Superliga

Daniela Cortes, the partner of the Colombia international, posted several photographs and videos to her Instagram account showing injuries to her face and arms.

She claimed they were inflicted by Villa – a man she labelled "a physical and psychological abuser" – and has taken the matter to the police.

Villa's ex-girlfriend Alexandra Marin then posted in support of Cortes and also accused him of abuse during their relationship, while the 23-year-old denied the allegations in a video message.

"As a result of what is being seen on social networks, I wanted to [say] that I have my mother, my sisters, my nieces, my cousins; I have women in my family," he said.

"I do not know with what intention this is being published. Starting tomorrow I will begin to clarify the situation with the indicated people."

In their own statement, Boca confirmed they were "at the disposal of the police" having also been in dialogue with Villa's legal representatives.

"Boca Juniors reports that, given the facts of public knowledge that involve a player from the team, it is already in contact with the player's lawyers and representatives to explore the episode and take the corresponding measures," the statement read.

"From now on, the club is put at the disposal of the police in order to do everything it can to collaborate for the clarification of the event, in accordance with our commitment in matters of human rights and gender issues."

Villa made 17 appearances in the recent Superliga Argentina campaign, scoring two goals and supplying three assists as Boca pipped bitter rivals River Plate to the title.

The next full round of Superliga games is billed for January 24-26, ending a six-week mid-season break, but Argentina Under-23 players will be engaged in qualifying for the Olympic Games.

Argentina play Colombia, Chile, Ecuador and Venezuela between January 18 and January 30, looking to advance to the next stage in February and close on one of two CONMEBOL places at Tokyo 2020.

Boca had just two players named in the squad last month - Nicolas Capaldo and Alexis Mac Allister - yet they led protests against the Superliga schedule.

The club released a statement on Thursday, which read: "The new leadership of the club considers that restarting the championship as planned means a sporting disadvantage for our institution, due to the players that we have contributed to the national team, and we ask for the corresponding postponement.

"If there is something that characterises Boca throughout its history, it is the commitment to the national teams in all its representations.

"And the only thing we want is to continue with that commitment [while] taking care of the interests of our club, which is the task entrusted to us by the members in the elections of December 8, 2019.

"For this reason, through a letter to the Superliga authorities signed by president Jorge Amor Ameal, Boca requests the postponement of the start of the tournament in question, as well as a meeting to discuss economic aspects."

However, the Superliga announced on its website that the 17th round of games would go ahead as planned, after "general consensus" was reached at an executive committee meeting.

Argentinian sports newspaper Ole reported the results of a poll among the 24 Superliga clubs.

It said that with 16 votes required to make the alteration, just 15 were in favour, with Boca's rivals River Plate reportedly among the nine against the motion.

Boca, who sit in second place, behind Argentinios Juniors, are due to play Independiente on January 26.

Argentina great Maradona, regarded by many as the best footballer ever, died at the age of 60 last Wednesday.

Such was his influence on the sport, homage has been paid across the world – from compatriot Lionel Messi revealing a Newell's shirt during a goal celebration earlier in the day, to Napoli confirming plans to rename their stadium Stadio Diego Armando Maradona and revealing an Argentina-inspired fourth kit in their weekend win over Roma.

Boca, where Maradona spent two spells, had their Copa Libertadores clash with Internacional postponed just a few hours after the 1986 World Cup winner died, meaning the visit of Newell's to a mostly empty La Bombonera was their first game since his passing.

Colombia international Edwin Cardona opened the scoring with a free-kick, before the team ran over to the sidelines and produced a Maradona jersey, laid it on the floor and applauded in front of the private box where his visibly emotional daughter Dalma was watching on.

Boca coach Miguel Angel Russo, a former Argentina team-mate of Maradona, said after the game: "I knew it was going to be an uphill struggle. The phrase I used was that, to pay homage to the best in the world, you have to play well and that Boca needed to win.

"It was the best way to pay homage to him, to play this beautiful sport well that he played to an incomparably high level.

"We got through it in the best way. I am happy for the victory. The day has been covered by a blanket because of what Diego Maradona was as a player and person."

Every Boca player wore Maradona's name on the back of their jersey throughout the match and defender Carlos Izquierdoz could not help but feel humbled.

Nevertheless, he believed the team acted responsibly with respect to donning the name of one his country's most famous players.

"The truth is that wearing a name like that on my shirt gave me a little embarrassment, so to speak," he told FOX Sports.

"We tried to do it responsibly. I'm happy for tributes that have been paid to him everywhere. We were able to win, to show that we wanted to play – the best tribute was to give his family a win.

"They were special moments. The truth is that all this generates emotion, remembering such an emblematic player who represented so much for Argentine footballer, the country.

