Iranian Koosha Delshad quits Brazil’s Clube Comercial de Paiui after one game
February 6 – Iranian coach Koosha Delshad has resigned from Brazilian club Piaui following racist abuse.
Real Madrid face Al Ahly, Flamengo meet Al Hilal in Club World Cup semis
February 5 – Al Ahly and Al Hilal have completed the lineup of the Club World Cup semi-finals where the African champions will play Real Madrid and the Asian champions Flamengo of Brazil.
Doubts over whether Nigerian ‘billionaire’ has the cash for a £90m punt on Sheffield Utd
By Paul Nicholson
February 3 – Touted as a Nigerian billionaire, on closer examination Dozy Mmobuosi, who is close to a reported £90 million takeover of Sheffield United, looks to be very far from it.
Civil unrest forces Peru to restart Liga1 behind closed doors
February 3 – Peru’s top-flight division kicks off this weekend behind closed doors following a two-week suspension because of the civil unrest that has reportedly cost more than 50 lives.
Police drop attempted rape charges against Man Utd’s Mason Greenwood
February 3 – Manchester United forward Mason Greenwood has had all criminal charges against him dropped, police and prosecutors said on Thursday, and will no longer face charges of attempted rape and assault.
Messi refuses to rule out 2026, but he is definitely in for Copa America 2024 in US
February 3 – World Cup winner Lionel Messi did not shut the door on returning to the biggest stage of all, but said he was not sure he can still bring what it takes at the 2026 World Cup. The Argentinean will be 39 at the start of the next World Cup.
Belgian champions Club Brugge’s 16-year wait for a new stadium delayed again by city planners
February 3 – Belgian champions Club Brugge will have to wait longer for a new stadium after their plans for a new stadium again fell foul of city planners.
AFC sets up professional football task force to oversee major revision of club comps
February 3 – The AFC Executive Committee has set up a dedicated AFC Professional Football Task Force to oversee the changes in the region’s club initiated by the AFC Competitions Committee last year.
OneFootball and DAZN test new ground with live football PPV distribution deal
February 3 – Sports streaming leaders DAZN and OneFootball have struck a distribution deal that will widen the reach of DAZN content in Germany and Austria via OneFootball’s network.
777 Partners agrees 5-year deal to take control of Melbourne Victory
February 3 – Melbourne Victory shareholders have backed a proposal that will allow US private equity investor 777 Partners to own up to a 70% stake in the club within five years.
Spurs line up SA Tourism for sleeve sponsorship, sign Exalt as nutrition partner
February 3 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur have signed up Exalt as its Official Sports Nutrition Drink Supplier, while the club is close to closing a sponsorship deal with the South African ministry of tourism.
AFC expands new competition agenda with OFC hook-up
February 3 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC) have signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a view to exploring future competitions for national teams.
FIFA revises Disciplinary and Ethics codes with a focus on sexual abuse and match-fixing
February 3 – FIFA has beefed up its integrity regulations with new editions of its Disciplinary Code and Code of Ethics. Although the new rules were passed by the FIFA Council on December 20, they only came into force on February 1.
FIFA under fire over proposed Saudi state tourist board sponsorship of WWC 2023
February 2 – On the same day that Saudi Arabia were confirmed as hosts of the 2027 Asian Cup, the Arab Kingdom faced criticism over rumours of the country’s tourism body’s sponsorship of the 2023 Women’s World Cup by human rights groups, who called it “a textbook case of sportswashing”.
Tebas says Premier League is ‘financially doped’ and is damaging other European leagues
February 2 – LaLiga boss Javier Tebas (pictured) has again criticised the Premier League, saying the English top flight is “financially doped” after England’s top 20 clubs spent a combined record $1 billion in the recent transfer window, easily outspending Europe’s other big four leagues multiple times.