No shirt off their backs. FC Copenhagen join ban on banners asking players for jerseys
July 28 – Danish champions FC Copenhagen have banned fans from taking signs to matches asking for players’ shirts.
World Football
Police make arrests after violence in North Macedonia between Shkupi and Levski fans
July 28 – North Macedonian FK Shkupi ultras attacked Levski Sofia supporters before the UEFA Europa Conference League Second qualifying round match between the two teams in Skopje yesterday (Thursday).
Red Star Belgrade targets Kosovo with tank banner and war message at Fiorentina friendly
July 27 – The Football Federation of Kosovo (FFK) has filed a complaint at UEFA following Serbian club FK Crvena Zvezda’s (Red Star Bekgrade) unfurling of a huge fan activation of a tank against the background of the Serbian flag, and a banner underneath with writing in Serbian saying: ‘When the army returns to Kosovo’.
Mbappé turns down €300m move to Saudi Arabia as Real Madrid close in, reports
July 27 – The Kylian Mbappé saga is rolling on after the French superstar reportedly snubbed a world record offer from Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal.
Canada players’ pay dispute escalates as men’s team issue legal letters over image rights
July 27 – Canada Men’s National Team Players Association have taken a stand against Canada Soccer sponsors’ use of players’ names, images, and likenesses in their marketing and advertising.
FIFA goes to market with media rights to CAF 2026 World Cup qualifying
July 26 – FIFA has issued an invitation to tender for centralised media rights to Africa’s 2026 World Cup qualifying matches ahead of the largest CAF World Cup qualifying in history.
UEFA return Osasuna to Conference League after current management cleared of match-fixing
July 26 – Osasuna have overturned their European ban, issued as a result of decade-old match-fixing scandal.
UEFA fines Croatia €150k for racist fan chants at Nations League finals
July 26 – The Croatian FA has been fined €150,000 for offensive chants and disorder by fans at the Nations League Finals last month.
Vardar Skopje uses funds form membership card scheme to settle debt and secure license to play
July 24 – North Macedonia’s Vardar Skopje has been granted a license to play in the country’s top tier after the clubs used funds raised from the sale of membership cards to settle debt built up by the club’s former owner Slobodan Krstevski.
Soccer Champions Tour loses first match as Barca squad hit by illness
July 25 – The ‘Soccer Champions Tour’, which sees Barcelona, Real Madrid, Arsenal, Manchester United, Juventus and AC Milan play a series of pre-season fixtures from July 22 to August 2 starting on the west coast of the US, got off to a disastrous start with the first match being cancelled.
Mbappe to Saudi? PSG accept €300m bid from Al-Hilal, reports
July 24 – Could the exodus of elite players to Saudi Arabia be about to take its most sensational step yet?
England mourns loss of Trevor Francis, 69, Britain’s first £1m player
July 24 – Former England forward Trevor Francis, who famously became Britain’s first £1 million player when he moved to Nottingham Forest from Birmingham in 1979, has died aged 69 of a heart attack in Spain where he regularly spent half the year.
Messi’s dream debut delivers a spectacular opener for new Leagues Cup
July 23 – It was a dream start for Lionel Messi, Inter Miami and the first edition of the Leagues Cup which sees MLS and Liga MX clubs halt league play for a month-long tournament across the US and Canada in July and August.
Serbian league kick-off on hold after CAS ruling keeps Kolubara in top tier
July 24 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne has reduced the punishment of Serbian club FK Kolubara. In May, the Serbian Football Union deducted 9 points from Kolubara a round before the end of the championship, effectively relegating them from the first division.
Drone show celebrates Concacaf’s qualified women’s teams as World Cup 2023 kicks off
July 23 – To mark the start of the Women’s World Cup 2023 and as a send-off for a record number of Concacaf nations playing in the event, Concacaf through Skyworx Drone Shows, staged another spectacular drone light show.