Standard Liege given go-ahead to expand Stade Maurice Dufrasne
July 1 – Belgian club Standard Liege have been given the green light by to expand their stadium capacity from 28.700 to 32.000.
World Football
UEFA opens up Women’s Champions League to world with game changing DAZN deal
June 30 – UEFA has taking the groundbreaking step of making the first two seasons of its revamped Women’s Champions League free-to-air via a new partnership with DAZN and YouTube.
Brazilian clubs progress CBF breakaway league talks
June 30 – Weeks after telling the Confederation of Brazilian Football (CBF) of new winds in the game, Brazilian clubs have opened talks with potential partners to form a new league structure.
De Boer quits Netherlands as targets are missed
June 30 – Netherlands boss Frank De Boer has stepped down from his role after his team’s 2-0 elimination by Czech Republic at Euro 2020 in the round of sixteen, admitting his “goal has not been achieved”.
End of an era: Loew bows out of German leadership after 15 years
June 30 – Outgoing Germany coach Joachim Loew rued his team’s missed opportunities in their 2-0 defeat by England on Tuesday as his 15-year spell in charge of Die Mannschaft came to a disappointing end.
‘Messiah’ Perez insists ESL is not dead, as monopoly ruling waited from European Court
By Andrew Warshaw
June 28 – The doomed European Super League may be past history but Real Madrid president Florentino Perez insists the ongoing court case brought by the three remaining members of the project will show the world it was not a failure and is very much alive.
Maradona death: Prosecutors question doctors over ‘aggravated manslaughter’ charge
June 28 – Argentine prosecutors have summoned Diego Maradona’s personal physician Leopoldo Luque for questioning in court for his role in the star’s death from heart failure last November. Luque is implicated together with six other doctors.
Concacaf League match-ups drawn for August kick off
June 27 –There is no slacking in the pace of Concacaf events to the end of the year. As soon as the Gold Cup completes in early August in Las Vegas, Concacaf will be back on the road again with its 2021 Scotiabank Concacaf League (SCL) club competition.
US gambles on Gold Cup selections, but insistent its MLS cohorts will be competitive
By Paul Nicholson
June 25 – The US men’s team, still basking in the glory of having beaten arch rivals Mexico in the Nations League final, have gambled on pretty much a complete squad turnover for the Gold Cup, but still maintain they will be competitive.
No gold at the end of the rainbow. Belgian Meunier says ‘coming out’ is still an issue for gay players
June 25 – Belgian international Thomas Meunier has said football is not ready for openly gay players, arguing that the sport’s mentality is not developed enough for a player to comfortably come out.
UEFA scraps away goals rule opting for extra time and penalty deciders
June 25 – In an historic move, the away goals rule, in place since the mid-1960s, is being scrapped in all European club competitions from the start of next season.
Derby fined £100K but Championship status looks safe as new owner sought
June 24 – Derby County have been fined £100,000 for breaching English Football League (EFL) accountancy rules but look set to escape a points deduction that would see them relegated to League One and Wycombe Wanderers keep their place in the Championship.
FIFA bans former Congo and CAF boss Omari for a year for $66,000 graft
June 24 – Constant Omari, for years one of African football’s most influential as well as controversial figures, has been suspended by FIFA for a year for breaking its ethics code.
Danish Superliga’s Viborg takes on new money and an owner link to Notts County
June 24 – Danish investment group Better Collective has acquired a majority stake in Danish Superliga club Viborg FF.
Tebas wraps season up: strong financials, the dirty duo, full stadia and a Messi of a situation
By Paul Nicholson
June 23 – Javier Tebas was his typical forthright self at a media event today where he covered multiple topics from the failed European Super League to next year’s LaLiga attendance expectations, the importance of LaLiga’s right to govern itself, and the relative importance, or unimportance, of Lionel Messi to Spain.