QNET keeps ‘direct selling’ partnership with Man City in new 3-year deal
July 7 – Premier League Manchester City have renewed their global partnership with Asian direct selling company QNET for another three years to 2020.
Ceferin ponders club salary cap but rules out VAR for UEFA comps
By Andrew Warshaw
July 6 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin believes a salary cap, which for many years has been widely debated in forums across European football, might be the only viable solution to stemming the increasing gap between the haves and have-nots.
Transfer trends: Turkey attracts club buyers as South American imports lose their lustre
July 7 – Premier League clubs are least likely to buy from each other in the transfer window and Manchester City have spent £1.14 billion on players over the past 10 years of which only 35% has stayed in England.
TV scheduling row: Game, set and match to FIFA in Wimbledon clash
July 6 – FIFA says it will not back down after scheduling next year’s World Cup final kickoff in Russia on the same afternoon as the Wimbledon men’s tennis final.
Money talk: AFC gathers leagues for forum on financial sustainability
July 6 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) brought its top leagues together earlier this week for a forum that put financial stability at the top of the agenda. The meeting was organised as part of the AFC League Development Programme.
Rangers’ tax case loss prompts Celtic to renew call for review of 5 of their SPL titles
July 6 – Fierce adversaries on and off the pitch, it is little surprise that Scottish champions Celtic have waded into the tax avoidance case surrounding Glasgow rivals Rangers.
Toyota race to start line with last-minute Gold Cup sponsorship deal
July 6 – With 48 hours to go before the kick-off of the Gold Cup at The Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey, CONCACAF have announced another last-minute sponsorship sale with Toyota coming on board as the Official Motor Vehicle of the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
All ends in tears as disputed penalty proves too much for Chairman Meng
July 6 – The pain and anguish of a disputed penalty awarded deep into injury time were too much for fans and officials of China League One side Baoding Rongda. The match officials were attacked by fans and officials on Saturday, whilst a tearful Chairman told the press in a post-match interview the club would be withdrawn from the league.
Tanzania progress on the pitch success but corruption chaos rages behind the scenes
By Mark Baber
July 5 – Whilst on the pitch Tanzania are playing Zambia this evening in the COSAFA semi-finals, off the pitch the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) has been thrown into chaos by last week’s arrest of its president Jamal Malinzi (pictured), secretary general Mwesiga Celestine and accountant Ms Nsiande Mwanga on corruption allegations.
Rex Sport Academy joins with Cardenal Herrera Uni for new sports law master course
July 5 – Sports law association Rex Sport has joined with the CEU Cardinal Herrera University in Valencia, Spain, to launch an Online Master in International Sports Law.
India, preparing for U17 World Cup hosting, sets sights on U20 event as the next step
By Samindra Kunti
July 5 – The All India Football Federation, the AIFF, has expressed its interest in hosting the FIFA Under 20 World Cup in 2019. India is preparing to stage the U17 World Cup later this year in October.
Maradona offers himself to Russia, but some overtures are rejected
July 5 – Diego Maradona is at it again, stirring up controversy with outlandish comments and prompting all manner of media headlines.
Rangers crash out in Luxembourg as former owners are hammered in tax court
July 5 – How are the once mighty fallen. In one of the biggest club upsets of recent European seasons, Scotland’s Rangers were knocked out of the Europa League qualifying competition on Tuesday by part-time Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn.
Deportivo cuts debt burden by €45m and opens door to raised salary cap
July 5 – La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña has restructured its crippling debt mountain with a €45 million loan-cum-sponsorship with financial institution Abanca.
With wedding celebration in full swing, Messi renews his vows with Barca
July 5 – Rumours of Lionel Messi’s possible departure from Barcelona have been well and truly crushed after the Argentine superstar agreed a contract extension which will keep him at his boyhood club until 2021.