Flamengo is the most valuable team in South America

Brazilians and Argentines make up the entirety of the 25 most valuable clubs in South America, according to the football data provider iSports API website.

In the top-10, representing Brazil are: Flamengo, Palmeiras, Grêmio, São Paulo, Corinthians, and Internacional, while River Plate, Boca Juniors, Vélez Sarsfield and Racing Club make up the rest of the lot.

To almost nobody’s surprise, Flamengo top the list with their players being worth a combined €151.2m (R$820m), as per iSports football API.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

Rubro-Negro’s economic success comes partially from good financial management, which began in 2013 under the tutelage of former president Eduardo Bandeira de Mello.

Back in 2013, Bandeira de Mello employed a policy of financial austerity which has proven fruitful in the last year, with Flamengo reaching the Club World Cup final after winning the Carioca, Brasileirão, and Copa Libertadores titles.

Flamengo also heavily invested in their youth academy, which resulted in Lucas Paquetá, Vinícius Júnior, and Reinier being sold for a combined €113.4m (R$624.8m) in the last 18 months, accoriding to iSports API football live data.

2018 Copa Libertadores champions and 2019 runner-up River Plate is second on the list. Though the club is sponsored by Turkish Airlines, which gives them $5m (R$25m) annually over a three-year period, their financial statements showed they are not currently making a profit.

The first club that is not Brazilian or Argentine on the list is Junior Barranquilla (Colombia), who appears 26th.

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Manuel Neuer not satisfied with Bayern's current contract offer

Manuel Neuer has been with Bayern Munich since 2011, as per football data provider iSports API, but his future with the Bavarians is up in the air with his contract expiring in 2021 and outstanding young goalkeeper Alexander Nübel arriving from Schalke this summer.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

Neuer, who turns 34 in the recent day, wants to remain at Bayern for the foreseeable future but there’s a chance that the World Cup-winner could be out of a job as current contract talks have stalled.

According to Bild, Neuer is seeking a new deal and is currently disappointed with Bayern’s current offer, with the club captain seeking a longer contract that what the club have put on the table.

With Nübel arriving to give Neuer real competition next season, the chances that Neuer could leave the club once his contract expires are very realistic.

Neuer has bounced back from recent injuries to play every single minute for the club in all competitions this season, earning 15 clean sheets and allowing just 38 goals in 37 games, according to iSports football live data.

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Bayern Munich negotiating with Kingsley Coman over new deal

Bayern Munich are looking to keep hold of their current attacking options and also add some lethal quality in the final third this summer.

Though Kingsley Coman has been quite inconsistent this season, it is reported Bayern have begun negotiating with the 23-year-old over a new deal.

The France international’s current contract runs until 2023, as per football data provider iSports API. Bayern are believed to want to give Coman an additional two years and will reportedly offer the winger a wage increase as well.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

The move will come as a head-scratcher for some, as Bayern have been long in pursuit of Manchester City winger Leroy Sané, who would almost undoubtedly start on the left side.

So far this season, 13 of Coman’s 24 appearances have been on the left, as per iSports football live data API. Sané’s arrival would likely mean that Coman would deputise for Sané on the left and compete with Serge Gnabry on the right.

Coman has struggled with injuries in recent years, including this season, but has still managed to contribute and help his respective sides win the league title in every single year as a professional.

In addition to his incredible eight league titles, Coman already has a staggering 16 trophies to his name. In the current campaign, Coman has five goals and five assists in 24 matches in all competitions, as per iSports API.

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Lance Stephenson among Americans returning to Chinese basketball

With the Chinese Basketball Association preparing to end a nearly three-month hiatus, the league is welcoming back some of its foreign players, with perhaps the biggest splash of all coming from Jeremy Lin.

"Safely landed back in Beijing to finish out the CBA season!" Lin said on social media Thursday after spending 40 hours traveling from his Bay Area home to China.

