The Canadian F1 Grand Prix has been canceled for the second consecutive year because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Quebec government said Wednesday. F1 confirmed the cancelation of this year's race at Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve, saying Turkey will take the slot instead from June 11-13. As compensation, two additional editions of the Canadian GP will be held in '30 and '31 as Formula One World Championship, Canada and Quebec "agreed to extend a long-term pact" that was due to expire in '29.

The Quebec government's statement points to "the ongoing international travel restrictions in place in Canada" as the reason for the change (MONTREAL GAZETTE, 4/28).

Fans who purchased tickets to this year's Canadian GP "will get refunds or can transfer their tickets to next year's race in Montreal." Turkey "returned to F1's reshaped calendar last year" and hosted a race for the first time since '11 (AP, 4/28).

Barcelona sacked CEO Óscar Grau, who had served in the role since September '16 under former club President Josep Maria Bartomeu. He will be replaced by Ferran Reverter, whose first day in the role will be July 1. Laporta thanked Grau for his work with the club, saying, "I personally appreciate all of his work with the new board and the club's new execs during these six weeks since Barcelona's presidential election" (MARCA, 4/28).

Barcelona also hired Xavier Budo as its new director of sports. Budo will report directly to Reverter. Budo participated in new President Joan Laporta’s campaign and "will manage all areas of professional sports, which Albert Soler had been doing before Laporta arrived." Budo will be in charge of La Masia, women’s soccer and sports science, and he will "lead the creating of the centre of sporting excellence" (SPORT, 4/28).

New Zealand Rugby has "confirmed the sale price" for an investment from Silver Lake, according to papers released for Thursday's annual general meeting, where officials will be "asked to approve the deal." Silver Lake would pay NZ$387.5M ($280.65M) for a 12.5% stake in a "new entity call Commercial LP" that will "control NZR's commercial interests." That would be a smaller investment from Silver Lake, at a similar overall valuation, than the previously reported NZ$465M ($335M) price for a 15% share of commercial rights. Under the terms, up to NZ$43.75M ($31.7M) of the sale price "will be committed to working capital for Commercial LP, along with a proportionate contribution from Silver Lake" and NZ$39M ($28.25M) will be "distributed to stakeholders, such as provincial unions." A legacy fund will be "established to ensure the sustainability of rugby at all levels."

The deal must "receive backing" from more than 50% of the country's provincial rugby unions at the AGM "along with the approval of the New Zealand Rugby Players Association." All 12 of the country's minor provincial unions "have come out in support of the deal." The final hurdle for the deal going through "could be an agreement with the players" (RNZ, 4/28).

The U.K. government will "demand guarantees" from the EPL over "pyramid solidarity" in return for "approving surprise plans to roll over TV rights deals." Sensitive talks could conclude within days over proposals to allow Sky, BT and Amazon to "continue screening games" on broadly the same three-year £4.5B ($6.3B) term. The government "must sign off on the plans," and senior figures are pushing for a response which could be "creatively helpful" amid the recently triggered fan-led review of the game. The government has "significant clout to intervene"  amid the current furor around the so-called "Big Six" club owners following the Super League breakaway fiasco. With "tougher regulation" looming, senior figures within broadcasting and sport are "keen" to keep ministers on side, with a plan being considered in Whitehall to "redistribute money through the pyramid" (London TELEGRAPH, 4/27).

American Jesse Marsch is set to be named the new head coach of Bundesliga side RB Leipzig for the '21-22 season, according to German sports magazine Kicker. The report also claims that Marsch "turned down the vacant Tottenham Hotspur job to remain part of the Red Bull family of clubs," replacing Bayern Munich-bound boss Julian Nagelsmann. Marsch’s familiarity with the Red Bull organization, most recently from coaching Austrian Bundesliga side RB Salzburg the last two seasons, "is said to have played an important part in his appointment." He beat out Stuttgart Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo and Wolfsburg’s Oliver Glasner as Leipzig CEO Oliver Mintzlaff’s other two top candidates (NBCSPORTS.com, 4/28).

Marsch last season "became the first American to win a top-tier European trophy by claiming the Austrian Cup." Marsch has won 59 of 88 games at RB Salzburg with a goal differential of +163 (CBSSPORTS.com, 4/28).

The J.League will "seek compensation from the Japanese government for losses resulting from the ongoing coronavirus state of emergency," during which several stadiums will be closed to fans, J-League Chair Mitsuru Murai said Tuesday. In a press conference following a meeting of the league's board, Murai said the J-League would "work with the government" to limit the financial impact of the emergency measures. Murai said, "We will request compensation after calculating the losses from refunding tickets and holding games without spectators."

The league will hold 11 games behind closed doors in Tokyo and parts of western Japan experiencing a surge in infections during the state of emergency through May 11. Murai said he "understood" the government's position but felt the experience of last season showed the league was "capable of holding games safely." "We have proven that spectators can be welcomed into stadiums safely. If I had communicated our position more convincingly to the public, it might have made a difference," he said (KYODO, 4/27).

