Wisla Krakow threaten to boycott Polish Cup final unless FA overturn ban on travelling fans
April 5 – Wisla Krakow have threatened to boycott the Polish Cup final if a ban on their fans attending the game is upheld.
Europe
Violence mars Croatian Cup semi-final between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb
April 5 – Scenes of violence marked the Croatian Cup semi-final between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb. After the match at the Poljud Stadium, which ended with a 1-0 victory to the visitors from Zagreb, the home team’s ultras broke through security on to pitch to confront the Hajduk players.
Hull boss Liam Rosenior demands racist abusers on social media are held accountable
April 5 – Hull City manager Liam Rosenior is the latest club manager to call for social media users to be made more accountable after being the target of online racist comments.
Spanish FA orders partial closure of Getafe stadium after racist insults
April 4 – Spanish top-flight club Getafe have been ordered to partially close their central stand for three matches by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following the racial and xenophobic abuse suffered by Sevilla manager Quique Sánchez Flores and player Marcus Acuna (pictured) in Saturday’s league game.
Turkish FA hits Trabzonspor with 6-match closed stadium sanction
April 4 – The Turkish Football Federation has ordered Trabzonspor to play their next six home matches in front of empty stands following the riots after the Super Lig match between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce last month.
Rayo Majadahonda forfeit abandoned match and keeper banned after racist incident
April 4 – The goalkeeper of a Spanish third division club has been banned for two games after confronting a supporter who he claimed racially abused him.
Fenerbahce fans vote to remain in Turkish Super Lig, despite Trabzonspor chaos
April 3 – Fenerbahce members have voted against a proposal to withdraw from the Turkish Super Lig.
Varane says wider education needed on dangers of concussion injuries
April 3 – Manchester United’s French international defender Raphaël Varane has opened up alarmingly about how concussion has damaged his body as he stressed the importance of creating more awareness among players around the dangers of heading the ball.
Saarbrücken’s fairy tale cup run ends in semi-final loss to Kaiserslautern
April 3 – German third-tier club Saarbrücken’s astonishing journey in the DFB-Pokal, which included impressive victories over heavyweight clubs Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, came crashing down on Tuesday night after losing 2-0 to Bundesliga 2 side Kaiserslautern.
Adidas to redesign number 4 on Germany shirt and bans sales of 44 kit number
April 2 – The German FA and Adidas have withdrawn the sale of customised shirts incorporating the number 44 because of a resemblance to the logo of the Nazi Party’s notorious SS paramilitary units.
Bosnia’s top ref refuses to take charge of Sarajevo derby after family threatened
April 2 – Bosnian referee Irfan Peljto, who is on his country’s international list, has refused to officiate matches in the Bosnia and Herzegovina league following threats against him and his family.
Steph Houghton to retire at end of season
March 28 – Manchester City legend and former England captain Steph Houghton has announced her retirement at the end of the current season.
E-commerce platform AliExpress joins Euro 2024 partner roster
March 28 – Online retail marketplace AliExpress, part of China’s e-commerce giant Alibaba Group, has been unveiled as an official partner of Euro 2024.
Ukraine, Poland and Georgia grab final group slots for Euro 2024
March 27 – Ukraine came from behind to beat Iceland and in two nerve-shredding penalty shootouts Poland beat Wales away from home and Georgia edged Greece to qualify for a first ever major finals as an independent nation on a dramatic night of European action on Tuesday.
England flagging, Germany find form, Brazil put on the style as Argentina on cruise control
March 27 – As the international break draws to a close and players return to club football for the business end of the season, national sides tested the waters across a host of international friendlies that could send shockwaves across the next FIFA World Rankings update in April.