"It's been an awesome 2 months camped out in the gym ... basketball has never been more meaningful," he added. "The world needs basketball now more than ever."

Before he can reunite with his team, Lin -- like all foreign players returning to China -- will spend two weeks in quarantine.

"I am fully ready to work out in my room in the next 14 days, after which I will get back to the court with my teammates and finish this season with our best performance," he said.

Lin, the former NBA guard who enjoys great fanfare throughout China, is averaging 24.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 5.8 assists per game for the Beijing Ducks, who are 19-11 and positioned to make a playoff push, according to professional basketball API provider iSports API.

（iSports API covers a wide ranges of sports games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds and players' statistics）

The CBA, which suspended play in late January, is expected to restart in mid-April. Once the league restarts, competition is expected to resume in limited capacity, as per iSports basketball API, including all 20 teams in one or two cities, a truncated regular-season and playoff schedule, and no fans.

Since the coronavirus outbreak hit China in January, sports have become a source of inspiration and power for the country's people. The recent victory of MMA fighter Zhang Weili at UFC 248 is a prime example of how sports can send an uplifting message to the nation's 1.4 billion people.

Lin, who has been sending well wishes to the Chinese people since the early stage of the outbreak, saw a generous welcome from Chinese fans, who have appreciated his voice and support as an American. On Chinese social media Weibo, where he has more than six million followers, Lin posted a photo of him autographing a Chinese medical worker's uniform at the airport. Soon after, it became one of the most popular posts on Chinese social platforms.

Joining him in this category is Stephon Marbury, the former NBA star who won three titles for Beijing and is now living there. Marbury, the coach of Lin's rival team, Beikong, has been advocating for the public to follow medical guidelines, practice care and learn from China's lessons in fighting the virus.

Teams have been urging their foreign players to return so they can practice with full rosters. However, due to various complications, many are still waiting. As of now, among those who have returned to China are Lin, Ty Lawson, Donatas Motiejunas, Sonny Weems, Kyle Fogg, Pooh Jeter, Marko Todorovic, Antonio Blakeney and Ekpe Udoh. More are expected to return in coming days.

Hamed Haddadi -- a former NBA center and a veteran of the CBA -- is held up in his home country of Iran, where the pandemic has also hit hard. His team, Nanjing, is working with the Chinese embassy in Iran to aid in his return.

Lance Stephenson, who is in his first CBA stint with Liaoning, has indicated he will return.

"Ready," he posted on Weibo with a video highlight of himself from earlier in the season.

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Ranking the six highest appearance makers in Premier League history

James Milner’s remarkable consistency at the highest level has seen the midfielder continue to move up the list of the Premier League’s record appearance makers, the Liverpool star now just one game shy of entering the all-time top five.

The veteran may have to wait for his landmark appearance as football pauses amid the coronavirus epidemic, but ahead of the achievement we’ve decided to profile Milner and those ahead of him in the rankings.

Here are the rankings of the six highest appearance makers in Premier League history, according to professional football data provider iSports API.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

James Milner – 534 appearances

The soon-to-be man of the moment, Milner burst onto the scene as a teenage talent at Leeds United, becoming the second-youngest player in Premier League history in 2002 before eclipsing Wayne Rooney as the division’s youngest goalscorer on Boxing Day of that year.

Leeds’ financial difficulties resulted in a move to Newcastle before later joining Aston Villa, Milner named as the PFA Young Player of the Year in 2010 to earn a big-money move to Manchester City.

Milner’s game-time proved limited at the Etihad as he struggled to establish himself as an automatic starter, however, a five-year spell delivered a wealth of silverware including two league titles, as per iSports football API.

Liverpool would come calling in the summer of 2015 and Milner made the move to Merseyside on a free transfer, a move that ranks amongst the club’s greatest ever Bosman captures after five seasons of unwavering consistency.

