By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber is facing calls for his resignation amidst accusations that the entire Swiss criminal justice system has been undermined over the botched 2006 World Cup tax fraud investigation. The case briefly came to trial following a five-year investigation but has now controversially collapsed.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino is once again facing allegations of wrongdoing in his dealings with Switzerland’s under-fire attorney general Michael Lauber over a tv rights contract he handled when he worked as UEFA’s legal affairs director.
April 28 – When it comes to standing on wallets UEFA clearly has a much bigger one than FIFA. Hours after FIFA announced a $150 million Covid-19 support package for its 211 member associations, UEFA trumped them by more than $85 million, releasing €236.5 million to help its 55 member associations.
April 28 – As a fourth English top-flight team, Tottenham Hotspur, opened part of their training ground for light exercises on an individual basis, plans to resume the Premier League season are being stepped up in what has been labelled ‘Project Restart’.
April 28 – LaLiga will have more flexibility in negotiating its broadcast deals following the Spanish government’s scrapping of a three-year licensing restriction on TV rights contracts.
April 28 – Teams will be able to use up to five substitutes instead of the usual three under a new “temporary dispensation” proposal from FIFA to help with congested schedules and player overload.
April 28 – Argentina has become the latest country to cancel its domestic league as a consequence of the global health crisis.
April 28 – The importance of scoring the first goal is highlighted in a 92-league analysis by the CIES Football Observatory that found the team scoring first generally goes on to win in about 70% of matches.
April 28 – Liverpool’s projected £60 million expansion of their Anfield Road stadium is being placed on hold for at least a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
April 28 – Following a meeting of EU leaders and government ministers in charge of sport, SIGA chairman Franco Frattini and CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros have written an Open Letter to the meeting participants encouraging them to ensure sports integrity is part of the package of support that the EU is planning to provide to member states.
By David Owen
April 28 – Robert Herbin, who was a key player in one great Saint-Etienne team and coach of another, has died at the age of 81. Born in Paris, the tactically-astute defensive midfielder played 23 times for France, but it was his exploits with the team in green that came to epitomise French football in the 1960s and 1970s for which he will be remembered.
By Paul Nicholson
April 27 – Qatar is preparing a bid for the 2027 Asian Cup, the AFC’s flagship national men’s team competition, according to local sources. The bid will put the Qataris into direct competition with Saudi Arabia who have confirmed that they will be bidding for 2027.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 27 – Any chance of Dutch football finishing the season is over after the 2019-20 campaign was officially wound up due to the coronavirus pandemic with those in favour and against expressing strong views over the decision.
By Samindra Kunti
April 27 – Belgium’s Pro League has again postponed the decision to rubber-stamp Club Brugge’s coronation as champions because of the evolving lockdown measures in the country. A return to action, however, remains improbable and contradicts a previous recommendation to cancel the season.
April 27 – Italy, the worst hit country in Europe by Covid-19, has given the green light for Serie A clubs to return to individual training on May 4 and team training on May 18 after prime minister Giuseppe Conte announced the first tentative steps in lifting the country’s harsh coronavirus restrictions.