decision.

While Krasnodar have not outlined the reasoning for Farke and his entire backroom staff leaving, they did confirm the four coaches have left by "mutual agreement".

Farke was due to take charge of his first match at home to Ural next Monday.

The exit of Farke is likely to further increase the pressure on fellow German, Sandro Schwarz, who is Dinamo Moscow coach.

Schwarz, despite seeing his Ukrainian assistant Andriy Voronin leave, is quoted by BILD as saying he plans to stay.

"I'm not the kind of person who buys a ticket, gets on the next plane and takes off. It is not about me. I feel responsible," he said.

Massimo Carrera enjoyed a successful career as a defender, winning Serie A, Champions League, UEFA Cup, Coppa Italia and Supercoppa Italiana titles with Juventus in the 1990s.

Carrera, who earned a move to Juventus from Bari in 1991 before leaving Turin five years later, also went on to captain Atalanta before eventually retiring in 2008.

The 56-year-old now finds himself in charge of Greek giants AEK Athens.

He had his first taste of coaching, albeit briefly, at Juventus in 2012 after head coach Antonio Conte was handed a 10-month ban – later reduced to four months – for failing to report match-fixing.

Carrera, who played alongside Conte in Turin before reuniting with his former team-mate as technical director in 2011, stepped into the caretaker role and claimed the Supercoppa Italiana against Napoli.

"Being part of Juventus' staff and then even stepping in during that period was an unexpected and extraordinary experience for me," Carrera told Stats Perform News.

"I remember the first Supercoppa match against Napoli which we won [4-2 after extra time in Beijing]. I was very tense during the week leading up to the final but at the beginning of the match it was as if I had been training for years."

Despite being six years Conte's senior, Carrera soaked up the Italian's methods and formed a strong bond, which led to the pair teaming up again – this time with Italy.

Carrera was part of Conte's Azzurri staff as an assistant for Euro 2016. After Italy lost to Germany in the quarter-finals, Conte joined Premier League powerhouse Chelsea. All of his assistants followed to London, except one – trusted lieutenant Carrera joined Spartak Moscow as Dmitri Alenichev's assistant coach.

Having arrived in July, Carrera quickly went from assistant to caretaker manager and then permanent coach on a two-year deal the following month after Alenichev resigned.

"After Conte's return I resumed my role as assistant and during the European Championship, there was the opportunity to go to Spartak Moscow as Alenichev wanted me as assistant," Carrera said. "Driven by the fact that Conte, who was about to move to Chelsea, could not take all the staff with him, I accepted and I left for Moscow."

Carrera's decision to swap Italy for Moscow proved to be a wise one for coach and club after ending Spartak's 16-year wait for Russian Premier League glory.

No other Spartak coach managed a better start – Carrera's men collecting 28 of 36 points from the first 12 matches under the Italian – as they claimed their first league crown since 2001 ahead of rivals CSKA Moscow.

"It was an extraordinary experience for me. I remember when I became Spartak Moscow head coach, the situation was not easy and there was a lot of pressure," he continued. "The team hadn't won a league in 16 years and fans were upset.  We worked hard to do our best and it was a triumph because we were at the top of the standings from the first day of the championship."

The situation, though, turned sour as he was sacked by Spartak in October 2018 after finishing third the previous season, despite being a popular figure among fans.

"I was really sad about that [leaving Spartak] because I hadn't be able to complete my job despite being one point behind the runner-up team," Carrera added.

Fast forward to 2020 and Carrera is coaching one of Greece's biggest teams – 12-time Super League champions AEK.

AEK appointed Carrera in December last year following a sabbatical, replacing Nikolaos Kostenoglou in Athens.

The coronavirus pandemic halted Carrera's work in March but AEK have made an unbeaten start since returning earlier this month – drawing at home to rivals Panathinaikos and defeating OFI 2-0 on Sunday to stay second in the table, 17 points behind leaders Olympiacos and two clear of PAOK in the race for Champions League qualification in the play-off round.

"Now I'm here at AEK Athens, another great club. We started the play-offs and we are in the cup semi-final [against Aris on June 24]," Carrera said. "Our goal is to secure second place and win the Greek Cup.  AEK fans are very passionate, warm and close to the team."

AEK last won the league title in 2017-18 as Olympiacos and Panathinaikos continue to dominate, and Carrera added: "This gap can be eliminated by working hard and trying to add technical quality. It was not easy but having the technology on our side we managed to work by monitoring and watching the players."

Since Carrera moved to Athens Olympic Stadium, he has only overseen one defeat in 20 matches, with AEK in the midst of a 15-game unbeaten streak across all competitions. In total, Carrera has only lost 21 of his 119 games in charge of AEK, Spartak and Juve.

"I think I transmitted all the passion and emotion that I feel about football to the team," Carrera said.

As Carrera utilises his experiences under the likes of Giovanni Trapattoni and Marcello Lippi to make his mark in Europe, the one-time Italy international is dreaming of a fairytale return.

"Definitely go back to Juventus," Carrera said. "This is my dream!"

The Russian giants confirmed the tragic news on Monday after Samokhvalov suffered suspected heart failure.

Samokhvalov – who had been playing for Lokomotiv's reserve team Kazanka in the third division – was training solo amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"We are truly sad to announce the death of Kazanka defender Innokenty Samokhvalov," Lokomotiv said in a statement.

"The footballer became ill during an individual training session. Details of the tragedy are being clarified.

"Samokhvalov is a pupil of Lokomotiv. Kesha came to our Academy in the third grade, won the youth championship of Russia, this season he played for Kazanka. Samokhvalov left a wife and a son.

"Kesha was a kind, helpful person and a good friend. We are truly shocked by what happened and express our sincere condolences to his family and friends."