Instantly installed as vice-captain, Milner has proven an influential dressing room figure in a side that has won the Champions League, UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup under Jurgen Klopp.

Gary Speed – 535 appearances

The former Welsh international was a midfielder of the highest quality and a popular figure at several top-flight clubs, Speed enjoying spells at Leeds, Everton, Newcastle, Bolton and Sheffield United.

Having helped Leeds to the league title in the final season before the rebranded Premier League, Speed was named in the PFA Team of the Year during the competition’s inaugural season.

The midfielder proved to be a model of consistency throughout his 535 top-flight appearances – a record at the time of his retirement according to Premier League data provider iSports API– possessing a sweet left foot and an ability to arrive into the box and influence proceedings with vital goals.

Speed’s professionalism saw him play past his 40th birthday and he captained several of his sides on occasion, his leadership qualities leading to him moving into management with the Wales national team in 2010.

Speed tragically took his own life in 2011 at the age of just 42, a devastating loss of both a great man and true Premier League legend.

David James – 572 appearances

A goalkeeper always capable of producing jaw-dropping moments, both for the right and wrong reasons.

James emerged at Watford and following a series of impressive performances in the second tier, made the move to Liverpool where he enjoyed mixed fortunes.

Nicknamed ‘Calamity James’ for his tendency to produce high-profile errors, the goalkeeper would nonetheless spend seven seasons on Merseyside and make over 200 Premier League appearances.

Further spells at the likes of Aston Villa, West Ham, Manchester City and Portsmouth followed, James winning the FA Cup with the latter in 2008 in addition to earning 53 caps for England.

Despite his collection of clangers James’ status as the third player to reach 500 Premier League appearances is a testament to his quality, as are his 169 clean sheets – the second highest in the division’s history behind former Arsenal and Chelsea goalkeeper Petr Cech, recorded by iSports football livescore API.

Oh yeah, and his cameo up front for Man City remains one of the funniest moments in Premier League history…

Frank Lampard – 609 appearances

One of the greatest midfielders of the Premier League era, Frank Lampard’s incredible achievements are highlighted by his presence amongst many of the all-time records.

The fifth-highest goalscorer in the division’s history – a remarkable feat for a central midfield player – only two players have also made more than Lampard’s 609 Premier League appearances, as per iSports API.

Lampard came through the academy ranks at West Ham, but it would be across the capital at London rivals Chelsea where he developed into a star of English football, winning three league titles amongst a host of major honours in addition to becoming the Blues’ all-time record goalscorer.

Lampard later spent a brief loan spell at Manchester City after moving to MLS side New York City, retiring as one of the most iconic Premier League players of all-time.

Ryan Giggs – 632 appearances

The career of Ryan Giggs is one unlikely to ever be matched in terms of either longevity or success at the very highest level.

Manchester United’s dominance of the Premier League era was centred around a core contingent of home-grown talents, perhaps none more influential than their flying Welsh winger.

Giggs burst onto the scene as a teenager and remained at Old Trafford throughout an incredible career that saw him play past his 40th birthday, his 13 league titles an achievement many feel will never be surpassed.

Two Champions League titles would also be added to his 34 trophies won, Giggs holding the all-time record for United appearances – 632 of which came in the Premier League, according to iSports football database.

Only one player has made more Premier League appearances than the Welshman, whilst no player in the division’s history can better his record of 162 assists.

Gareth Barry – 653 appearances

Gareth Barry may be playing his football in the second tier at present, though the fact the midfielder has continued his career past his 39th birthday is a testament to his consistency and dedication to the sport.

Barry began his career at Aston Villa and spent over a decade at the Midlands club, his left foot offering balance and his versatility evident as he switched between a variety of roles in both defence and midfield.

An understated presence, Barry joined Manchester City in 2011 after 365 league appearances for Villa, winning both the FA Cup and Premier League as the Etihad club emerged as a contender for English football’s biggest prizes.

