By Andrew Warshaw
June 6 – FIFA has been drawn into the escalating diplomatic crisis surrounding Qatar as speculation intensifies over the extent, if any, to which the rift with its neighbours and other Arab nations might impact on preparations to stage the 2022 World Cup.
June 6 – CONCACAF has signed the Allstate Insurance Company as its Official Insurance Sponsor for all championships for the next four years. No figure has been disclosed for the deal that also included four-year renewals of deals with the MLS and the Mexican national team’s US tours.
June 6 – Tributes are pouring in following the tragic death at the age of 30 of Ivory Coast international Cheick Tiote who collapsed during a training session in China.
June 6 – Former Guatemalan FA general secretary Hector Trujillo, arrested in the US while on a Disney cruise ship with his family in Florida, has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud in the Brooklyn federal court, New York. Trujillo was arrested in the US Department of Justice probe into corruption in football.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 5 – FIFA’s controversial decision to replace its ethics and governance chiefs has burst back into the public arena, with UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin revealing that an official letter has been sent by his organisation to world football’s governing body complaining about the lack of communication over the decision-making process.
June 5 – The first football sponsorship fall-out from the cutting of diplomatic ties by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt with Qatar, has been the cancellation of Saudi club Al Ahli’s shirt deal with Qatar Airways.
June 5 – The city of Turin is recovering not only from Juventus’ heartbreaking Champions League defeat on Saturday but also from a terrifying incident in the city centre where more than 1,500 people were injured after what appeared to be a firecracker – mistaken for an explosion – provoked a stampede.
June 5 – With less than two weeks to go before the tournament starts, FIFA has secured a domestic TV deal in Russia to broadcast the 2017 Confederations Cup and 2018 World Cup with national sports channel Match-TV.
By Samindra Kunti in Cardiff
June 4 – Real Madrid were crowned European champions for a 12th time after comprehensively defeating Juventus 4-1 in the Champions League final. Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice for Madrid to retain their European title, a historic feat.
June 6 – Australian football, currently challenged by a slow moving reform process at federation level, has better news for stakeholders on the broadcast front with Ten Network announcing it has acquired the exclusive free-to-air rights to A-league and national team matches.
June 5 – A survey of UK workers asking them which football manager they would most and least like to run their office on a day-to-day basis found Chelsea’s Antonio Conte top of the pile, while toxic Jose Mourinho came bottom.
By Samindra Kunti in Cardiff
June 2 – Amid heightened security, the Welsh capital hosts the 2017 final of the Champions League on Saturday as holders Real Madrid attempt to become the first club to retain the trophy under its current guise since the competition switched from the old European Cup format 24 years ago.
June 2 – Football’s lawmaking body wants to keep the use of video replays to a minimum if they become standard practise for deciding contentious refereeing decisions.
June 1 – What is more exciting, watching a Champions League match or being a passenger in a Nissan GT-R at 250km/h driving around the iconic Spa racetrack? Champions League sponsor Nissan have compared both via their Excitement Index methodology, though one wonders if in this context it should be renamed the fear index.
By Samindra Kunti
June 2- Lyon were crowned European champions for a record equalling fourth time after edging PSG in a tense women’s Champions League final 7-6 on penalties. The loss means that PSG miss out on European play next season.