"He always put the flag on his shoulders. He deserved recognition."

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc globally, with Serbia's SuperLiga among the competitions to have been suspended since March due to the outbreak – the Olympic Games and Euro 2020 were pushed back 12 months.

Red Star were 11 points clear of bitter rivals and neighbours Partizan Belgrade atop the table when the SuperLiga was halted but the defending champions will have the chance to clinch their third consecutive title when the league resumes, albeit in a condensed format, for the final four rounds on Friday.

Serbian powerhouse and 1991 European Cup champions Red Star will play behind closed doors when they travel to lowly Rad Beograd but Degenek is optimistic a full house will be in attendance for the club's final home fixture of the campaign against Proleter Novi Sad on June 20.

"We need one more point to seal the league," Australia international Degenek told Stats Perform News. "That's going to be on Friday night, hopefully we do the business there. Then we have three more games left and I think the last game of the season is at home.

"I hope by that time that they do let the fans in the stadium because there's talk here that maybe they can get fans into the stadium, maybe not. We're not 100 per cent sure there won't be any fans and we're not 100 per cent sure there will be. 

"But I think we will find a way somehow to celebrate with the fans, whether it's inside the stadium or outside. Obviously it's different when you win a title with no one in the stadium to when you win a title with 40,000 in the stadium. There's a difference and I hope the stadium is full by the time the title comes around. If not, then we will find a different way to celebrate."

"It's a been a long way away from football," added Degenek following the enforced break from football, with the centre-back braced for a hectic schedule after the Socceroos' World Cup qualifiers were also postponed, which is set to put a strain on his typical off-season plans. "Obviously we trained and maintained our fitness but just the fact you lack that pure competition, the games, winning, checking the ladder, checking how other teams went, so that's what has been missing for a while. It kinds of get depressing when you can't play every week. It gets even more depressing when you realise it wasn't a break, it was just due to health issues and reasons. Happy that it's back after a while and hopefully it never stops again.

"I'm just really excited and looking forward to getting back on track, getting back into the real world and I hope within a month or so there will be full stadiums again in the world of football. I hope this pandemic stays away for a while so no one has issues and no one is scared, the fact we can live our normal lives again and people who love football can live their normal lives again on a Saturday and Sunday, and take their kids and family to a game."

While the likes of Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom have been hit hard by coronavirus, Serbia has managed to contain the outbreak in comparison, with more than 11,200 confirmed cases and 239 registered deaths.

"To be really, really honest with you, I think 95 per cent of the people here believe and know there's no virus, nothing going on," Degenek said. "Ninety-five per cent of people here think it's just a media hoax, due to all other reasons apart from an actual virus. A lot of people wear masks and gloves, but the people I'm around with and especially when we train, none of us believe there's an actual virus and something is actually happening. 

"Even now when you walk along the streets, you sit at restaurants, you go out at night to a restaurant and there's live music, people on top of each other. I think because my fiancé, she works in a hospital, and she knows there's a lot more people that die due to a normal virus than this coronavirus. I guess coronavirus has been quite well pushed in the media, got its popularity up and everyone got scared but I don't really talk much about it, I don't really care to be honest as long as my football starts back."

Germany's Bundesliga and the K League in South Korea have already returned this month amid social-distancing measures – no celebrating goals or shaking hands.

Those guidelines have baffled Degenek, who said: "I don’t understand the fact that you can't shake hands in a game and can't celebrate a goal but in the corner I'm hugging a player. My sweat is going on his sweat, there's head collisions, some people will bleed, things like that happen. 

"You tackle someone, someone spits on someone… I'm saying stupid things but I don't understand why you can't celebrate a goal when in a corner you can hug someone, slide tackle someone, you can hug someone during the game, move someone around, there's physical contact, it's not as if we're playing basketball or handball and there's not much contact."

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, a club great returned to Belgrade – Dejan Stankovic.

The 41-year-old, who played for Red Star between 1995 and 1998 before enjoying spells at Lazio and Inter, succeeded Vladan Milojevic as head coach in December.

It is Stankovic's first senior job following a brief period as a coach at Inter's academy last year and the 103-time Serbia international has been tipped for a successful career in the dugout.

"I was very excited that a player that he was has now become a coach and gets to coach me because he was won everything there is to win in club football," Degenek said of Stankovic, who won the treble with Inter under Jose Mourinho as part of a 15-piece trophy haul at San Siro to go with Serie A and other silverware at Lazio. 

"He has had some of the best managers in the world and I see in the past few months that we've had him, I've learned a lot. I've come across a lot of footballing ideas and things he wants. I'm very happy to have him as a coach but a friend as well. The way he has started here, I think he will have a good coaching career. I'm almost certain he will because he has so much determination, will, the drive to learn and to push. I think he will have a very good coaching career and it's very exciting to have him here with us."

