World Soccer

Berlin (AFP) - 'Road Runner' Alphonso Davies lived up to his nickname with another lightning sprint Saturday while Hansi Flick bettered Pep Guardiola's record start as head coach of Bayern Munich, who opened a 10-point lead in the Bundesliga. Having defeated second-placed Borussia Dortmund 1-0 away in midweek, Bayern enjoyed a 5-0 romp over Fortuna Duesseldorf. The visitors' defender Mathias Joergensen scored an early own-goal before Benjamin Pavard, Robert Lewandowski (2) and Davies hit the target for Bayern.

Major professional competitions have been shut down since March because of the coronavirus. "I'm glad to confirm today that a third of matches to finish the season will now be free to view including the Liverpool v Everton derby and live Premier League football will be on the BBC for the first time in its history," he said.

MADRID (AP) -- The Spanish league says full team training sessions will resume Monday, ahead of the first match to be played following the coronavirus stoppage.

Robert Lewandowski scored twice as Bayern Munich took a confident step closer to an eighth straight German title with a 5-0 demolition of Fortuna Dusseldorf in an empty stadium on Saturday. With five games remaining, Bayern moved into a 10-point lead over Borussia Dortmund, which plays at Paderborn on Sunday. Only Bayern's players and staff were there to cheer the kind of dominant win which would normally put Bayern fans in a party mood.

In the latest transfer news Timo Werner is reportedly being chased by Chelsea, while Alexis Sanchez could be staying at Inter Milan instead of returning to Man United.

Bayern Munich opened a 10-point lead at the top of the Bundesliga on Saturday with a 5-0 drubbing of relegation-threatened Fortuna Dusseldorf behind closed doors with the league's top-scorer Robert Lewandowski scoring twice. Duesseldorf defender Mathias Joergensen scored an early own goal before Benjamin Pavard, Lewandowski (2) and Alphonso Davies hit the target. With five games left, Bayern, who have won their last eight league games, are comfortably on course for an eighth straight league title.

Scottish Premiership champions Celtic announced on Saturday they have decided against extending the contracts of both Jozo Simunovic and Jonny Hayes. "I would like to sincerely thank both Jozo and Jonny, brilliant lads who have given their all to Celtic over a number of years," said Celtic manager Neil Lennon.

Premier League reveals there were zero positive results from 1130 tests after the fourth round of COVID-19 testing among players and staff.

Bayern Munich continue their amazing form, hammer Fortuna Dusseldorf to move 10 points clear at the top of the Bundesliga table.

Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin was charged on Friday with murder in the death of unarmed 46-year-old George Floyd after cellphone footage of the white officer kneeling on Floyd's neck prompted a wave of protests. Schalke 04's McKennie followed several other current and former athletes, including NBA champion Stephen Jackson, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and teenage tennis player Coco Gauff, who have also spoken out about Floyd's death.

Major professional competitions have been shut down since March because of the coronavirus. Horse racing is set to be the first major sport back in action at Newcastle on Monday, with the first Classic meeting of the season, featuring the 2,000 Guineas at Newmarket, on June 6. "The British sporting recovery has begun," said Dowden.

Schalke's American midfielder Weston McKennie on Saturday wore a 'Justice for George' armband as part of the growing protests over the death of an unarmed black man during a police arrest in Minneapolis in the United States. "To be able to use my platform to bring attention to a problem that has been going on too long feels good!!!," tweeted 21-year-old McKennie after the 1-0 loss to Werder Bremen. George Floyd died in Minneapolis in an arrest by a police officer who pinned him to the ground for several minutes by kneeling on his neck.

Schalke and USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie released a statement after he wore a personalized armband to honor George Floyd.

The Premier League season will restart on June 17 but there is still plenty to sort out with multiple games potentially being played at neutral stadiums due to police concerns.

