Kenny Dalglish back home; Wembley plan for EPL; FIFA floats transfer plan

Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish has expressed “immense gratitude” to National Health Service staff in the UK.

Former Liverpool player and manager Kenny Dalglish is recovering at home following a short spell in hospital after he tested positive for coronavirus. Picture: AFP

Liverpool great Kenny Dalglish has expressed “immense gratitude” to National Health Service staff in the UK after returning home from hospital following his coronavirus diagnosis.

The 69-year-old former Celtic, Scotland and Liverpool forward was hospitalised on Wednesday for treatment on gallstones and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 despite not showing symptoms.

Dalglish won eight league championships and three European Cups across spells as player and manager for Liverpool, while also guiding Blackburn to the Premier League title in 1994-95.

In a statement on Liverpool’s official website, Dalglish said: “Thank you for all of your well wishes over the last few days. I’m delighted to be back home with the family after receiving brilliant care from the NHS, which we appreciate now more than ever.”

Dalglish has gone into self-isolation at home and urged the public to do everything possible to slow the spread of the virus.

England’s Football Association (FA) has offered Wembley Stadium and St George’s Park, the National Football Centre, as venues to help the Premier League to complete the current season.

Wembley could host multiple matches on the same day while limiting travel between venues once restrictions are eased, the Times newspaper is reporting, adding that fans are unlikely to be allowed to attend.

Football in England has been suspended since March 13 and its return is contingent on medical advice and government support.

“When we know about the length of lockdown and exit mechanisms, we can see which options are viable,” a source told the Times.

St George’s Park, which has a hotel with 228 guest rooms on site as well as 13 pitches, five of which are floodlit, could be used as a quarantined training centre, the report added.

Meanwhile, Football governing body FIFA could allow a third transfer window to enable the sport to seek flexible solutions to the coronavirus pandemic that has put league seasons on hold.

James Kitching, director of Football Regulatory at FIFA, told German broadcaster ARD a third transfer period could be a possibility for federations. This would be dealt with flexibly as long as the current total period for transfers of 16 weeks is not extended, he said.

At present the two transfer periods are a maximum of 12 weeks between seasons and four weeks in the middle of the season.

FIFA last week approved guidelines on players’ contracts and transfer deadlines to enable league seasons to be extended beyond June as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

On transfer windows FIFA said it “will be flexible and will allow the relevant transfer windows to be moved so they fall between the end of the old season and the start of the new season”.

Players with contracts expiring on June 30 should be allowed to complete the season if it finishes at a later stage, FIFA said.

Most leagues are suspended because of the pandemic and plans are being made to complete seasons – with play almost certainly going beyond that regular cut-off date.

FIFA president Gianni Infantino said the COVID-19 pandemic had “clearly changed all the factual circumstances around football for this season.”

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