Milojevic restored Red Star's position at Serbia's summit, but more importantly, he led the capital side back to the Champions League in 2018 – having not featured in Europe's premier club competition since 1992 – and again this season before vacating his position and eventually moving to Saudi side Al-Ahli in February.

"Very sad to see him leave but towards the end of his time, I think you could've seen there wasn't much more he could do," Degenek, 26, said. "You just see when someone is exhausted, when they have done everything and put their life into it. He obviously got the reward, he got a new job in Saudi Arabia which is financially rewarding and he deserves that.

"Also, he done a lot of things for this club which no other manager has done. Obviously very grateful to have him as my coach, also he is a very good person. Happy for him to move on in his career and also happy that I got to work with him and happy he was the one that pushed Red Star into a way that the club should be going, which is forward and in a brighter future."

Red Star quintet Marko Gobeljic, Njegos Petrovic, Dusan Jovancic, Marko Konatar and Branko Jovicic contracted COVID-19.

Gobeljic, Petrovic, Jovancic and Konatar had symptoms prior to Saturday's season finale and did not attend the match as a precaution.

It comes after Dejan Stankovic's Red Star celebrated a third successive SuperLiga title in front of fans in Belgrade on Saturday – defeating Proleter Novi Sad 2-1.

Red Star also played in front of a near 25,000 capacity crowd for the Serbian Cup semi-final against bitter rivals and neighbours Partizan, who won 1-0 on June 10, following the easing of coronavirus restrictions in the country.

"The aforementioned players are feeling well, and are in strict isolation as well as constant contact with the club's medical team," Red Star said in a statement on Monday.

"The condition of the players is being carefully monitored and a new test will be performed before the start of the preparations for next season."

Red Star added: "It is important to point out that all other players, management and staff who were in direct contact with the first team have received a negative result. Red Star is taking all necessary protection measures and we will continue to do so."

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.

Despite sporting events across the globe having been cancelled or postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, domestic football in Argentina has remained largely unaffected.

Friday's fixtures between Gimnasia La Plata and Banfield, and Patronato and San Lorenzo went ahead as planned, with Independiente's home match against Velez Sarsfield also proceeding on Saturday, though it was played behind closed doors.

However, River insisted on Friday that, due to safety concerns over the spread of COVID-19, they would not be fulfilling their fixture against Tucuman, a decision which was backed by Gimnasia coach – and Boca Juniors icon – Diego Maradona.

"I'm with them to the death. Look, I don't like the Gallinas ['Chickens', a nickname used by Boca fans to mock River] at all, but I'm with them to the death," Maradona told reporters.

"If the players make a decision, you've got to stick with that to the death. To the death."

And when Tucuman staff, along with referee German Delfino, arrived at El Monumental on Saturday, they were unable to enter the stadium.

Tucuman's official Twitter account posted images of its staff outside the stadium, while they also shared photos of the squad waiting in the team hotel.

The match was subsequently called off, with a Superliga statement confirming the decision.

The statement read: "In light of River Plate's decision to not open their stadium for the encounter that was due to be played for the first round of the Copa Superliga against Atletico Tucuman, referee German Delfino went to the Monumental facilities alongside the rest of the officiating team and national public notary Marisa Galarza, and noted it was impossible to enter the stadium to carry out their jobs.

"Alongside them, the Tucuman side's kitmen, first vice-president Enrique Salvatierra and spokesman Cristobal Godoy were also present.

"At that time a document was signed notifying the situation and the visiting team was informed there was no need to make their way to the event venue, as the match referee had made note of the general situation.

"The Buenos Aires City Security authorities also advised the Tucuman delegation it was not necessary to go to the stadium, as the facilities were closed."

It is unclear at this stage what consequences River will face, though they could reportedly lose the match as a walkover.

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.

In concerning scenes, Eriksen collapsed during Denmark's tournament opener against Finland in June and was given CPR before subsequently undergoing successful heart surgery.

The 29-year-old was fitted with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD), meaning he is unable to play in Serie A due to not meeting the "requirements of achieving sporting fitness" in Italy.

Eriksen would be allowed to play in other domestic leagues across Europe and, according to reports from BT in Denmark, the midfielder has been using his former club OB's training facilities to improve his fitness.

The former Tottenham man has been working with a personal trainer at OB's Adalen training ground and reportedly took part in numerous drills on Wednesday.

"We are really happy that Christian Eriksen is keeping in shape right now on our courts," OB's sports director Michael Hemmingsen told BT.

"We have kept in touch with Christian since he switched from OB, and therefore we are happy that he asked us if he could retrain in Adalen."