France's former sports minister says the government was too hasty in calling off soccer leagues this season. The French leagues were canceled after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said in late April they could not resume because of the coronavirus pandemic. Patrick Kanner, sports minister from 2014-17, thinks the leagues were pressured into canceling.

The French soccer leagues were canceled too early under government pressure, a former sports minister claimed Saturday. The top two soccer leagues in men's soccer and the top league in women's soccer ended early, as did the Top 14 rugby league, after Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said they could not resume because of the coronavirus pandemic. Patrick Kanner, sports minister from 2014-17, thinks the leagues felt pressured following Philippe's televised address into calling their seasons off, and that play might have been able to go ahead in the right conditions.

Bayern Munich v Fortuna Dusseldorf is the marquee game in the Bundesliga on Saturday, here's how to watch on TV and follow the action in the USA.

Jurgen Klopp tells Rebecca Lowe that Liverpool are champing at the bit to return to the pitch and resume their title-bound Premier League campaign.

USMNT midfielder Weston McKennie protested George Floyd's killing with a message on his armband during a German soccer match.

The Bundesliga games on Saturday delivered plenty of intriguing results as the battle against relegation and for European qualification intensified.

The UK government says elite sport can resume from June 1 as the Premier League plans to restart on June 17 get the official green light.

Harry Kane believes Tottenham Hotspur will have to win eight of their remaining nine Premier League games if they are to qualify for next season's Champions League. The north London club were seven points adrift of the top four when the coronavirus shut down the season in March. Then it was thought the likes of Kane, Son Heung-min and Steven Bergwijn would miss the rest of the campaign through injury.

Watch Werder Bremen playmaker Leonardo Bittencourt score a simply stunning goal to give them a crucial lead at Schalke.

Four Bundesliga games take center stage on Saturday AM with four USMNT players starting, here's how to watch all the action live.

Andros Townsend has thanked Crystal Palace for their backing during the coronavirus crisis but understands why some players may be reluctant to return to training during the pandemic. "I support any player who doesn't want to return to training, they have their reasons and may have health issues," Townsend told the BBC's Football Focus.

Rebecca Lowe goes through your submissions for some of the best Premier League-themed mugs and then helps you assemble the essential English breakfast.

There have been no positive results from the Premier League's latest round of COVID-19 testing. The league says a total of 1,130 players and club personnel were tested in the fourth round of screening, with the all-clear raising confidence around the planned resumption on June 17. “The Premier League can today confirm that on Thursday 28 May and Friday 29 May, 1,130 players and club staff were tested for COVID-19," a statement read.

The Premier League was given government approval on Saturday to press ahead with its June 17 restart although players will have to stay apart during goal celebrations and disputes to maintain social distancing. Tests were conducted on 1,130 players and club personnel on Thursday and Friday as contact training resumed. The season was suspended in March and the government is now willing to allow games without fans if coronavirus prevention protocols are followed by those in stadiums.

Barcelona could suffer from the new rule that allows teams to make five substitutions in a match instead of three, their coach Quique Setien has said. FIFA has made the temporary change to ease the physical strain on players, who are returning to a congested period of games after a lengthy break due to the coronavirus pandemic. The law could favour the bigger clubs like Barcelona, who have deeper squads and better players ready to come off the bench.

Bayern Munich players have accepted a salary cut which will last until the "end of the season" to help the Bundesliga champions through the coronavirus crisis, club president Herbert Hainer said on Saturday. In April, the Bayern squad took a 20-percent reduction in salary, but Hainer did not specify how large the cut was this time. Bayern sit seven points clear of second-placed Borussia Dortmund at the top of the Bundesliga with six games remaining as they look set to win a record-extending eighth straight title.

Tottenham striker Troy Parrott is set to miss the restart of the Premier League season after his club said on Saturday that he had surgery to remove his appendix. "The young striker was found to have early signs of appendicitis after reporting abdominal pain to our medical staff," Tottenham said in a statement. Parrott, who made his international debut for the Republic of Ireland last November, was deemed not ready for regular first-team action by manager Jose Mourinho despite calls for the teenager to be given more game time following Harry Kane's injury in January.

