[ad_1]
Football fans yearning for the return of the English Premier League (EPL) can see the stars of the sport in action again this week, in a FIFA 20 tournament that starts on Tuesday.
The 20 top-tier clubs will participate in the ePremier League Invitational, with footballers and musicians representing their teams in the knockout competition.
Each match will air on nbcsports.com and on the EPL website. The semifinals and finals will also be televised on NBCSN in the US. USA And Sky Sports in the UK.
To level the playing field among the game’s giants and minnows, each team’s overall rating will be set to 85.
[Read: AI predicts results of English Premier League matches canceled by coronavirus]
The prize fund will be donated to the #PlayersTogether initiative, which EPL players have created to raise funds for the UK National Health Service (NHS).
Athletes turn to electronic sports
The EPL revealed the full lineup for the tournament today in a tweet.
How round 1️⃣ of the #ePremierLeague Invitation looks …
Full details of the draw 👉 https://t.co/NMrMnYO9xf pic.twitter.com/23wrGPNEuM
– Premier League (@premierleague) April 20, 2020
The standout first round match puts England wingers Raheem Sterling and Wilfried Zaha face to face on behalf of their respective clubs.
Another tasty draw brings Tottenham midfielder Moussa Sissoko back to his old club, Newcastle United, for a match against speedy Ghanaian Christian Atsu. There is also a south coast derby in the first round, with Angus Gunn of Southampton facing Philip Billing of AFC Bournemouth.
A lot of other EPL stars will also put FIFA 20 skills to the test, including wolf shooter Diogo Jota and Liverpool assist King Trent Alexander-Arnold, along with singers Josh Franceschi atTom Grennan, who respectively take control of Manchester United and Arsenal.
“We are aware of the importance of finding new ways to entertain fans right now and we are excited to put together a strong roster of players for the ePremier League tournament,” said Premier League Chief Executive Richard Masters.
The EPL is one of a growing range of sports leagues that turn to video games to keep fans entertained during the coronavirus pandemic. Basketball stars currently face off in an NBA 2K tournament, while Formula 1 pits race car drivers against celebrities in virtual grand prix. With most major sports on hiatus for the foreseeable future, closest fans are likely to see their favorite athletes in action for a while.
Read below:
Facebook built a map that tracks COVID-19 symptoms by county
Crown coverage
Read our daily coverage on how the tech industry is responding to coronavirus and subscribe to our weekly Coronavirus in Context newsletter.
For tips and tricks on how to work remotely, check out our Growth Quarters articles here or follow us on Twitter.
[ad_2]