The midfielder, capped 53 times by England, later enjoyed an impressive four-year spell at Everton, being named as the club’s Player of the Season after a fine campaign during the 2015/16 season.

His record appearance came in the colours of West Brom almost three years ago, where he remains in Slaven Bilic’s promotion-chasing squad after their drop into the Championship in 2018.

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These college players are likely headed to the NBA in the following year

So here we are, no NCAA Final Four and a postponed NBA season. But to avid basketball fans, there’s the possibility to lose so much more. The college basketball season typically ends at a time when the NBA season is three-fourths completed and unveiling which teams need the next generation of stars, according to  professional basketball data provider iSports API.

（iSports API covers a wide ranges of sports games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds and players' statistics）

Fans would start debating which upcoming stars their team might draft. March Madness has been a springboard for young hoopers to showcase their talents, improve their draft status and finish their college basketball careers with unbelievable memories. Unfortunately, this year’s prospects and teams with momentum have been stymied by the coronavirus pandemic.

I’ve seen many of these players play, going back to AAU ball and their high school careers. Their draft prospects might have shifted because of their NCAA tournament performances, but we’ll never know. However, the 2020 NBA draft will eventually happen with the inevitable questions: who’s your top five and who are the best players you might not have heard of.

The consensus top-five picks are in no order because the actual selection will depend on the needs of the organization. That said, the top five are generally considered franchise players. The 2020 draft doesn’t appear to possess a generational/franchise talent similar to last year’s Zion Williamson, the 2019 No. 1 pick, or Ja Morant, the No. 2 selection, but it does appear to feature a talented group that can improve an organization or strengthen a marginal playoff franchise. 

LaMelo Ball, a 6-foot-7 point guard, played in Australia this season. He can create for others, pass with either hand and keep defenses honest by hitting 3-pointers. Size and length are coveted in the NBA, but sometimes overstated, which is why the guys with grit, grind and authentic commitment make a roster and defy that logic. Ball has flair and ability, but does he have that star swag to carry a franchise to the next level? I’m not sure. He’s a poor man’s Penny Hardaway or a little better version of his brother, Lonzo Ball.

James Wiseman, the 7-foot center, played three games for Memphis. But as a result of a 12-game NCAA suspension after the season began, the young fella decided to withdraw and prepare for the NBA draft instead. He runs the floor, has great anticipation, rebounds and shoots the ball. He has great size and length and is a definitive rim runner. 

He knows his strength and will post in the paint consistently while offering a variety of offensive moves, and he also has the ability to pass out of the post to make plays. He has great hands and is very active going to the glass or protecting the rim. Similar to Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan, with a better jump shot.

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Anthony Edwards is a 6-foot-5 guard from Georgia with an NBA body. He can score at three levels, from 3-point range, drives to the basket and from mid-range, and also has the ability to get to the free throw line. He’s a great athlete with the skill level to match, and he’s also unselfish and makes good decisions. His respect comes from being named a preseason SEC first-teamer as a freshman. 

It’s a good movie so far, but not in the Oscars conversation yet. He didn’t consistently dominate or lead his team with the unwavering confidence that next-level franchise players wear. He’s supertalented and could be a franchise player if he demands opponents to put some more “respeck” on his name. He’s compared to former NBA star Mitch Richmond of the Dirty Dirty.

Obi Toppin, the 6-foot-9 forward for Dayton, is a top candidate for Naismith College Player of the Year. He’s a high-energy forward who really runs the floor well, high-level rebounder who rebounds out of his position (doesn’t have to be under the ball or the ball doesn’t have to drop in his hands for him to be an effective rebounder), can score around the basket and can shoot the 3. He’s grown four inches since high school. 

He’s a little more mature than the average junior in college, having attended prep school after high school and sitting out his first year at Dayton. He’s carried this mid-major program like he was on a mission, though because of the cancellation of the NCAA tournament, that didn’t happen. He’s a slightly smaller Amar’e Stoudemire.

