Rangers, Swansea and Birmingham withdraw social media accounts in anti-racism protest
April 9 – Three British clubs have decided independently to boycott social media platforms because of online racist abuse.
Integrity
PFA threatens EFL with legal action if it moves to limit squad sizes
April 9 – England’s Professional Footballers’ Association is considering legal action if the English Football League, which covers the three divisions below the Premier League, does not scrap its proposed limits on squad sizes.
Danish bank pulls sponsorship of national team but not over Qatar 2022 human rights concerns
April 9 – Arbejdernes Landsbank, a major partner of the Danish FA (DBU), have pulled their sponsorship of the national team over the quick-loans law with concerns over the Qatar World Cup lingering in the background.
Autograph-hunting linesman banned despite donating his signed cards to autism charity
April 9 – The Romanian linesman who asked Europe’s most sought-after young player, Erling Haaland, to sign his red and yellow cards has reportedly been banned form officiating in his country’s top tier.
AEK owner Melissanidis faces life ban and points deduction for club
By Paul Nicholson
April 7 – Controversial AEK Athens owner Dimitris Melissanidis has again hit the headlines in Greece where he could be facing a life ban from football.
UEFA hands Kudela ‘token’ one match suspension for racist abuse ahead of full hearing
April 7 – Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela, who was at the centre of a racism storm last month, has been provisionally suspended for one game by UEFA ahead of a full hearing.
Hertha Berlin sack coach over homophobic and anti-migrant views
April 7 – Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin have dismissed their goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry over homophobic and anti-migrant comments that he made in an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, citing that Petry’s values were incompatible with those of the club.
Penalty happy Serbian ref jailed on match-fixing charges
April 6 – A Serbian referee has been handed a 15-month prison sentence and banned from officiating in his country for 10 years after awarding two highly suspicious penalties, one of which was described as “scandalous” by the local media.
Valencia players walk off against Cádiz after Diakhaby racially abused
April 6 – Valencia’s La Liga fixture at Cádiz on Sunday was suspended for 20 minutes after the visitors walked off the pitch in solidarity with one of their players who said he was subjected to racist abuse.
Spurs demand social media firms act after Sanchez racially trolled after Newcastle game
April 6 – Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to call on social media companies to do more to combat racist trolls after their Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez revealed abuse was directed at him following the club’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle at the weekend.
Woke(n) up: Man Utd launch SEE RED and whistleblower line; FareShare feeds 21,300+
April 3 – Manchester United have launched two Easter campaigns with compelling social action messages. Through its foundation and its co-operation with FareShare it will distribute 21,300 food hampers to families in Manchester. At the same time the club has continued its anti-discrimination campaign with the roll out of SEE RED.
Infantino buddies up with G20 anti-corruption working group
April 1 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino addressed the G20 Anti-Corruption Working Group on the final day of its video conferencing summit outlining FIFA’s battle troops in the area and offering the co-operation of the organisation.
Kroos joins call for change in Qatar but not for boycott of 2022 finals
April 1 – Real Madrid’s German international Toni Kroos has become the latest high-profile player to criticise 2022 World Cup host nation Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers – but stopped short of calling for a boycott of the tournament.
Swedish FA calls in Sportradar to boost fight against match-fixing
March 31 – Swedish football that has been rocked by match-fixing scandal and saw criminal charges issued against five individuals last December, has moved to beef up its integrity operations via an increased betting monitoring deal with Sportradar.
Belgians add voice to protests calling for change in Qatar and action against racism
March 31 – The world’s number one team Belgium wore t-shirts on Tuesday in support of migrant workers involved in building 2022 World Cup stadiums in Qatar, following other European sides in protesting for improved human rights in the Gulf state.