The nascent Basketball Africa League -- a partnership between the NBA and FIBA -- is "set to get its own documentary series." Fremantle, exec producer Richard Brown and sports marketing company Infront have partnered with the BAL on a series "telling the story of its launch and inaugural season." The 12-team BAL tips off May 16. The series, directed by South African filmmaker Tebogo Malope, will follow "stories of players, coaches and teams from across Africa, spotlighting the ambition behind the pan-African basketball league and the individuals who have worked to change the landscape of sports on the continent." Worldwide distribution plans are still in the works (VARIETY.com, 4/28).

Atlético Madrid CEO Miguel Ángel Gil Marín will remain as first VP of LaLiga after a meeting on Tuesday, with the league’s delegate committee “accepting his apologies and explanations for joining, and then abandoning,” the European Super League last week (MARCA, 4/28).

The Madrid Open will be the first global sports event held in Spain in front of fans since the outbreak of the pandemic. Madrid's Caja Mágica will have a reduced capacity of 4,800 fans per day during the tennis tournament (MARCA, 4/28).

The English FA and British fans "must wait until June" to find out whether an increased 45,000 capacity can attend the Euro 2020 semifinals and final at Wembley Stadium (SKY SPORTS, 4/28).

Discovery has invested in Enduro Sports Organisation, the owner and operator of the UCI-recognized Enduro World Series and the EWS-E -mountain bike and electric mountain bike championships (ESO).

Italian second-tier league Serie B has granted its domestic TV rights to Sky Italia in a non-exclusive deal running from '21-'24 (SKYITALIA.com, 4/27).

Cricket Victoria CEO Andrew Ingleton "has resigned" (THE AGE, 4/28).

"We’re considering these weekends being Grand Slam events, spread through the season, so it is something different. I don’t think it’ll go to the whole season. I think it’ll be a limited number of races, but that is to be decided" -- F1 Motorsport Managing Director Ross Brawn, on whether F1 plans to make sprint qualifying an "ever-present fixture at all grands prix" (MOTORSPORT, 4/27).

"That is not what a Champions League semifinal is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be a party, a celebration of football, and all for the fans. We saw the power of the fans, the demands of the fans, a week ago. They’ve made it very clear that football is for them but unfortunately, this game is being played in front of maybe 200 people” -- CBSSN’s Peter Schmeichel, on PSG playing Man City with no fans in the stadium ("UEFA Champions League Today," CBSSN, 4/28).

"I’m not going to answer any of that. Anything else?" -- CBSSN’s Guillem Balague, laughing, when asked by Jamie Carragher how often he speaks to Real Madrid President Florentino Pérez and whether he is "behind the Super League with him" ("UEFA Champions League Post Match Show," CBSSN, 4/27).

The London Guardian's Jonathan Liew writes as Man City takes on PSG in the semifinals of the Champions League that the "meeting of European football’s two great petrocarbon empires feels ostensibly like a moment for savage lament." Meanwhile, the London Independent's Miguel Delaney explains why the matchup "takes ‘sportswashing’ to next level."

The Athletic's Simon Hughes examines "The two Liverpool Football Clubs," writing that "there are frustrated people" within the club’s U.K. offices who speak of there being two Liverpools, "one being on Merseyside and the other in Massachusetts."

The story about Real Madrid’s Marcelo is true.

He could miss next week’s second leg against Chelsea after being called up to work at a polling station next Tuesday in a local election 😮

Real are “studying if there is any regulation that will let him travel with the team”

— John Bennett (@JohnBennettBBC) April 28, 2021

The Football Writers’ Association is uniting with English football in a boycott of Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.
This is in response to ongoing and sustained discriminatory abuse received online by players, coaches, officials and our members.
Full story: https://t.co/QsgV64DvZk pic.twitter.com/rxxTRLzuQ6

— The FWA (@theofficialfwa) April 28, 2021

No trip to Canada this year, but who's looking forward to seeing us challenging at Istanbul Park? 🇹🇷 pic.twitter.com/Svh4oL41oG

— Williams Racing (@WilliamsRacing) April 28, 2021

Where does Leyton Orient think the football growth areas are? Your (former) women's team did you proud - with seeming zero investment. https://t.co/7e7ZmGpoZz

— Maggie Murphy (@MaggieMrphy) April 28, 2021

Great piece by @steinberg_arne https://t.co/4EAGtAo9VM

— Derek Rae (@RaeComm) April 28, 2021

Novak Djokovic will not be playing in the Mutua Madrid Open.

"Sorry that I won’t be able to travel to Madrid this year and meet all my fans”, said @DjokerNole. “It’s been two years already, quite a long time. Hope to see you all next year!”.

— #MMOPEN (@MutuaMadridOpen) April 28, 2021