WINNERS
Despite all obstacles (reduced to ten men and playing in front of empty seats), the Piraeus club were able to battle the fifth ranked Premier League club Wolves for a draw. Youssef El Arabi claimed the “scalp” of yet another British side, the third in the season, as he was able to provide the lead for the Greek side. It remains unknown when (or even if) the return leg will be held, but Olympiacos have shown beyond a shred of a doubt that they have what it takes to put up a good fight for a place in the quarterfinals of the tournament.
The women’s Australian football team were able to claim their place in the Olympic Games that are expected to be held in Japan later on this year. Ante Milicic’s team had very little trouble beating Vietnam in both legs (5-0 in Newcastle and 1-2 in the second leg), although they faced some strange circumstances while away from home. The players were put on quarantine during their stay in the Vietnamese capital of Hanoi, as the only time they were allowed outside their room was for training. And even beyond this, they still needed to deal with their fair share of oddities, with the lighting in the pitch going out not once, but twice. Yet they were still able to complete their goal.
SINNERS
FIA
The irresponsibility surrounding the whole Melbourne Grand Prix situation is astounding. With team members and crowds both reluctant to gather at the Albert Park this weekend, neither the Australian Government nor the organising committee behind the race, Federation Internationale d’ Automobile (FIA) seemed willing to put a stop to it. Mercedes driver and Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton even went as far as to call it a ‘farce’ having the race held in the face of the ongoing coronavirus threat, yet it wasn’t until a member of his team and four others from Haas were actually diagnosed with the coronavirus that the organisers seemed to take things seriously, initially announcing that the race would be held without the presence of fans (what would be the point of that anyway?) and eventually cancelling the whole thing. Perhaps they could have prevented the infection of those people should they have prioritised the health of the people a little sooner.
FFA
Speaking of which, it is astonishing how despite how many football tournament around the globe are being either cancelled or postponed in the face of the coronavirus threat, the Australian Federation seem totally unaffected and willing to let fans visit grounds that could lead to the spread of the disease. At the time of writing, no precautionary measures have been taken or announced by either the FFA or the State Federation, with Football Victoria simply deciding to postpone their Futsal Championships. The entire sports industry has been given a back seat in order to prioritise everyone’s health, and it is time Australian Federations follow suit.