Governing Bodies
LA LIGA RELEASES FOUR-PHASED PROTOCOL FOR LEAGUE RESUMPTION
The Spanish football league body, La Liga has released a four-plan step that will lead to the resumption of the league next month. This is contained in a 24-page special report on training ground protocol.
A mass testing of clubs in the top two divisions has commenced. This week, Lionel Messi was spotted in a mask.
Also,disinfected footballs, three players per dressing room and the prospect of squads living in Big Brother-style houses are just some of the proposals in place in order for the La Liga season to restart.
The task of testing clubs in the country’s top two divisions began this week as part of LaLiga’s operation to restart the season in the middle of June.
The report also informs clubs of their obligation to test players for COVID-19 before they begin training.
The four-phased protocol runs thus:
Phase One: Testing
Every one of the players registered with the 20 top-flight clubs in Spain, plus all technical staff and essential workers have had to be tested for COVID-19 and that even includes Real Valladolid president Ronaldo Nazario.
The former Barcelona and Real Madrid forward wants to be close to his players as they come back in a bid to save themselves from relegation and that means he will have to pass through the three tests the players are to be subjected to before the season can restart.
One name missing from the Barcelona list of individuals to be tested was Ousmane Dembele. He is not registered with LaLiga – that’s how Barcelona were allowed special dispensation to sign Martin Braithwaite outside of the window – and so until his official period of recovery from injury is reached in July he will not be registered and tested and cannot go to the club’s training ground as a consequence.
Phase Two: Solitary training
LaLiga have already said they are anticipating at least 30 cases of players testing positive for coronavirus. But they are determined that this will not deter them from aiming to restart the season in June.
Players who test positive will be sent into quarantine and tested before they can return.
If players test positive when squads are training together then it will be more of a problem but at this stage before players have even started solitary training there will be no panic.
‘We should not dramatise [players testing positive]. We should act as in any other industry that has returned to work,’ said Spain’s secretary for Sport, Irene Lozano.
Despite tests being made available some players have expressed grave concerns.
‘I will not play again if there is a minimum risk of spreading the virus to my family, said Eibar’s Pape Diop and his team-mates and coaches put together a joint statement saying: ‘We are afraid to start an activity in which we will not be able to meet the first recommendation of all the experts which is physical distancing.’
LaLiga president Tebas has already told players: ‘There is more risk going to the chemist than there is going to training,’ and in the first phase players will be able to social distance because they will be training alone.
Phase Three: Small group training
To a certain extent social distancing will carry on into the third phase because squads will be split up into three groups of eight. There will be no contact between groups.
And clubs that have the facilities have been told to use three different dressing rooms for their groups of eight meaning that there are never more than three players in any one dressing room at the same time.
Dressing rooms will be disinfected after every session before the next group of eight players come in. Maintaining the training grounds are ventilated is emphasised and where possible doors should be left open to limit the number of times door handles have to be touched.
LaLiga has sent a 24-page protocol to the 20 clubs. It is extremely detailed right down to recommending hand washing every hour and instructing clubs to put soap dispensers throughout their facilities.
So-called non-essential staff, who don’t have daily contact with players, will still have to leave uniforms at the door as they leave training grounds so that they can be washed daily.
In club training ground kitchens all packaging of all new food brought in will have to be disinfected before the food is removed and used.
Phase Four: Full-squad training
The most crucial stage because a positive test for coronavirus coming after this point could be potentially ruinous for plans to kick-off the season again in June. At the start of this phase some experts have said they expect football to be very different.
‘In the beginning players are not going to have the same contact that they are used to. We are going to see another kind of football,’ Rafeal Ramos, the head of Spain’s association of team doctors, has said.
‘Players will not be holding on to each other at corners.’
Once the official fears are assuaged and when competition for places hots up ahead of the return of the last 11 games of the season that could change.
Phase four also begs the biggest most difficult question: Should players, coaches and essential staff now be living together at team hotels or at the training ground away from friends and family?
LaLiga are strongly recommending it although it is not clear at this stage if they will make it obligatory.
The director of Public Health and Preventative Medicine at the University of Madrid, Fernando Rodriguez told El Pais recently: ‘To really protect Messi he must be isolated. Footballers can become infected, say by, playing with their children at home.’
Players, who are still living at home, have been requested by LaLiga to stay indoors and clubs have been instructed to make sure they have all essential items sent to their homes so they don’t have to go out.
After all these, there will be more desire than ever not to be complacent.
The 11 remaining games could be played over seven weeks with four midweek rounds. And clubs should ensure all materials, and that includes the pitch and the balls, are sterilised before and after the game, and at half-time.
Right now this still seems some way off but LaLiga are working on a matchday protocol with clubs and they will be sent out shortly.
The FIFA Museum in Zurich has launched a new special exhibition titled Innovation in Action: Football Technologies on and off the Pitch, offering visitors an unprecedented glimpse into how innovation is transforming the world’s most popular sport.
