Liverpool greenlighted to take Anfield capacity to 61,000
June 16 – Liverpool have been given the green light by local authorities to press ahead with £60 million plans to redevelop Anfield Road capacity to 61,000.
Liverpool to trial of seat safety rails
June 16 – Liverpool is to trial the temporary installation of seats with safety rails in two areas of the Anfield stadium next season following a safety review by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA).
AFC names 22 nations for final round of Asian Cup 2023 qualifying
June 16 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has today confirmed 22 teams who in the next round of qualifiers for its blue riband Asian Cup, to be held in China in 2023. Four others will have to play off for the final two places in qualifying.
France off to a flyer after Greenpeace protester crash lands in Munich
June 16 – World champions France defeated Germany 1-0 in the most anticipated match of Euro 2020’s group stages, but before the several people were injured by a Greenpeace protester who parachuted into the stadium.
£838m mistake? Forget the ESL, report finds real cash value lies in Big 6 club fan bases
June 16 – A new survey released this week suggests that the Big 6 clubs who pursued new European Super League (ESL) riches should be looking closer to home for a significant and less stressful push for more money.
AC Milan gets card sharp with Repx licensing deal
June 16 – Serie A’s AC Milan have signed a new licensing partnership with UK fintech company Repx, which will see the launch of a new debit card on the Repx platform.
Asian Qualifying goes to the wire tonight with Qatar 2022 and Asian Cup slots on the line
By Paul Nicholson
June 15 – The Asian Qualifiers for the Qatar 2022 World Cup final groups and automatic entry for 12 teams to the 2023 Asian Cup will be decided tonight across the AFC region as the preliminary rounds go down to the wire with some big names still looking to secure places in the next stage.
Eriksen: UEFA says no pressure on players to return, but only 2 options to complete game
June 15 – Under fire from players, fans, pundits and sections of the media for sanctioning the resumption of the Denmark-Finland Euro 2020 fixture so soon after Christian Eriksen’s shocking cardiac arrest, UEFA has sprung to its own defence by insisting the teams were not placed under any pressure.
Bilbao set for €1.3m compensation for loss of Euro 2020 hosting; but no handout for Dublin
June 15 – UEFA looks poised to agree €1.3 million in compensation to Bilbao for the late removal of Euro 2020 hosting from the Basque city’s San Mamés stadium to Seville. The decision was taken once it became clear Bilbao would not allow spectators at matches.
Euro 2020: North Macedonia files complaint over Arnautović’s ‘insulting’ goal celebration
June 15 – Just a few days into the multi-venue Euros and the spectre of nationalism is hanging over the tournament. Following the Ukraine shirt debacle prior to the competition which so irked Russia and prompted an official protest, North Macedonia is the latest team to be at the centre of historic political divisions.
Euro 2020: Wembley to open up to 45,000 fans for knock-out rounds
June 15 – Wembley will be allowed to host up to 45,000 fans for the semi-finals and final of the European Championship after the stadium was granted an exemption from a delay in the easing of Covid-19 restrictions.
AFC gets ‘creative’ with FFA to secure ViacomCBS deal in Aussie
June 15 – Football Australia has picked up the broadcast rights to all the AFC’s rights in partnership with its new broadcast partner, 10 ViacomCBS. It has been a good week for the Aussies who saw their men’s team guarantee a slot in the Asian Cup 2023 and the final group rounds of World Cup qualifying.
Conmebol pays special tribute to life of Maradonna
June 15 – Diego Maradona’s life was honoured by Conmebol in a special tribute ahead of Argentina’s Copa America opener against Chile that finished 1-1.
UEFA takes first steps towards blockchain and crypto with AntChain deal
June 15 – UEFA has agreed a five year global partnership for blockchain technology with AntChain, the blockchain subsidiary of Ant Group which also owns AliPay, who are already three years into an eight year sponsorship with UEFA.
Official: Messi is a rock star, a Hard Rock one
June 15 – Argentina and FC Barcelona star Lionel Messi will be a brand ambassador for Hard Rock in a five-year deal to mark the 50th anniversary of the brand.