The Latest: 1 player at Blackburn and 2 at Fulham positive
The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:
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Three players from English soccer clubs Blackburn and Fulham have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Blackburn says captain Elliott Bennett was found to be infected with COVID-19 after testing negative last Friday.
Bennett says he doesn’t “feel unwell” and doesn’t have any symptoms.
Fulham says two players tested positive but did not name them.
The positive cases at the second-division clubs came after tests on 1,030 players and staff from Monday to Wednesday.
The three players will have to self-isolate for seven days before returning to training ahead of a potential resumption of the competition.
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The Hungarian soccer federation says matches in the country can once again be held with spectators in the stadiums.
The announcement comes on the back of a government decree allowing the option amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers are obliged to keep three seats empty between each occupied seat and no fan may sit directly behind or in front of another. Players and essential personnel on or near the field during matches must recently have tested negative for the coronavirus.
The federation says clubs can decide on their own whether they want to play in front or fans again.
Tickets for next Wednesday’s Hungarian Cup final between Budapest Honved and Mezokovesd-Zsory at the Ferenc Puskas Stadium in Budapest will soon be sold online.
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Elite sports made a comeback in Australia for the first time since March 22 with the Brisbane Broncos hosting Parramatta in the National Rugby League.
Two rounds of matches were played in the NRL in March before Australia and New Zealand went into lockdown because of the coronavirus pandemic.
No fans were allowed into the 52,500-seat stadium in Brisbane because of strict social distancing rules. But at a bone-jarring collision between burly rugby players was broadcast across Australia to signal the return of contact teams sports in the country.
Players and all staff and officials had to undergo heat checks before entering the stadium and strict health protocols were put in place on the field.
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Bologna says a test carried out on a member of its staff who was suspected of having coronavirus has come back negative.
The club says that a “further, definitive test” will be carried out in the next few hours.
The players will nevertheless train individually as a precaution.
It would be the first positive case in Serie A since the teams started training in groups if it is confirmed. The entire squad would have to go into quarantine.
Serie A has been suspended since March 9 because of the coronavirus pandemic. The league is hoping to restart on June 13.
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The Dutch Grand Prix has become the fourth Formula One race to be canceled this season.
Organizers of the first Dutch GP in 35 years preferred to wait until next year in hope fans will be able to attend, rather than hold the race without them this time.
The race in Zandvoort was set for May 3 and initially postponed.
Race director Jan Lammers says “we would like to celebrate this moment, the return of Formula 1 in Zandvoort, together with our racing fans in the Netherlands.”
The other races canceled were the season-opening Australian GP on March 15; the Monaco GP on May 24; and the French GP on June 28.
Another six remain postponed.
F1 organizers still hope to reschedule those and hold 15-18 races this season, starting with back-to-back races at the Austrian GP in July.
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The postponed Belgian Cup final has been rescheduled for Aug. 1. That is one week before the start of the league’s next season.
Belgian soccer authorities say the match between Club Brugge and Antwerp will take place in an empty King Baudouin Stadium.
Club Brugge has the opportunity to secure a league-cup double after it was awarded its 16th Belgian title this month following a decision to end the current season prematurely because of the coronavirus pandemic.
All sporting competitions in Belgium have been suspended until July 31. The new season is set to start on Aug. 7.
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