Daniel Oturu is a 6-foot-10 big man from Minnesota. He’s long with a very high skill level, a great passer, shoots the 3 well and not a great athlete, but athletic enough. He’s got an NBA-ready body that will be a splash during an 82-game season. He shot 56.3% from inside the 3-point line and 36.5% from distance this season,as per iSports basketball API, but he has to improve his free throw shooting.

Cole Anthony is a 6-foot-3 point guard from North Carolina. He has a tough NBA body and can run a team, get to the basket and shoot the 3. He’s a superathlete with a killer instinct and a ridiculous work ethic, which is key for high-level success. I like the way he runs the team. He has leadership qualities like his father, former NBA player Greg Anthony, who captained the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels to the 1990 NCAA championship. But he’s a bigger, better athlete with a better shot. Some question his quickness, but the DNA is there. He seems to have recovered from an early-season injury. A player he reminds me of is Derrick Rose … maybe.

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Now this list could change a little, but as of this date, these young fellas are at the top of the list consistently. The next group of 10 are the guys who folks in the NBA are aware of but the national audiences are not necessarily as familiar with. Let me introduce them to you. They ball so hard it’s only right that we be fair.
THEY AREN’T HOUSEHOLD NAMES, YET

Jalen “Sticks” Smith is a 6-foot-10 forward from Maryland. He’s long and athletic, with the ability to impact the game on both ends of the court; he can rebound, run the floor and block shots. He’s gotten stronger and really protects the rim. Smith is an active forward who hasn’t really shown his full array of skills yet, but he’ll get that chance. He’s playing center but really is a forward. Stretch 4 will be his gig, as he will be a good pick-and-pop forward at the next level. Maybe Rasheed Wallace with better handles. I saw this after seeing him play in high school.

Vernon Carey is a 6-foot-10 forward/center from Duke. He’s a big body with a high IQ and skill set. He scores in the paint and can shoot from 15 feet, run the floor and compete on the backboard at a consistent level. He can play with his back to the basket but can also shoot the elbow or short corner shot, a floater and/or a jump hook. The big fella can deliver. He’s comparable to former Blue Devils Carlos Boozer and maybe Elton Brand.

Onyeka Okongwu is a 6-foot-9 multidimensional forward from the University of Southern California. He can do everything. He was teammates with LaMelo Ball in high school and came into his own after the Ball brothers left Chino Hills High School. He’s a superathlete who can score.

Daron “Fatts” Russell is a 5-feet-10 (OK, 5-feet-9) point guard from Rhode Island. This speedster always finds a way to get a bucket. He’s one of those players where you can see that he is trying to win everygame. He’s athletic enough to turn it up (dunk) going to the rim. He was the best guard in the Atlantic 10 this season, according to basketball livescore iSports API. There will be questions whether he can defend at the next level. Throwback comparison: Former NBA player Michael Adams – the no hops version.

Markus Howard is a 5-foot-11 (really closer to 5-foot-9) shooting guard from Marquette. He has deep range with a scoring ability similar to former Brigham Young University guard Jimmer Fredette, but Howard is faster and can get into the lane. Howard is an elite shooter with a career shooting percentage of at least 45% from the field and 3-point line, as per baksetball data provider iSports API. He is small, though, for the next level.

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Myles Powell is a 6-foot-2 “bucket” from Seton Hall. Bucket accurately suggests Powell’s position. He can score in every way. He’s a stronger, bigger version of former Purdue guard Carsen Edwards, who currently plays with the Boston Celtics. He’s another player who can score at all levels and in transition: half-court set drives, mid-range jumpers, from 3 and the free throw line.

Trayce Jackson-Davis is a 6-foot-9 rebounding forward from Indiana. He’s an unbelievable athlete with quickness. He rebounds out of position, even when he doesn’t have the inside position, nor does he have to be under the ball to be an effective rebounder. He’s also a good rim protector. His father is former NBA great rebounding forward Dale Davis, which makes you really believe that rebounding is in his DNA. When this multitalented freshman learns how to play, the sky’s the limit. Reminds you of his dad.

