Scotiabank Champions League builds momentum with group dates set
June 29 – CONCACAF has set the dates for the group stages of the Scotiabank Champions League, its blue riband event for clubs.
World Football
Spain’s reign ends where it started; with the Azzurri
June 28 – England were not the only team to incur the wrath of their national press after exiting Euro 2016. Spanish media blasted their own side and called on coach Vicente del Bosque to resign after the defending champions were knocked out by Italy.
News analysis: Forget Brexit and global warming, did England just return to the Ice-age?
By Andrew Warshaw
June 28 – Embarrassing, disbelieving, shameful. And that’s just for starters after the most woeful performance in a major finals for half a century by an England team.
Blanc axed by PSG as Parisians demand bigger steps towards European club glory
June 28 – Laurent Blanc and Paris Saint-Germain have parted ways as the Parisian club seeks a new direction. Blanc has agreed to a €22 million (£17 million) severance deal. The club have moved quickly to appoint Unai Emery, who left serial Europa League winners Sevilla earlier this summer, as the new manager.
End of an era. Messi quits Argentina sparking fears of an exodus
By Paul Nicholson
June 27 – Lionel Messi has hung up his international boots, his last act for Argentina being missing a penalty in the final shoot out last night that saw Chile win the Copa America Centenario in the US.
Iranian money plans €100m takeover of Olympique Marseilles
By Samindra Kunti
June 27 – Olympique de Marseille (OM), struggling financially under president Vincent Labrune, look poised to announce new money into the club with Iranian investors reported to be ready to splash the cash to rejuvenate the French giant.
Brexit threatens Premier League clubs’ feasting on imported European players
By Andrew Warshaw
June 27 – British football clubs could find it more difficult to operate in the transfer window as a result of the country’s shock decision to leave the European Union.
Chile burst Argentina’s bubble as Copa America closes with records and penalties
By Paul Nicholson
June 27 – The Copa America Centenario concluded in front of 82,026 fans in the MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, with a penalty shoot-out win for Chile over Argentina.
Segura sidelined as FIFA takes over running of Argentinian FA
June 27 – As if losing to Chile on penalties in the final of Copa America for the second successive time wasn’t painful enough Argentina are embroiled in an escalating crisis off the field with FIFA saying they have taken control of the national federation and will help pick an emergency panel to manage its affairs.
Borgogol with the Azzurris in Paris
By Bernd Fisa
June 26 – Monday, three years to the day after Stefano Borgonovo passed away, Chantal, the widow of the former striker of the Italian national team, will attend Italy’s game against Spain to remember her husband and his courageous struggle against MND.
Montagliani, Gulati and Infantino manoeuvre Caribbean into submission
By Paul Nicholson
June 24 – Manipulation of football administration in the Caribbean is nothing new. But in a region desperate to shake off the long shadows of former presidents Jack Warner and Jeff Webb, the old ways of operating seem to be alive and kicking. They may have even taken a turn for the worse with regional confederation CONCACAF stepping into the game with the support of FIFA and its new president Gianni Infantino.
South Americans take control of Copa America as Argentina breeze into final
By Paul Nicholson
June 22 – Argentina swept USA aside 4-0 in Houston last night to progress to the finals of the Copa America Centenario, and setting up an all-CONMEBOL final with the winners of Chile or Colombia who play this evening in Chicago.
Interview: France’s Le Graët accentuates the Euro 2016 positive, for France and football
By Samindra Kunti in Paris
June 21 – Noël Le Graët is a French businessman and since 2011 has been president of the French Football Federation. His football career has seen him as president of Ligue 1 from 1991 to 2000, and as a vice president of the French federation until stepping up to the top job. In an exclusive interview with Insideworldfootball Le Graët talks of the impact the Euros are having in regenerating French football,
Mihir Bose: Can the Euros decide how the Brits vote in the referendum?
On the face of it this is an absurd question. How can what happens to England, Wales and Northern Ireland make any difference to how they vote in the EU referendum?
Copa America Centenario explodes into semis with goals galore
By Paul Nicholson
June 20 – The Copa America Centenario has moved into its semi-final stage with some football style with goals galore in the final two quarter-final matches. After a slow start the oldest international football tournament in the world has burst into life.