Van Dijk ends speculation, boosts Liverpool by signing new deal
April 17 – Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk has ended speculation over his future by signing a new two-year contract, extending his stay at Anfield until the summer of 2027.
Man City continue to lag behind in Premier League attendance table
April 17 – Matchweek 32 in the Premier League saw stadiums filled to an impressive average of 97.98% capacity, maintaining what has become the norm for much of the season. Yet, behind the headline figure, a more nuanced picture is emerging — particularly at the Etihad.
CIES reveals most experienced young players
April 17 – To mark the publication of its 500th Weekly Post, the CIES Football Observatory has turned its data lens on the next generation — highlighting the young players already amassing significant match experience in senior football before even turning 24.
MLS bets on Kitman Labs partnership to modernise player development
April 17 – Major League Soccer has deepened its relationship with performance intelligence firm Kitman Labs in a move that could help stitch together a more coherent player development pathway across the United States and Canada — from academy level through to the first team.
PSG extend Visit Rwanda deal despite growing concerns
April 17 – Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and Visit Rwanda have extended their partnership until 2028 despite growing concern over the actions of Paul Kagame’s regime.
Club Leon boss slams FIFA and Infantino over Club World Cup
April 17 – Club Leon manager Eduardo Berizzo has blasted FIFA and its President Gianni Infantino over his side’s exclusion from the Club World Cup because of multiple-club ownership rules.
FIFA hails ‘one million volunteers’ on revamped programme
April 17 – FIFA says its revamped volunteer programme has now passed the one million mark since its launch in December 2020. However, while the organisation celebrates growing numbers, the reality on the ground in some host cities paints a more complex picture.
Arsenal show maturity to march into Champions League semi-finals
April 17 – With an outstanding away performance and a late Gabriel Martinelli strike, Arsenal defeated Real Madrid 2-1 to eliminate the European champions 5-1 on aggregate from the Champions League.
Levski Sofia announce two-year NostroLux deal
April 17 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia has signed a two-year sponsorship agreement with the online retail company NostroLux. The agreement will come into effect in August this year, when the new season starts in Bulgaria.
Villarreal CF expands youth soccer presence with New Idaho Academy
April 17 – Spain’s Villarreal CF continues its quiet infiltration of the US youth soccer market with the opening of an academy in Hailey, Idaho—marking the club’s 14th affiliated academy in North America.
Tevez plots one last Messi v Ronaldo showdown
April 17 – Former Argentine great Carlos Tevez is planning his farewell game in Buenos Aires, and hopes to include former teammates Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Barcelona to go “Sicko Mode” with Travis Scott
April 17 – FC Barcelona’s sponsorship with music streaming giant Spotify continues to blend football with music, with the upcoming El Clasico against Real Madrid on May 11 seeing the club feature Travis Scott branding on their iconic Blaugrana shirt.
Union Berlin promise football that puts you to sleep
April 17 – FC Union Berlin’s main sponsor HomeToGo has dreamed up a novel way for supporters to spend more time at their beloved Stadion An der Alten Försterei – by letting them literally spend the night there.
AFC calls on FIFA to speed up ruling on Palestine’s Israeli complaint, filed a year ago
April 16 – The Asian Football Confederation has again expressed unity in its support for the Palestine FA and called for FIFA to respond swiftly to the complaint against the Israeli FA (IFA) calling for it to be sanctioned with a suspension.
Brazil’s CBF extends Sportradar deal in battle against match-fixing
April 17 – With accusations of match-fixing now commonplace in the Brazilian club game, the Brazilian FA (CBF) has extended its integrity partnership with Sportradar Integrity & Regulatory Services, in a bid to enhance efforts to combat match-fixing in Brazilian football.