Pele hospitalised in Paris but full recovery expected
April 5 – Brazilian football legend and three-time World Cup winner Pele has been admitted to a Paris hospital with an infection, but is expected to make a full and quick recovery.
Europe
Hillsborough police chief could face retrial, Sheffield Wednesday club secretary guilty
April 4 – The jury in the trial of the police chief facing allegations related to the 1989 Hillsborough stadium tragedy has been unable to reach a verdict with the prosecution now calling for a retrial.
Real Madrid unveil €525m Santiago Bernabeu refurb
April 4 – Real Madrid have unveiled plans for a refurbished €525 million Santiago Bernabeu Stadium with club president Florentino Perez vowing the renovation will create the best stadium in the world.
Time warp: Grindel steps down from DFB over earnings scandal and a Ukrainian watch
By Andrew Warshaw
April 3 – German Football Association president Reinhard Grindel, one of European football’s most influential figures who continually banged the drum for greater transparency and accountability, has himself been forced to resign after being embroiled in a domestic scandal.
Racism: Ceferin tells refs to be ‘brave’, follow protocol and stop games
April 3 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has urged referees to be brave enough to halt matches in order to help stamp out an alarming resurgence of racism from fans. Ceferin opened a UEFA conference on discrimination on Tuesday, organised in conjunction with England’s Football Association, and believes it is time officials took the plunge and abided by UEFA protocol.
New Milan stadium in doubt as mayor says he prefers a revamp of San Siro
April 2 – Milan mayor Giuseppe Sala has spoken of his preference for the cities’ clubs to renovate the San Siro rather than construct a new stadium, leaving future plans over the venue in doubt.
UEFA shut doors on Dinamo Zagreb’s racist fans
April 2 – UEFA have lost patience with Dinamo Zagreb who have been ordered to play their next home European match behind closed doors following racist behaviour by their fans in this season’s Europa League tie against Benfica.
Punchy Pickford scores unwanted own goal at home
April 2 – England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford is being investigated by his club Everton over an alleged fracas in his home city of Sunderland at the weekend.
LaLiga’s Tebas slams UEFA and ECA for selling a ‘SuperChampions League’ lie
By Paul Nicholson
April 1 – LaLiga president Javier Tebas has hammered the plans of UEFA and the European Club Association to create what he calls a “SuperChampions League” that he says would only widen the divide between Europe’s rich and poor clubs and threaten the sustainability of national leagues.
Bullingham steps up at English FA to tale lead role
April 1 – The English Football Association has named internal candidate Mark Bullingham as the successor to outgoing Chief Executive Martin Glenn who is stepping down at the end of the season after four years in charge.
UEFA serve FAI with new investigation over tennis ball protest
March 29 – UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against the Republic of Ireland as a result of a protest from supporters which briefly interrupted last Tuesday night’s game against Georgia.
UEFA’s youth tournaments attract bid from 17 countries to host
March 28 – Seventeen counties have expressed their interest in staging one of UEFA’s youth tournaments in 2021 and 2022. They must submit their bid dossiers by June 28.
PFA overhaul: Taylor, England’s highest paid union boss, steps down over £2m salary
March 28 – Gordon Taylor, chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) which represents players in England and Wales, is to step down after 38 years amid heightened criticism of his reported £2 million annual salary, believed to be one of the highest in the world for a trade union official.
Belgium Pro League to launch new U21 club competition next season
March 28 – Belgian football will be getting an U-21 league in the 2019-2020 season following approval of the additional competition by the country’s Pro League.
ECA starts talks on revamp of Champions League for 2024
By Andrew Warshaw
March 27 – The head of the umbrella body of Europe’s clubs has confirmed that talks over revamping the Champions League’ beyond 2024 are underway with UEFA but remains tight-lipped over what any future format might look like.