No bad blood as Notts County shake off Taylor Swift takeover rumour
October 30 – The rumoured sale of the world’s oldest professional football club, Notts County, to pop star Taylor Swift has been quickly played down by the club.
World Football
Marseilles fans stone Lyon team bus leaving Fabio Grosso with serious facial injuries
By Samindra Kunti in Marseille
October 30 – Ligue 1 match between Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyon was called off after Lyon’s team bus was attacked on the way to the Stade Velodrome.
JFF say Reggae Girlz are now paid, as makeshift team gives Jamaica a W Gold Cup lifeline
October 30 – The Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) says the Reggae Girlz have now been paid their World Cup bonuses after the players that qualified for the round of 16 at the 2023 World Cup boycotted en masse call-ups for the Concacaf W Gold Cup qualifiers.
LDU Quito beat Fortaleza in penalty shoot-out to win Copa Sudamericana
October 30 – Ecuador’s LDU Quito triumphed on penalties 4-3 against Brazil’s Fortaleza to land the Copa Sudamericana for a second time after a 1-1 draw after extra time forced the shoot-out.
Real Madrid go to banks for €370m loan; bring Saudi bank onboard as sponsor
October 30 – Real Madrid are looking to raise €370 million from banks to help finance refurbishment work at the their Santiago Bernabeu Stadium where costs have almost doubled to €1 billion form an initial €575 million budget.
Italy and Newcastle’s Tonali hit with 10-month ban for betting on matches
October 27 – Newcastle United’s Italian international midfielder Sandro Tonali, who cost £55 million just a few months ago, has been banned for 10 months over breaches of rules on betting on matches in Italy.
European Leagues boss critical of FIFA’s ghosting of professional game over calendar
October 27 – The head of the European Leagues, the umbrella body for leagues across the continent, has re-iterated criticism of football’s governing bodies – in particular FIFA – for failing to consult with his members over the expansion of the international calendar.
Tunisia’s Al Jari arrested on suspicion of fraud
October 27 – Wadi Al Jari, the president of the Tunisian Football Federation (FTF), has been arrested on suspicion of financial corruption.
Jamaica, with their 2023 World Cup refusing to play, stumble at W Gold Cup’s first qualifying hurdle
October 26 – Jamaica’s womens team, without a single player from their stand-out 2023 World Cup squad, lost their first 2024 W Gold Cup qualifier 2-1 away to Panama at the Estadio Rommel Fernandez in Panama City.
Celtic fans fly Palestinian flags before Champions League clash with Atletico
October 26 – Hundreds of Celtic fans defied their own club’s request and paraded a giant display of Palestinian flags before their Champions League game against Atletico Madrid on Wednesday.
Nice’s Atal handed 7-game ban for anti-Semitic social media postings
October 26 – Nice’s Algerian international Youcef Atal has been banned for seven matches by French football authorities for sharing an anti-Semitic message on social media relating to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Bulgarian government commits to match club funding for stadium projects up to €15m
October 26 – Bulgaria’s Minister of Finance, Asen Vasilev, has said that the state is ready to help any club in the country that wants to renovate its training base and stadium.
Barca and Man City wins give them dominating leads in UCL groups
October 25 – FC Barcelona have taken command of Group H in the Champions League after a 2-1 win over Shakhtar Donetsk. Porto consolidated second spot with a comfortable 4-1 victory in Antwerp.
Coca-Cola makes Euro 2024 its 10th finals sponsorship
October 26 – Coca-Cola has become a global sponsor of Euro 2024, UEFA confirmed on Wednesday.
European Court of Justice sets December date for final ruling on Super League case
October 25 – The European Court of Justice will deliver its binding verdict on the validity of the European Super League on December 21, ruling on the case against UEFA.