TV villain: Belgian football presenter Pauwels on armed robbery charges
August 31 – One of Belgium’s leading football TV presenters has been charged with being an accomplice to an armed robbery, according to prosecutors.
Old punt finds new life: creating your own football accumulator tips
August 31 – Accumulators are one of the most exciting ways to bet on football. It is an evolving betting space that is offering new opportunities and flexibility in the football space.
Napout’s pleas go unheard as Judge Chen sentences him to 9-year jail term
By Andrew Warshaw
August 30 – Six months after being found guilty, Juan Angel Napout (pictured), one of the biggest scalps in the sprawling FifaGate corruption scandal that brought the organisation to its knees, has been jailed for nine years in the latest get-tough sentence handed down by US justice authorities.
The one Red Card that did the trick
If an unindicted co-conspirator in a US federal criminal case tells you “I want to thank Gianni Infantino for being here – he’s the president of FIFA and a highly respected man,” it is a dubious honour at best. If the same unindicted co-conspirator continues to say “Let’s see, in 2026 I won’t be here [as president]. Maybe they’ll extend the term? If they don’t extend it the media is going to be very boring,
Morocco looking to Spain and Portugal for joint 2030 World Cup bid, says report
By Andrew Warshaw
August 30 – Morocco, it seems, is stopping at nothing and devising every possible scenario in its bid to finally land the World Cup.
Suwon take charge of all-Korean battle for ACL semi-final spot
August 30 – Two goals from Dejan Damjanovic (pictured) helped South Korea’s Suwon Samsung Bluewings edge closer to a place in the last four of this season’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League following a 3-0 win at domestic rivals Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors in the first leg of their quarter-final clash on Wednesday.
Getting into line: FA backs clubs to make own decisions on safe-standing
August 30 – The English Football Association has confirmed its support for clubs to have a choice over whether to bring back standing areas at their stadiums.
Polish fintech firm crosses into new territory with Welsh national team deal
August 30- Polish online currency exchange and money transfer company, Conotoxia, has secured a four-year partnership with the Wales football team, its first in the UK.
Betway adds Hannover 96 to growing European club roster
August 30 – Betway have added to their growing European football sponsorship portfolio by signing a three-year-deal to become Hannover 96’s official betting partner.
Allardyce loses complaint over press sting that cost him the England job
August 30 – An undercover newspaper investigation that led to Sam Allardyce’s exit as England manager after just 67 days was “justified in the public interest”, a report has found.
Udinese’s Mandragora given one match ban for blasphemy
August 30 – It isn’t every day that a top-flight player is banned for blasphemy but that’s what has happened in Italy where religion runs as deep as football.
SIGA to lead the sports integrity agenda at ISC convention, December 6
August 30 – The Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) has further expanded its events calendar with a partnership with the International Sports Convention (ISC), which takes place in Geneva, Switzerland, December 5-6.
Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr and North Korea’s 4.25 SC head for AFC Cup final
August 30 – Turkmenistan’s Altyn Asyr and North Korea’s 4.25 SC will meet in the Inter-Zone final of this season’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Cup after recording comfortable wins in that section of the competition’s semi-final stage.
Leaders of the free world meet; media gets a red card
By Paul Nicholson
August 29 – It was a moment worthy of the reality show star that he is and the global leader he wants to be seen as. US president Donald Trump met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino at the White House yesterday to bang the drum for the 2026 World Cup to be hosted in North America.
Al Duhail equal ACL winning streak record; Kashima Antlers push on in bid for semis
August 29 – Al Duhail and Kashima Antlers both secured vital wins on Tuesday as the first legs of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League quarter-finals continued across the continent.