Eriksen played youth football for the Danish Superliga side before joining Ajax in 2008, later going on to represent Tottenham and current employers Inter.

Barring one visit to Inter's training ground in early August and a trip to visit his international team-mates, Eriksen has rarely been seen in public since the worrying event against Finland, with his future remaining unclear for the moment.

The former Argentina defender replaces Adrian Coria, who had been caretaker boss following Javier Sanguinetti's resignation in August.

Heinze's last coaching role was with MLS franchise Atlanta United, where he was in charge for only seven months before being sacked.

The ex-Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and Real Madrid full-back will now continue his coaching career in his homeland at the club where he started and ended his playing days.

Six-time Argentine champions Newell's did not state the length of contract Heinze has signed.

The 44-year-old also coached Godoy Cruz, Argentinos Juniors and Velez Sarsfield before a spell in the United States.

Tevez scored a 72nd-minute winner to lift Boca to a 1-0 victory over Maradona's Gimnasia y Esgrima La Plata and to the title after River Plate's draw at Atletico Tucuman.

The forward kissed Maradona on the mouth before the encounter and later said he was seeking luck, while he also praised Boca's second vice-president Juan Roman Riquelme.

"Roman is very important, it was very clear from the first talk. He also helped me a lot to find that Carlitos, this is the reward," Tevez said, via Ole.

"Roman in the box, me making a goal.

"I knew I had to kiss Diego, I was lucky that way... sometimes you have to look for luck."

Gimnasia goalkeeper Jorge Broun was unable to keep out Tevez's 20-yard effort for what proved to be the winner.

Tevez, 36, said he was desperate to deliver success for Boca, who moved onto 34 titles – two shy of River's all-time record of 36.

"I was hungry for glory again. I think I felt again that I had to go back to my neighbourhood, that I had to get off a lot of things and fight like the kid who fought when I was a kid," he said.

"It was two or three years of fighting against my head, against a lot of things. I always kept working, trying to get out of that well, it was very difficult for me to get out, to get back to my roots.

"It was as I was telling you, I needed to go back to be hungry for glory. I found myself at the right time."

The Argentina great was appointed as Gimnasia's head coach in September, although he briefly departed in November and returned two days later.

Maradona was out of contract at the end of the season and the prospect of his return to the Primera Division club appeared remote, as the two parties reportedly failed to come to an agreement on a deal at the start of the week.

However, Gimnasia, celebrating their 133rd birthday on Wednesday, confirmed news of his renewal until 2021.

The club posted on Twitter: "You are known as Pelusa, Barrilete Cosmico, God, Diego, Diegote, capitan...

"But for us, you are one more Tripero and your heart is already as blue and white as ours."

Maradona had earlier hinted at an agreement as he congratulated Gimnasia on their anniversary on his Instagram page.

"Today is El Lobo's birthday," he wrote. "Congratulations to @Gimnasia_Oficial and a hug to your WONDERFUL fans!!!

"My heart is blue and white. Let's go for more!!!"

The Primera Division season was ended prematurely in April due to the coronavirus pandemic, with relegation suspended for two years.

Gimnasia were 19th in the 24-team division when the campaign was brought to a close.

The Premier League leaders have been heavily linked with a move for RB Leipzig forward Timo Werner.

However, they may instead be looking at a Premier League star.

TOP STORY – LIVERPOOL WANT TRAORE

Liverpool want to add Wolves attacker Traore this close season, according to The Sun.

Traore had scored four goals and provided seven assists in 28 Premier League games before this season was suspended due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 24-year-old arrived in England from Barcelona in 2015, playing for Aston Villa and Middlesbrough before joining Wolves.

ROUND-UP

- Following reports Paris Saint-Germain had made a bid for Mauro Icardi, who is on loan at the club from Inter, it seems that may not be the case just yet. L'Equipe says PSG and Inter are still in negotiations over the forward, with the Ligue 1 side hoping to pay less than the €70million purchase option they hold.

- Samuel Umtiti's future at Barcelona remains unclear. Marca says the defender will not leave the LaLiga giants, while Sport reports Inter could be prepared to sign the centre-back.

- Manchester City and Barcelona could be set for a deal. The Sun reports City see Nelson Semedo as a good option to provide competition for Kyle Walker, while Joao Cancelo could be offered in a potential deal.

- On loan at Estudiantes, Marcos Rojo appears likely to leave Manchester United permanently. The Mirror says the Premier League club are hoping Boca Juniors and Estudiantes enter a bidding war for the 30-year-old.

- Everton are said to be interested in Jean-Clair Todibo, who is on loan at Schalke from Barcelona this season. Sport reports the Premier League club have offered £19.7million (€22m) plus £2.7m (€3m) in variables for the defender.