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AFC further pushes back the return of their matches and competitions

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has made the announcement that all matches and competitions scheduled to take place in May and June have been postponed until further notice.

As countries all around the world are continually managing the coronavirus and looking to halt the spread, the AFC have made this latest decision to further delay its return in relation to all the preventive measures and travel restrictions put in place by several governments.

The AFC have been one of the first Confederations in world football to introduce precautionary measures due to the COVID-19 outbreak and will continue to remain consistent with their practices as the AFC signals their commitment to ensure the safety and wellbeing of players, participating teams, officials, fans and all stakeholders.

The AFC has been closely monitoring the COVID-19 pandemic and had already postponed its matches in March and April after holding a series of emergency meetings in Delhi, Doha, Dubai and Kuala Lumpur.

The AFC will also continue to engage and consult with the Participating Member Associations in the AFC Club Competitions and will explore all possible options in order to complete the 2020 AFC Champions League and AFC Cup Group Stages.

The pandemic has thrown the Asian Champions League, Asia’s top elite club competition, into chaos with some group matches being completed and others still yet to be decided before finding out who will make it through to the knockout stages. Of all the Chinese teams that qualified for the group stage, only Beijing Guoan played a game away from home against Chiangrai United, a 1-0 victory for the visitors.

At the time of writing, the total number of confirmed cases worldwide has reached more than two million, with just over 126,000 deaths and 488,000 who have recovered.

In Australia, the figures stand at 6,440 confirmed cases, with 63 deaths and 3,598 recovered.

Liam Watson is the Managing Editor at Soccerscene. He reports widely on football policy, industry matters and technology.

Tigres secures deal for new 65,000 seat stadium

Mexican soccer giants Tigres UANL have secured a deal to see a brand new 65,000 seat stadium ready by 2025.

Mexican soccer giants Tigres UANL have secured a deal to see a brand new 65,000 seat stadium ready by 2025.

The stadium will be based in the heart of San Nicolás de los Garza, Nuevo León, and will be replacing the old 42,000 seat stadium, known as Estadio Universitario, The previous stadia has been the home of Tigres since 1967.

The new stadium was presented on Thursday, January 13 at a meeting that included Governor of Nuevo León and Samuel García, through a Memorandum of Understanding to commence construction.

Tigres’ future home was designed by architecture firm Populous and envisioned to be entirely privately financed at a cost of $445 million AUD.

The stadium’s features will include a retractable pitch, as well as being able to host concerts and international sporting events like American football games.

As part of the overall plans, the stadium will include separate changing rooms for Tigres’ men’s and women’s teams, while the exterior stadia complex will complement with a hotel, shopping centre and restaurants. The venue is also intended to act as an incubator for local business, and will also have classrooms catering for the Universidad Autónoma de Nuevo León (UANL).

Juego de Pelota principle partner, César Esparza:

“There is going to be another setting for concerts and sport,” he said.

“It is a stadium prepared to host all sports, this stadium will be the postcard of Nuevo León.

“Stadium events will not be expensive for fans, as long as it has that capacity it will allow us to create different price levels for events, becoming inclusive for all people.”

UANL Tigres parent company member, Mauricio Doehner:

“Today Tigres is internationally recognised and we are always striving for more,” he said.

“Of course we deserve a new stadium, it will be the headquarters in this new era. Today, Tigres is not only a benchmark in Mexican soccer, but also on an International stadium. The Estadio Universitario has given greatness to Club Tigres and all the fans, we will honour it forever.”

Melbourne Victory names Marnong Estate as Premier Partner

Melbourne Victory has announced Marnong Estate as a Premier Partner for the 2021/22 Isuzu Ute A-League Men's season.

Melbourne Victory has announced Marnong Estate as a Premier Partner for the 2021/22 Isuzu Ute A-League Men’s season.

Marnong Estate is the Official Naming Rights Partner of the A-Lounge, providing its premium wines in the A-Lounge and Corporate Suite Foyers for tasting sessions, as well as in all Melbourne Victory’s Corporate Suite drinks packages.

As one of Melbourne’s biggest wineries, Marnong Estate also has its own boutique accommodation, as well as being able to host weddings and other functions.

Melbourne Victory Managing Director, Caroline Carnegie:

“We’re incredibly excited to be partnering with Marnong Estate and bringing a taste of their premium experience to our match days,” she said.

“Marnong Estate is an incredible facility that contributes to the local community by providing an authentic cultural and historical experience and we would love our members and fans to experience the beautiful views, food and wine as they visit Marnong itself.”

Marnong Estate General Manager, Stewart Malone:

“We are very passionate about wine, hospitality, and agriculture. The other thing we are passionate about is football and there is no greater opportunity for us than to partner with Melbourne Victory and their incredible match day experience,” he said.

“We’re excited to promote our premium wine, amazing dining options and the estate’s farm-to-fork facilities in front of one of the most dedicated fan bases in Australia.”

For more on Marnong Estate, you can find it here.

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