Chelsea starlet Hudson-Odoi in police lockdown after rape accusation
May 19 – Chelsea and England winger Callum Hudson-Odoi has been arrested on suspicion of rape according to British press reports and confirmed by police.
Scots end season with Celtic awarded 9th consecutive title and Hearts left broken
May 18 – After weeks of turmoil, claim and counter-claim, Celtic have been crowned Scottish champions for the ninth season in a row after the Scottish Professional Football League opted to curtail the current league season despite considerable opposition – joining the likes of France, Holland and Belgium in halting fixtures because of Covid-19.
Global sports sponsorship spend to drop by 37% to $28.9bn, says report
By Paul Nicholson
May 18 – The global sports sponsorship spend looks set to fall by $17.2 billion, from $46.1 billion in 2019 to $28.9 billion (37% year-on-year decrease) in 2020 as the result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Swiss judicial crisis as former FIFA governance guru Pieth calls for ‘heavyweight’ intervention
By Andrew Warshaw
May 18 – Mark Pieth, the Swiss governance expert first brought in by FIFA to oversee its reform process, has added his voice to those calling for the head of Swiss attorney general Michael Lauber.
Ceferin aims for August completion; 2020/21 club qualifiers will be as normal
May 18 – UEFA has dismissed reports that clubs whose leagues have been prematurely cancelled this season because of Covid-19 face being placed in the preliminary rounds of European competitions.
Club Brugges confirmed as Belgian champions, Pro-League sticks to 16-team format
May 18 – Belgian football will maintain a 16-team league next season after crowning Club Brugge 2019/20 champions and relegating Waasland-Beveren, who have vowed to fight the decision in court.
MLS expands talent id programme with US Youth Soccer hook-up
May 18 – Major League Soccer (MLS), who have abandoned their academy league structure, have announced a strategic partnership with US Youth Soccer (USYS) aimed at keeping open talent development pathways.
FIFA Council to vote on 2023 Women’s World Cup hosts in June
May 18 – The 2023 Women’s World Cup host will be picked by FIFA’s ruling council on June 25.
LaLiga opens up team training to groups of 10 with June 12 restart target
May 18 – La Liga clubs were re-starting group training today as they prepare for a return to action in June after a long pause due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Serie A clubs delayed return to training over testing and quarantine protocols
May 18 – Is Calcio on the way back? Not just yet. Italian football’s return remains fraught with difficulties, a medical protocol the latest rule to thwart progression towards a restart, delaying collective training sessions.
Jamaica voids 2019/20 season at all levels, sets ‘tentative’ September date for 2020/21 start
May 18 – The Jamaican FA (JFF) has declared its 2019-20 season null and void “for all levels of competition, nationally and in the parishes with a “tentative” start date for the 2020-21 season set for September.
England’s 4th tier votes to end season, but 3rd tier Sunderland and Portsmouth want to play on
May 18 – The fourth professional tier of English football has succumbed to the inevitable and has agreed to abandon the rest of its league season.
Bundesliga goes viral as it begins Big league fightback against Covid-19
By Andrew Warshaw
May 15 – After a two-month suspension caused by Covid-19, top-flight European football is back this weekend – under vastly different circumstances, behind closed doors and only in one country, but nevertheless a significant boost for millions of sports-starved fans across the globe.
FIFA says turning a meeting with prosecutors into a criminal complaint is a ‘farce’
By Paul Nicholson
May 15 – FIFA has responded to reports of the criminal complaint filed against president Gianni Infantino with the regional prosecutor’s office in Bern, Switzerland, saying the complaint is farcical and that FIFA will not stop meeting with prosecutors in their investigations of criminal wrongdoing.
UK government clears way for PL restart but wants league to be TV accessible to nation
May 15 – The Premier League’s plans to resume the season next month have been given a boost with Britain’s Culture and Sport secretary Oliver Dowden saying the government was “opening the door” for football to return in June behind closed doors with the possibility of more accessibility to armchair fans.