Local police have said they would be "ready" to hold any possible Liverpool Premier League title-clinching match at Anfield, despite the UK's football policing lead suggesting otherwise. On Friday, Deputy Chief Constable Mark Roberts of South Yorkshire Police, said games, including any match in which Liverpool can seal the title, would be moved at local forces' request. The Premier League is set to resume on June 17 following a three-month suspension due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In contrast, a fortnight has already passed since the German Bundesliga restarted. On Thursday Italy's sports minister confirmed that Serie A will return on June 20, while La Liga and the Premier League both look set to be back underway by then. "Like idiots" was the headline on the front of L'Equipe on Friday, as the sports daily questioned why such a hasty decision was made by the league (LFP) to end the season.

La Liga have confirmed players will be allowed to return to full training on Monday, giving them 10 days to work together before the season restarts in Spain on June 11. This is the final phase of La Liga's staggered training programme as teams get set to complete the remaining 11 rounds of the season, which will finish on July 19. "La Liga clubs will start collective training on Monday, June 1," the league said in a statement on Saturday.

Exciting youngster Kai Havertz broke another Bundesliga record on Friday after scoring the winner in a 1-0 victory at Freiburg which moved Bayer Leverkusen into third place. Havertz, 20, became the first player in the history of the league to reach 35 goals before turning 21 years old eight minutes after the break, when he combined with Leon Bailey before squeezing home under intense pressure from Dominique Heintz. The dynamic German was already the youngest player to reach 50 and 100 appearances in the German top flight and became the youngest ever player to score a league goal for Leverkusen in 2017.

Hendrick, 28, has played 139 times for the Clarets since 2015, scoring 10 times with seven assists, and is out of contract after this season.

Valeri talked about how he's been dealing with quarantine, soccer's popularity in Argentina and his thoughts on soccer returning without the Timbers Army. Plus, he's a Trail Blazers fan!

The Serie A will resume with four catchup matches that were postponed as Italian sports shut down in the coronavirus outbreak. The league began formalizing the calendar in a meeting of the 20 clubs on Friday, the day after sports minister Vincenzo Spadafora gave the league the all-clear to resume on June 20. The league said in a statement it will complete the 25th round with the four postponed matches - Atalanta vs. Sassuolo, Hellas Verona vs. Cagliari, Inter Milan vs. Sampdoria, Torino vs. Parma - on the weekend of June 20-21, and schedule the next round of matches in the following week.

Catalan clubs face drama with Barcelona first and Espanyol 20th. Between them? Battles to determine Champions League, Europa League, and relegation places.

Mexico’s anti-money laundering agency said Friday it has frozen the personal accounts of some of the top directors of first-division soccer team Cruz Azul, saying that “unusual movements were detected" in bank transactions. The Financial Intelligence Unit said it had not touched the team’s operational accounts, like those used to pay players. Cruz Azul is one of Mexico’s four most popular teams, though it hasn’t won a national championship since 1997.

