The Latest: 3rd, 4th divisions in English soccer cut short

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

The Latest on the effects of the coronavirus outbreak on sports around the world:

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The regular seasons in the third and fourth divisions of English soccer have been cut short because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The English Football League says clubs “voted by an overwhelming majority” to end the season and the final standings have been calculated using an unweighted points-per-game basis.

The framework retained promotion, relegation and the traditional four-team playoffs.

Coventry and Rotherham have been promoted to the second division and Wycombe, Oxford, Portsmouth and Fleetwood will contest the playoffs.

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France’s highest administrative court has upheld the decision to cancel the rest of the soccer season amid the coronavirus pandemic and suspended the relegations of Amiens and Toulouse to the second division.

The Conseil d’Etat issued its ruling after Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas and the two demoted clubs took the case to court last month in a bid to force the league to play the remaining 10 matches of the aborted season.

The league was canceled with Paris Saint-Germain declared champion. Lyon finished outside the European places in seventh.

The Conseil d’Etat ruled that there was “no serious doubt as to the legality of the decision” to end the season prematurely. But it suspended the relegation of Amiens and Toulouse and ordered the French league to rethink the format of the 2020-21 season.

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The Evian Championship women’s major golf tournament has been canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.

The event in France had already been postponed from July to Aug. 6-9.

Organizers say they cannot overcome “uncertainty concerning the opening of borders” with Asia and the United States.

Tournament chairman Franck Riboud says the cancellation is “unavoidable in view of the situation with regards to U.S. travel to continental Europe.”

The Women’s British Open is still set for Aug. 20-23 in Troon, Scotland.

The three majors played in the United States have been rescheduled for later in the year.

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The Wales Rally GB has become the latest race in the world rally championship to be called off because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The rally was scheduled for Oct. 29-Nov. 1. It was to be the penultimate event of the season.

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It’s the seventh WRC race to be postponed or canceled.

Organizers say the uncertainty over large gatherings and international travel prompted the decision to cancel the Wales Rally GB for the first time since 1967.

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The mayor of Madrid says there are discussions for the Spanish capital to host the Champions League final this season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

José Luis Martínez-Almeida says the city would be prepared to host the final for the second straight year. He did not elaborate on the negotiations in his interview with 13tv.

A UEFA executive committee meeting on June 17 is expected to decide the new location for the final in August. It was originally scheduled to be played in Istanbul in May.

The country hosting the final is also expected to stage the quarterfinals and semifinals.

German city Frankfurt and Portuguese capital Lisbon are also likely contenders to host the final.

Spain was hard-hit by the pandemic but has been gradually lifting confinement restrictions.

Madrid hosted last year’s final when Liverpool beat Tottenham.

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More AP sports: https://apnews.com/apf-sports and https://twitter.com/AP_Sports

9 June 2020, 15:44 | Views: 270

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