West Ham lead ranking with Match Day 25 attendance double
February 21 – West Ham United again led the way in the Premier League attendance table, recording a season-high 99.94% capacity at the London Stadium.
Report says US is not ready to host the Greatest Show on Earth
February 21 – The United States is about to embark upon hosting the two biggest sporting events on the planet, in the form of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, and in 2028 the Olympic Games. However, according to a report released on Wednesday, the country is wholly unprepared for the burdens these events will place on its aging infrastructure.
DAZN says it was duped by France’s Ligue 1 and demands €573m in compensation
February 21 – Sports broadcaster DAZN can’t keep itself out of the news in one way or another. Hot on the heels of agreeing to a billion-dollar investment from the Saudi Public Investment Fund, they are now embroiled in a row with Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP).
AFC unveils Saudi stadia for Champions League Elite finals as clubs go into Round of 16
February 28 – With the AFC Champions League Elite entering the first leg of last 16 stage in 10 days time, the Asian confederation has announced the host stadiums of the centralised final in Saudi Arabia.
Bulgarian tax collectors lift seizure of Levski Sofia’s trademarks after club settles debt
February 2 – The Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA) has lifted the seizure of two of Levski Sofia’s club logos after the club paid its state taxes.
The NRA has now designated Levski as a “correct payer”, meaning that the club can now freely use its trademarks without any restrictions.
Brazilian stars complain that artificial turf pitches increase injury threat
February 21 – With drought and water shortages occurring worldwide, artificial turf is seen as one way to combat the crisis, however, leading figures in the game, including Brazilian superstars Neymar, Thiago Silva, and Memphis Depay, are not so sure.
Reitz tops CIES Football Observatory list of U23 defensive midfielders
February 20 – The latest report from the CIES Football Observatory, using technical data from Wyscout, has identified the top U23 defensive midfielders across 46 leagues worldwide. Borussia Mönchengladbach’s Rocco Reitz leads the rankings, edging out Barcelona’s Marc Casadó and Genk’s Ibrahima Sory Bangoura.
LaLiga publishes squad cost limits following low spending winter window
February 20 – LaLiga has published its latest squad cost limits (SCL) following the winter transfer window, with FC Barcelona receiving the biggest economic increase – a €37.2m upward adjustment.
Costly sackings prove how important Champions League is to Manchester United
February 20 – The decision to sack manager Erik ten Hag, his staff and sporting director Dan Ashworth cost Manchester United £14.5 million in compensation, the club revealed when announcing their latest financial results.
Coca-Cola makes Powerade move in US in bid to regain market share from Gatorade
February 20 – Coca-Cola has confirmed it will replace BodyArmor with Powerade as the official sports drink of Major League Soccer (MLS) and U.S. Soccer. The beverage giant, a long-standing partner of football’s biggest tournaments, is backing Powerade’s resurgence to attract younger consumers while aiming to wrestle back market share from Gatorade.
Real Madrid’s Bellingham escapes with two-match ban for ‘disrespecting’ referee
February 20 – Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has been banned for two domestic games for “disrespect” to the referee who sent him off at Osasuna, but avoided a longer ban for allegedly swearing at the official.
Unopposed Kamanga to serve third term as Zambian FA president
February 20 – Andrew Kamanga has been re-elected for a four-year term as president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) after running unopposed.
Mbappé brilliance earns Real Madrid Champions League last-16 berth
February 20 – Kylian Mbappé notched a sumptuous hattrick in Real Madrid’s 3-1 second leg win over Manchester City on Wednesday evening to secure the Spanish giants berth in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv must play four games behind closed doors for delegate attack
February 20 – The Bulgarian Football Union’s (BFU) Disciplinary Committee has ordered Lokomotiv Plovdiv to play four matches behind closed doors and to partially close their stands for one game after their ultras attacked a match delegate last weekend.
LAFC’s Giroud becomes latest high-profile sports star to have home burgled
February 20 – High-profile sports stars are increasingly targets for burglars and LAFC striker Oliver Giroud is the latest victim, as he lost approximately $500,000 worth of jewellery when his Los Angeles home was burgled earlier this month.