Cletrell Pope is a 6-foot-9 forward from Bethune-Cookman. He’s a long, athletic pogo stick player with one of the traits that make NBA folks stop to take notice. Pope has a serious motor, and led the nation in offensive rebounds per game, shot 60% from the field in conference play and was voted the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason player of the year this season. 

Pope plays hard, rebounds out of his position and runs the floor with the best of them. He defends multiple positions and had 21 double-doubles last season, breaking the record of former Norfolk State University and present Philadelphia 76ers forward Kyle O’Quinn, who was the last MEAC player drafted into the NBA (2012). Pope is the No. 1 prospect from a historically black university, according to iSports basketball API. He reminds me of former NBA great Dennis Rodman, without the hair color, dress or personality.

Now, this list could have included a couple of more guys, but most of them played at Power 5 schools and were on TV like a weekly series, so they’ve received their fair share of publicity. Tyrese Haliburton (Iowa State), Sam Merrill (Utah State), Saddiq Bey (Villanova), Isaac Okoro (Auburn), Landers Nolley II (Virginia Tech), Payton Pritchard (Oregon), Jaden McDaniels (Washington), Patrick Williams (Florida State), Nico Mannion (Arizona) and Cassius Winston (Michigan State) are certainly not the only ones, but are a few really good players not discussed in detail. I just wanted to get the jump on the next group of NBA stars.

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Blaise Matuidi is second Juventus player to test positive for coronavirus

Juventus and France midfielder Blaise Matuidi has tested positive for the coronavirus, the Turin-based Serie A club said in a statement on Tuesday.

Juve said Matuidi, a World Cup winner with France in 2018, was in self-isolation at home and not showing any symptoms. He is the second player at the club, one of the biggest in Europe, to test positive after Daniele Rugani last week, according to football data provider iSports API.

（iSports API covers a wide range of football games with livescore, standings, events, line-ups, pre-match odds, statistics）

The Juventus statement read: "Blaise Matuidi has undergone medical tests that have revealed his positivity to the Coronavirus-COVID-19.

"The player, as of Wednesday 11 March, has been in voluntary home isolation. He will continue to be monitored and will follow the same regime. He is well and is asymptomatic."

Later on Tuesday, former Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, who led the club from 1995 to 2000, has been admitted to a hospital in critical condition with the coronavirus.

The 76-year-old was placed in the intensive care unit after having symptoms of COVID-19 for the last week, his son Fernando Sanz said to Radio Marca.

Under Sanz presidency, Real Madrid won the Champions League title in 1998 and 2000 after beating Juventus and Valencia in the finals.

In more news out La Liga, Espanyol said six of their players had tested positive for the coronavirus, as per iSports football API.

"We had confirmation this afternoon that six members of the first team and the technical staff of RCD Espanyol de Barcelona have returned positive results for COVID-19 tests carried out during the last hours," Espanyol said in a statement.

"All of them are suffering from mild symptoms and they are complying with the medical recommendations."

Serie A clubs Fiorentina and Sampdoria have also had players test positive for the coronavirus, as did Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta and Chelsea winger Callum Hudson-Odoi.

La Liga side Valencia said on Monday that more than a third of their playing and backroom staff have tested positive for the coronavirus -- including Argentina's Ezequiel Garay and France's Eliaquim Mangala -- but that all cases were currently asymptomatic.

On Tuesday, UEFA announced that it would postpone the European Championship to 2021, with CONMEBOL taking similar action for the Copa America, which was set to be played this summer.

According to professional sports data provider iSports API, the pandemic has also forced the suspension of leagues around the world including the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, MLS and Liga MX, with the Champions League and Europa League also put on hold until further notice.

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