Belgians hope Covid Safe Ticket will return Pro League stadia to full capacity
July 21 – Belgium’s top flight league wants to welcome capacity crowds once again in August.
World Football
St Petersburg to host 2022 Champions League final, Istanbul to try again with 2023
July 20 – Third time lucky? Istanbul will host the 2023 Champions League final, UEFA confirmed, with Dublin and Bilbao awarded major clubs finals as well after they dropped out of staging Euro 2020 matches.
Brazilian soap opera: Caboclo accuses Del Nero of blackmail and attempted coup
July 20 – Suspended Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) president Rogerio Caboclo (pictured) has claimed that Marco Polo Del Nero blackmailed him. Alienated, Caboclo is exploring legal means to return to his role.
Mooney quits UEFA to take Welsh chief exec role
July 20 – The Welsh FA have landed Noel Mooney, UEFA’s head of national associations business development as its new chief executive
Motsepe stands Africa behind bi-annual World Cup saying it will solve CAF’s cash crunch
July 19 – Africa has given its backing to staging the World Cup every two years – in direct opposition to Europe’s standpoint.
Spezia Calcio to appeal FIFA ban for trafficking Nigerian minors
July 19 – American-owned Serie A club Spezia Calcio say they will appeal against a two-year transfer ban imposed by FIFA based on the previous owners breaking transfer rules by recruiting young players from Africa.
Motsepe keeps up African Super League theme saying broadcasters will pay
July 19 – Despite the failure of the European Super League project, African football is accelerating plans for its own continental super league following the competition’s apparent approval in principal by the executive committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF).
Al Ahly take 10thCAF Champions League in style with 3-0 win over Kaizer Chiefs
July 18 – Egyptian powerhouses Al Ahly retained their African crown to win a record 10th Champions League after a commanding 3-0 victory against 10-men Kaizer Chiefs from South Africa in the final.
Tanks gone, Somalis fill Mogadishu Stadium with 65,000+ fans for first time since 2004
July 18 – The return journey from military base to national football stadium has been a long one for the Mogadishu Stadium and the Somali FA. On Friday the stadium was full to capacity for the first time since 2004. The SFA only took control of the renovated facility in June last year.
Police arrest 5 for social media abuse of Rashford, Saka and Sancho
July 16 – Five people have been arrested in the wake of the racist abuse meted out to the three black players who missed penalties in England’s shootout defeat to Italy in the final of Euro 2020.
EU court makes ESL rebels wait in case against UEFA
July 16 – The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has rejected a Madrid court’s request for an accelerated judicial procedure in the European Super League case.
Beitar owner calls off Barca friendly over refusal to play in Jerusalem
July 16 – The owner of Beitar Jerusalem, Israel’s most extremist top-flight club and the only one never to have signed an Arab player, has called off a friendly with Barcelona over its refusal to hold the game in the contested city.
Crypto-based Socios.com takes naming rights to Argentina’s top flight Torneo
July 16 – The Argentina Football Association (AFA) have sold the naming rights to their top tier league to their crypto fan token partner Socios.com. The one-year deal will see the league renamed the Torneo Socios.com.
US dismantle Martinique with six goal blitz
Group B: Martinique 1 USA 6
July 15 – The USA cruised past Martinique to take maximum points into their final group decider with Canada. Both teams are unbeaten though Canada top the group on goal difference.
Messi agrees 50% pay cut to end career at Barca
July 15 – After all manner of speculation stretching back several weeks, Lionel Messi is set to stay at Barcelona until 2026, effectively the end of his career, despite taking a 50% wage cut according to Spanish reports.