April 17 – Animal welfare groups have condemned footage of a Russian performing bear delivering the ball to a referee before a third division match between Mashuk-KMV and Angusht in Pyatigorsk.
By Paul Nicholson
April 16 – The election for the new president of the Liberian FA (LFA) at its 34th Annual Congress was dramatically suspended at the weekend after the first round of voting when a court order was issued questioning the eligibility of Musa Shannon, already a serving LFA vice president.
April 16 – It was only a matter of time but few, even among their own players and fans, expected Manchester City to be crowned English Premier League champions without even playing on Sunday.
April 16 – A betting firm which offered odds on an English non-league player eating a pie on camera during a high-profile cup match has been fined £84,000.
April 16 – Italian goalkeeping legend Gianluigi Buffon remains unrepentant following his tirade about English referee Michael Oliver whose decision to award Real Madrid a stoppage-time penalty last week wrecked Juventus’ dreams of Champions League success.
April 16 – Arsene Wenger, the longest-serving manager in the English Premier League, says the decision not to implement video assistant referees next season is a serious retrograde step that flies in the face of progress.
April 16 – Premier League Huddersfield Town, who took a vital three points towards top division safety this weekend, will next year be switching the kit supply deal back to Umbro, ending their current deal with Puma.
April 15 – Tottenham Hotspur has extended its deal with online gaming brand FUN88 which stays as the club’s Official Betting Partner in Asia and Latin America.
By Paul Nicholson
April 14 – South American confederation CONMEBOL has pledged the votes of its 10 member associations to the United 2026 bid (Canada, Mexico and the US). Their announcement gives the North Americans a timely boost with FIFA’s 2026 bid evaluation committee having just completed their four-city tour of North America, and now heading to bid rival Morocco.
April 13 – Despite football’s lawmakers giving it the thumbs up and the system being used at the World Cup, English Premier League clubs have voted not to use video assistant referees next season.
April 13 – He is remaining tight-lipped about details of the $25 billion buyout offer for the Club World Cup and a global Nations League, but FIFA president Gianni Infantino was keen to expand on his plans for the Club World Cup.
April 13 – Thailand’s women became the second Asian Football Confederation (AFC) nation to qualify for the France 2019 Women’s World Cup with a 3-1 win over the Philippines that also put them into the semi-finals of the Asian Women’s Cup currently being played in Jordan.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 13 – Ever since Qatar was awarded the 2022 World Cup, the Gulf state has consistently played down the possibility that matches might be shared with its neighbours.
April 13 – Real Madrid have been drawn against Bayern Munich in the semi-finals of the Champions League as they continue their quest of trying to become the first team for over 40 years to win the title three times in a row and the first in the tournament’s current guise.
By Samindra Kunti
April 13 – Ledman Sports, a subsidiary of Ledman Electronics, from China has gained control over Brazilian club Nacional from Manaus for the next 20 years. The Chinese will take over the running of the club with a $1 million fee for the partnership being paid.