Opened on Monday, October 1, 2025, the immersive showcase was developed in collaboration with the FIFA Innovation Team and other departments within world football’s governing body. It explores how cutting-edge technology supports players, referees, and fans—enhancing performance, ensuring fairness, and enriching the overall football experience—while preserving the game’s passion and human spirit.
“What makes this exhibition truly special is that we can give visitors a never-before-seen behind-the-scenes look that allows them to step inside football innovation, experiencing it hands-on rather than just reading about it,” said Marco Fazzone, Managing Director of the FIFA Museum. “We offer a glimpse at technologies and tools that fans don’t normally get to experience up close, while also showing how innovation has evolved over almost 100 years of FIFA World Cup history.”
Organised around five themed sections — Broadcasting & Media, Intelligent Data, Refereeing & Fair Play, Staging the Game, and the Innovation Lab — the exhibition blends rare artefacts with interactive displays. Visitors can relive football’s broadcast evolution, from the black-and-white footage of the 1954 World Cup to today’s ultra-slow motion 4K replays, and even step into a virtual referee booth to experience the pressures of officiating in real time.
Among the standout features is the FIFA Player App, which allows fans to explore Chelsea star Cole Palmer’s performance statistics from the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 Final, illustrating how data helps players refine their craft.
Another exhibit showcases Canada goalkeeper Kailen Sheridan’s water bottle from the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 — marked with opponents’ penalty data — revealing how analytics influence critical moments.
Visitors can also view a referee body camera used at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, giving a fresh perspective on decision-making from the official’s point of view.
The exhibition invites visitors to engage directly with football technology. They can test their reflexes and judgment as referees, operate goal-line technology systems, or assume the role of a broadcast director managing live match feeds. Data enthusiasts can analyse player movements, while aspiring innovators can design their own football tech concepts inside the Innovation Lab.
Innovation in Action runs until 31 March 2026 at the FIFA Museum in Zurich. Entry is included with a standard museum ticket.
With its rich mix of storytelling, interactivity, and history, the exhibition promises to be a must-see experience for anyone passionate about the future of the beautiful game.
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FIFA President Gianni Infantino said on Thursday that football could not solve conflicts, but it must carry a message of peace and unity as Israel’s military operation in Gaza and other global tensions fuel calls for the sport to take a stand.
“At FIFA, we are committed to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world,” Infantino told a FIFA Council meeting in Zurich where he met Palestinian federation president Jibril Rajoub.
“Our thoughts are with those who are suffering in the many conflicts that exist around the world today, and the most important message that football can convey right now is one of peace and unity.”
Infantino said world football’s governing body could not solve geopolitical crises, but “it can and must promote football around the world by harnessing its unifying, educational, cultural and humanitarian values.”
“I met Palestinian Football Association (PFA) President Jibril Rajoub today at the Home of FIFA in Zurich to discuss the ongoing situation in the Middle East region,” Infantino later wrote on Instagram.
“I commend President Rajoub and the PFA for their resilience at this time and I reiterated to him FIFA’s commitment to using the power of football to bring people together in a divided world.”
FIFA has faced repeated calls to act over the war in Gaza, with Palestinian officials pressing for Israel to be suspended from international football.
The issue has been under review by FIFA for months, but no decision has been taken. Infantino has consistently said such matters require consensus with the confederations and must be handled with caution.
The comments came a day after FIFA Vice President Victor Montagliani noted that any decision over Israel’s participation in European competitions, including World Cup qualifiers, was a matter for UEFA to decide, effectively putting the onus on the European body.
“First and foremost, it (Israel) is a member of UEFA, no different than I have to deal with a member of my region for whatever reason… They have to deal with that,” Montagliani told reporters at the Leaders sports business conference on Wednesday.
Israel are third in Europe’s Group I of the qualifying stage for next year’s World Cup in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. Amnesty International on Wednesday sent a letter to FIFA and UEFA calling on them to suspend the Israel Football Association.
-Reuters
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The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has dismissed reports suggesting that its Statutes will be amended at this year’s Annual General Assembly (AGA), insisting that no such plans are on the table for the September 27 meeting.
In a statement, the Federation stressed that the ongoing conversation around its Statutes remains at a preliminary stage and that suggestions of imminent changes are unfounded.
Ahead of the AGA, the NFF will host a workshop on September 26, bringing together representatives of its members, as well as officials from FIFA and CAF. According to the Federation, the forum is strictly consultative, designed to deliberate on proposals for new Statutes in line with the principles of good governance and international best practices.
The NFF explained that only after consensus is reached with its members will a separate General Assembly be convened to formally consider and adopt any proposed Statute changes.
“The NFF remains committed to due process, transparency, and working hand-in-hand with its General Assembly Members, FIFA, and CAF,” the statement read.
“The ultimate goal is to establish enduring Statutes that will strengthen governance, broaden representation, and promote inclusivity within Nigerian football.”
The Federation added that the long-term reform framework is aimed at ensuring stability and progress across its structures and enhancing the participation of all stakeholders in the country’s football administration.
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