SHOWS: MAJADAHONDA, SPAIN (MAY 28, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 1. ATLETICO MADRID FORWARD, DIEGO COSTA (CENTRE), WARMING UP WITH TEAM MATES DURING TEAM TRAINING SESSION 2. COSTA JUMPING ON BENCH AS PART OF TRAINING 3. COSTA (CENTRE, BACK TO CAMERA) WARMING UP WITH TEAM MATES 4. COSTA (BACKGROUND) STRETCHING WITH SQUAD 5. COSTA (BACKGROUND) WARMING UP WITH SQUAD 6. COSTA (FOREGROUND), SECOND FROM BOTTOM OF SCREEN) STRETCHING WITH TEAM MATES MAJADAHONDA, SPAIN (MAY 26, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 7. COSTA RETURNING BOOT AND SHOOTING BALL 8. COSTA CHASING BALL TO MAKE RETURN MAJADAHONDA, SPAIN (FILE - MAY 14, 2020) (ATLETICO MADRID HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) 9. COSTA JUGGLING THE BALL MAJADAHONDA, SPAIN (MAY 9, 2020) (LA LIGA HANDOUT - ACCESS ALL) (MUTE) 10. COSTA STRETCHING MAJADAHONDA, SPAIN (FILE - FEBRUARY 17, 2020) (REUTERS - ACCESS ALL) 11. DIEGO COSTA RUNNING AFTER BALL AND SLIDE-TACKLING TEAM MATE STORY: Atletico Madrid forward Diego Costa is to face trial on June 4 for tax fraud in 2014, a court filing showed on Friday (May 29), with prosecutors asking the Spain international to be handed a six-month jail sentence and a fine of 507,208 euros ($564,877 dollars). According to the filing, Costa defrauded the Spanish state of 1,014,416 euros by not declaring payments of 5,150,622 euros from his 2014 transfer from Atletico to Chelsea in his tax return, as well as more than one million euros in image rights. The filing added that the prison sentence could be exchanged for an additional fine of 36,500 euros, in accordance with Spanish law which allows penal sentences below two years for non-violent crimes to be exchanged for a financial penalty. Costa, 31, who returned to Atletico from Chelsea in 2017, could not immediately be reached for comment. Spanish prosecutors have won a series of cases against high profile footballers and coaches for tax fraud in recent years, including Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho.

Kai Havertz scored his fifth goal since the Bundesliga restart to lift Bayer Leverkusen to a 1-0 win over Freiburg and back into the thick of the Champions League qualifying fight on Friday. The 20-year-old Havertz stretched to prod in Leon Bailey's pass in the 54th minute after Leverkusen spent much of the game fruitlessly passing around the Freiburg defense.

Havertz became the first player in history to score 35 Bundesliga goals before the age of 21 with the match's only goal as Bayer Leverkusen moves third.

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker says the state's five professional sports teams - the Boston Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins, New England Patriots and Revolution - can resume practicing at their respective facilities on June 6. One exhibition event will run from July 13-15 on grass and another on a hard court in a hangar in the city's closed Tempelhof airport from July 17-19.

Serie A on Friday confirmed that top-flight football will return to Italy after a three-month coronavirus-enforced absence on the weekend of June 20-21. Sports Minister Vincenzo Spadafora on Thursday gave the government's approval for a restart on June 20, in a championship which has been suspended since March 9. "The clubs welcomed the green light given yesterday by Minister Spadafora for the resumption of Serie A and voted unanimously to play the four postponed matches on the weekend of June 20-21," Serie A said in a statement.

French clubs can play friendlies in July with a view to starting the new soccer season in August, the league said on Friday. The league added it was working on how to allow fans back into stadiums when the season starts.

Paderborn has been playing well for a last-place side, and Dortmund will need to rebound from having its title hopes dashed v. Bayern.

The slate of 92 matches includes the Merseyside Derby (Matchday 30), the North London Derby (Matchday 35), and Liverpool's visit to Man City (Matchday 32).

Jurgen Klopp wants Liverpool supporters to prove themselves the best "stay at home fans in the world" after English police said Friday they wanted any potential Premier League title-clincher for the Reds played at a neutral venue in a bid to avoid a mass gathering outside Anfield. Premier League chiefs have set June 17 as the date for the top flight to restart following the coronavirus delay.

Week 29 in Germany begins with two clubs holding onto hope of the Champions League and Europa League, respectively, when Bayer visits Freiburg.

The Spanish league season will resume after a three-month coronavirus lockdown on June 11 with the Seville derby, and the 2020-2021 season will start on September 12, the Spanish Sports Council confirmed on Friday. The council released a statement saying that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and La Liga had agreed the format for the 11 remaining rounds in the top two Spanish divisions. Competition will kick off on Thursday, June 11 when Betis play Sevilla.