Slim margins: Potter and Chelsea saved by VAR as they overcome Dortmund in UCL
March 8 – Could this be the game that saved beleaguered Chelsea manager Graham Potter’s job?
World Football
UEFA to refund Liverpool fans after 2022 Champions League Final chaos
March 7 – UEFA has announced a refund scheme for fans “most affected” when trying to gain entry to the Stade de France for the Liverpool vs Real Madrid Champions League final last May.
What sanctions? Joma agree deal with Zenit St Petersburg sparking fury in Ukraine
March 7 – Spanish kit maker Joma has come under fire for agreeing a new deal to supply Russian club side Zenit Saint Petersburg with home and away strips next season.
Neymar out for season after ankle injury forces surgery
March 7 – Paris St-Germain’s Brazilian star Neymar is set to miss the rest of the season because of upcoming surgery on his ankle.
Disgraced Le Graet passes FIFA eligibility test but faces challenge for UEFA seat on FIFA Council
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Disgraced former French FA president Noel Le Graet, who resigned last week after 11 years in charge amid a slew of allegations, looks increasingly likely to also have to throw in the towel from his privileged position within FIFA’s inner circle of decision makers.
Brazil’s Grêmio secures Esportes da Sorte deal ahead of Serie A start and Suarez’s arrival
March 3 – Brazilian online bookie Esportes da Sorte, has taken in the front of shirt sponsorship of Grêmio ahead of the club’s return to the Brasileiro which kicks off in April.
Christos dons Bulgarian shirt to mark 100-year anniversary of BFU
March 6 – The emblematic statue of Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro glowed in the colours of the Bulgarian flag on the occasion of the National day of Bulgaria, 3rd of March, and the 100th anniversary of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU).
Tebas says Man City probe is taking too long, EPL is unsustainable and CAS needs reviewing
By Paul Nicholson
March 3 – LaLiga’s CEO Javier Tebas took another swipe at Europe’s state funded clubs who he says have broken and continue to break all the financial rules, saying it has “taken too long” for the Premier League to bring financial breaches charges against Manchester City.
PSG and Moroccan star Achraf Hakimi charged with rape
March 3 – Paris St Germain’s Moroccan international Achraf Hakimi is facing a criminal investigation in France following an allegation of rape, prosecutors have confirmed.
Spanish refs demand justice as probe into Negreira’s Barca payments gathers pace
March 3 – Spain’s referees have jointly defended their reputation and profession in the wake of the burgeoning scandal involving Barcelona’s alleged payment of £1.4 million to a company run by a former referee who at the time was acting as one of their top representatives at the Spanish FA.
Former athlete Charmaine Crooks takes over as Canada Soccer interim president
March 3 – Charmaine Crooks has been appointed interim president of Canada Soccer in the wake of Nick Bontis’ resignation while agreement has been reached with the women’s national team on an interim funding agreement that should go a long way to ending a festering dispute.
Montagliani says 2026 World Cup is not about winning but building a regional platform
March 3 – Hosting the 2026 World Cup in the Concacaf region is a chance for the confederation to build new opportunity for all its nations, said Concacaf president and FIFA vice president Victor Montagliani.
Yves Jean-Bart says he is returning to run Haitian football now CAS has lifted FIFA ban
March 2 – Haiti’s former FA president Yves Jean-Bart, whose lifetime FIFA ban from the sport over sexual abuse allegations was overturned last month, says he is reclaiming his position.
Bulgarian top tier club debt leaves six battling to meet efbet Liga pro license criteria
March 2 – Six clubs from Bulgaria elite division, efbet Liga, have combined debts due to the National Revenue Agency (NRA) of BGN 14.5 million (€7.25 million). The news was part of a naming and shaming announced by the NRA through Bulgarian National Television.
French World Cup legend Just Fontaine dies, aged 89
March 2 – Just Fontaine, the French football legend who in 1958 scored a record 13 goals in the World Cup finals in Sweden – a remarkable feat that has withstood 16 editions since and seems unlikely ever to be matched – has died, triggering an outpouring of tributes.