Saudi 2034 bid under fire for its ‘mega polluting’ proposals
August 8 – Rights group Fossil Free Football has called Saudi Arabia’s 2034 World Cup plans ‘mega polluting’ after FIFA released the country’s bid book last week.
French Ligue2 clubs grow opposition to Friday night match scheduling
August 8 – The decision to reschedule French Ligue 2 fixtures from Saturday evenings to Friday nights has sparked an increasing backlash, with USL Dunkerque becoming the latest club to voice its concerns.
Lucozade signs up to aid Liverpool recovery
August 8 – Liverpool have announced Lucozade as the club’s official sports hydration partner on a multi-year deal as the British drinks brand moves to re-establish its presence with the club, which it first partnered with in 2010.
England’s far-right rioters face stadium bans as season kicks-off this weekend
August 8 – Far-right rioters who have taken part in a week of violence across the UK could be barred from football matches.
Players strike at Vietnamese club Thanh Hoa over $640K in unpaid wages
August 8 – Players at a leading Vietnamese club have gone on strike over unpaid salaries and bonuses, a rare move in Asian football.
Romanian city of Iasi commits to €113m new stadium
August 8 – Mihai Chirica, mayor of the Romanian city of Iasi, has said he is restarting the project to build a new stadium in the city Iasi, which is located close to the Moldovan border.
Belgium’s Aalst expelled from regional league over failure to find a suitable stadium
August 8 – Eendracht Aalst, who play in the second tier of Belgian football in a regional league, have been removed from competition by Voetbal Vlaa after mismanagement resulted in the Flemish club losing access to a suitable pitch.
StarGames expands its German footprint with Dortmund deal
August 8 – German Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund have agreed a multi-year premium partner deal with online gaming company StarGames as the online betting platform looks to elevate exposure within the European market with the eight-time Bundesliga champions.
SIGA brings its Women’s Leadership Forum to Europe
August 8 – Having organised the recent editions of its SIGA Summits on Female Leadership in Sport in the US, SIGA have announced the debut of the SIGAWomen Leadership Forum which will be held in Portugal on September 11.
Rodri and Morata handed one-game bans for anti-English political hate chant
August 7 – Spanish internationals Rodri and Alvaro Morata have both been handed a one-game ban by UEFA over chants they made regarding the sovereignty of Gibraltar and which were a direct taunt at England.
Red Bull buys into Asia with acquisition of Omiya Ardija in Japan
August 7 – Red Bull has announced a new addition to its growing football club portfolio, turning to the Japanese J-League as it branches out into club ownership in the Asian region for the first time.
Genius Sports renews Premier League betting data rights for further 5 years
August 7 – Genius Sports has renewed its agreement with Football DataCo, extending their official data partnership until 2029.
Roadkill: Boozed up Polish VAR officials stood down from UCL tie after stealing road sign
August 7 – Two Polish referees were stood down at the 11th hour from Tuesday’s Champions League match between Dynamo Kyiv and Rangers after they were reportedly arrested for drunkenly stealing a road sign.
Aussie FA boss Johnson hits back at comments that Matildas were ‘pampered’ at Olympics
August 7 – Football Australia Chief Executive James Johnson has hit back at suggestions the women’s national team are “pampered” amid intense scrutiny following their group phase elimination at the Paris Olympics.
Monaco plug in Renault on front of shirt for centenary and UCL campaign
August 7 – Champions League-bound AS Monaco have announced Renault as the club’s major sponsor partner, with the side set to don the Renault logo for all of their upcoming UEFA Champions League and Ligue1 matches this season.