By Samindra Kunti
July 3 – In an unprecedented move, Brazilian broadcasting behemoth TV Globo has rescinded its contract with Rio de Janeiro’s state football federation after Flamengo streamed their match against Boa Vista on Youtube under a temporary federal rule introduced by Jair Bolsonaro.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – The controversial use of VAR, which had taken something of a backseat amid the enthusiasm of matches getting back under way in the wake of Covid-19, burst into the spotlight again Thursday with one of the most farcical, non-sensical interpretations of the rule ever applied.
July 3 – Gambling sponsorship on football shirts in the UK should be banned as a deterrant to young people being lured into betting, a British House of Lords report has recommended.
July 3 – French prosecutors have asked that Real Madrid star and French international Karim Benzema face trial over his alleged involvement in the attempted sex-tape blackmail of former teammate Mathieu Valbuena.
July 3 – Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower whose string of incriminating revelations shook the footballing world before he was controversially extradited from Hungary to his native Portugal, will stand trial on September 4 accused of attempted extortion, computer hacking and breach of correspondence, according to reports.
July 2 – UEFA has kicked off the fifth cycle of its HatTrick programme with a commitment to invest €775.5 million in the development of the game over the next four years.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 2 – In a move that has shocked neutral fans across the country, Wigan Athletic of the second-tier Championship have become the first professional English club to fall into administration as a result of Covid-19.
July 2 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin is confident that there will be “no need for a Plan B” for this season’s final eight of the Europa League which Germany will stage in August.
July 2 – LaLiga is investing in the build of a new multi-sport complex that will become the league’s new centre for national and international sports projects and education initiatives.
July 2 – Bulgarian football fans violated social distancing rules in the domestic cup final which Lokomotiv Plovdiv won for a second consecutive time by defeating CSKA Sofia from the penalty spot.
July 2 – At last good news for French league football. Online bookmaker Betclic has agreed a three-season deal to become a marquee partner of the Ligue de Football Professional’s (LFP) Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 championships.
July 2 – The Danish Cup final was suspended for 15 minutes when fans refused to comply with the social distancing rules inside the stadium.
July 2 – Two former Chelsea youth-team players say they are “still fighting for justice and equality” after alleging they were racially abused at the club in the 1990s.
July 2 – Football will return resilient and stronger from the COVID-19 crisis, according to La Liga’s managing director for the Middle East and North Africa.
By Samindra Kunti
July 1 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has announced that Qatar, Saudi Arabia, India, Iran and Uzbekistan have all expressed an interest in staging the 2027 Asian Cup, the continent’s premium national team competition.