EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW BY MARCUS TOWNEND: A leopard does not change its spots. It is no surprise then that Sir Anthony McCoy is delighting in retelling a story which will make some feel queasy.

The tight guidelines of the strictest scenario for a possible return to racing have been underlined with the selected racecourses operating as almost sealed sites.

All race meetings in the UK were cancelled following the lockdown on March 23 in a bid to halt the spread of coronavirus but the sport's organisers have been working on a radical restart of races.

Racing aims to be one of the first sports to emerge from lockdown, with the British Horseracing Authority releasing a provisional list of big races it could run on the final two weekends of this month.

French racing moved a step closer to returning at Longchamp next Monday (May 11) after the French racing authorities were given permission to stage the meeting by Paris police.

Italy came from behind to maintain their perfect start to Euro 2020 qualifying with a 2-1 Group J win over Bosnia in Turin on Tuesday, while Greece fell to a shock defeat at home to Armenia.

The club'sformer captain announced he was leaving his role as technical director last week, which brought an end to his 30-year affiliation with the club. Totti has been spotted enjoying a break.

The astonishing revelation about Gianfranco Zola has come from former Italian footballer Fabrizio Maiello, who turned to crime after seeing his career end abruptly due to injury.

Daniele De Rossi, who left Roma at the end of last season after they announced they would not renew his contract, donned his new club colours for the first time in Buenos Aires.

Luis Alberto's second-half equaliser earned Lazio a 1-1 draw with AS Roma in a fast and furious Rome derby in Serie A on Sunday. Aleksander Kolarov opened the scoring with a penalty.

Italy benefited from a generous hand ball decision and converted a late penalty for a 2-1 win at Finland to extend its perfect start to European Championship qualifying on Sunday.

Former Italy under-21 coach Luigi Di Biagio believes Manchester City's Phil Foden has everything it takes to be a 'champion' and will thrive under Pep Guardiola's tutelage.

With a win meaning they would reclaim top spot Inter travelled to Brescia and comfortably beat the 18th-placed side, despite a late own goal from defender Milan Skriniar.

Blaise Matuidi is reportedly set for a contract extension after playing an important role in a Juventus side which sits top of Serie A. The Frenchman has been with the club since August 2017.

Reports suggest that the players are to be fined between one quarter and one half of this month' wages by the club for refusing to stay in a training retreat earlier this month.

Euro 2020 is under serious threat as the coronavirus continues to sweep its way across the world, with organisers of the championships monitoring the situation closely.

Italy is the worst affected country outside of China and the decision was made earlier in the week to suspend all sporting activity across the country until April 3.

The Serie A club confirmed their centre back Rugani has been infected by Covid-19 on Wednesday night and will undergo a period of isolation.

SHERIDAN BIRD IN ITALY: Italy's love for football is on another level. But there is no live action. No sport. Where does all that energy go, and with no matches to talk about, what are fans doing?

Juventus defender Daniele Rugani was the first Serie A player to test positive for Covid-19, just days after he was in the matchday squad for the club's win over Inter behind closed doors.

Serie A bosses are reportedly working out plans to resume training and hope to be playing by the end of May or the start of June, with each side still having 12 fixtures remaining.

Light looked stunning in a couture dress by Badgley Mischka when she arrived, at the Tony Awards in New York City, Sunday night. The 70-year-old star of Transparent shined in silver on the red carpet.

British stars Sam Mendes and Bertie Carvel took home two of the most coveted accolades at the Tony Awards 2019 on Sunday night in New York.

James Corden was joined by his glamorous wife Julia on the Tony Awards red carpet at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Sunday night.

The high-octane performance began with James singing as if he was in his dressing room before performers from various nominated shows joined him on stage.

Selena Gomez dropped a back-and-white video recorded entirely on iPhone for her new self-love song Lose You To Love Me.

Selena Gomez surprised fans and dropped her second new song and video in two days called Look At Her Now.

The 27-year-old pop star's new single Lose You to Love Me landed the No. 4 spot on first Billboard Hot 100 and it's currently topping Billboard's Streaming Songs chart

One PA blew Hadid's brunette bowl cut with leaf blower as another poured water on her from a silver pitcher. Her top hung off her shoulder, resulting in a nip slip, which she covered with a kiss emoji.

Just weeks after revealing fans body shaming 'messed me up,' Selena Gomez looked confident and radiant on the American Music Awards red carpet.

Singer Selena Gomez, 27, unveiled her third collection with sportswear brand Puma. There are significant personal details dotted throughout, such as a nod to her sentimental wrist tattoo, inset.

The Weeked was putting in an appearance on the Late Show on Wednesday, arriving at the New York City studios in style.

The Good For You hitmaker, 27, treated herself to a break from work duties as she enjoyed some retail therapy at Covent Garden's Free People in London on Wednesday.

She has been rocking an array of stylish ensembles during her time in London. And Selena continued to delight with her chic looks as she slipped into a billowing trouser suit on Thursday. 

She's on a whirlwind tour to promote her studio album Rare.

Selena Gomez gets personal when it comes to showing gratitude to her fans. Gomez spent her Christmas with pen in-hand as she autographed thousands of copies of her upcoming album Rare.

Selena Gomez has continued to share sultry photos including one of herself sitting clothed in a sheer wet white shirt in a bath to promote her new album, Rare.

Selena Gomez has a big year ahead of her as she will soon release her first album in four years, the already critically acclaimed Rare. And she seems ready for the challenge, she told WSJ Magazine.

Selena Gomez revealed a new tattoo in her recent Rare video. The black ink features the date she got a kidney transplant in 2017 from her friend Francia Raisa in response to her Lupus diagnosis

The singer, 27, rapped up warm in an oversized padded coat as she arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York on Sunday evening.

Niall Horan has thrown cold water over rumours he's dating American singer, Selena Gomez.

She's coming off the release of a starkly confessional album that revealed much about her past relationship. But this weekend she looked carefree with her mom in Chicago.

'Some days, when I wake up and I'm annoyed and I'm like, "I'm gonna be alone forever,"' Selena said on an episode of Verified, where she explained the meaning behind her hit song Rare.

Selena Gomez hopped on Instagram Live to tell her 171 million followers how she has been spending her time amid the COVID-19 pandemic and California's Safer at Home initiatives.

The 27-year-old 'Texican' pop star put her three-octave soprano pipes to good use at home

Chrissy Teigen cordially invited her 28.8 million Instagram followers to join the nuptials of their eldest's beloved stuffed animals, promising a 'special performance' by John Legend.'

Selena Gomez has insisted that having a boyfriend is 'nowhere near the top' of her priority list in light of the current global pandemic.

In the legal documents, TMZ reports, Gomez says a Flare magazine cover she posed for is used in the game and accuses the makers of profiteering off her fame.

The singer/actress is set to host and executive produce a new quarantine-themed cooking show for the streaming service. The yet-to-be titled project was ordered straight-to-series for a 10 episode run.

Former deputy Prime Minister Lord Prescott has been admitted to hospital after suffering a stroke, his family has said in a statement.