Benfica ranks as world’s best player development club
October 31 – Portugal’s Benfica has been unveiled as the world leader in player training, according to stats generated by the CIES Football Observatory.
Premier League attendances hit average 98.5% capacity for match week 9
October 31 – Arsenal, Brentford, Brighton, Leicester City and West Ham all achieved season-best attendances in Match Week nine as the Premier League looked to bounce back from a disappointing fortnight in the stands.
Klopp rebuts criticism of Red Bull role saying he can’t keep everyone happy all the time
October 31 – Jurgen Klopp has defended his decision to head up Red Bull’s group of clubs, saying he “didn’t want to step on anybody’s toes” and that it was difficult to take a job where “everyone is happy”.
PSG told to close one stand as penalty for homophobic fans’ chanting
October 31 – Paris St Germain will have to partially close a stand at their Parc des Princes stadium when they host Toulouse on November 22 after being sanctioned over homophobic chanting during a match earlier this month.
2025 Gold Cup final to be played in Houston at NRG Stadium
October 31 – Houston’s NRG Stadium, one of the most regular stops on the Concacaf Gold Cup circuit, will host the 2025 Gold Cup final next July 7.
FC Schalke 04’s suffering continues as revenue halves and performances are poor
October 31 – Seven-time Bundesliga champions, FC Schalke 04, have lurched from one crisis to another over the last five years as financial problems have crippled one of Germany’s most historic clubs. With the financial results from the period January 1 to June 30 just released, the picture remains cloudy.
Serbia’s Partizan Belgrade forced to cut costs as debt rises to €45m+
October 31 – The new president of Serbian giants Partizan Belgrade, Rasim Ljajić (pictured), has announced that the club has accumulated colossal debts and that Partizan’s expenses must be kept to a minimum for the club to survive.
Big Red bangs the republican drum
October 31 – It has been said many times that sport and politics don’t mix, however, former USMNT star, and current Fox Sports pundit, Alexi Lalas is challenging that convention in a controversial way.
Reynolds and McElhenney hydrate their Welsh portfolio with Wrexham Lager acquisition
October 31 – Ever since purchasing Wrexham AFC, actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney have developed a knack for keeping their club in the news despite sitting a mile away from the publicity provided by the Premier League.
UEFA act swiftly to take note of player welfare concerns, handing Fifpro an exco slot
October 30 – In a landmark move, global players’ union Fifpro are to be handed a place on UEFA’s executive committee after agreeing a partnership which the union said will “increase the voice of players in European football governance.”
FIFA find first sponsor partner for CWC 2025 with Hisense coming onboard with just 7 months to kick-off
October 30 – With less than a year to go to the Club World Cup in the US in 2025, FIFA has at last managed to secure a commercial sponsorship partner.
Copa Libertadores semi final switched to Uruguay’s Centenario Stadium for increased fan safety
October 30 – South American governing body Conmebol have moved the semi-final of the Copa Libertadores between Penarol and Botafogo to the Centenario Stadium to allow visiting supporters to attend the match.
French court ruling keeps struggling Girondins de Bordeaux in the battle to stay alive
October 30 – Girondins de Bordeaux secured a much-needed lifeline on Tuesday, allowing the club to continue operations following a commercial court ruling.
Wrexham success keeps building, with plans now for stadium expansion
October 30 – Wrexham AFC have appointed world-leading stadium architects Populous to develop a masterplan for the club’s STōK Cae Ras Stadium (the racecourse Ground), starting with the redesign of the new 5,500-capacity Kop Stand.
Euro 25: 14 nations win through for final round of qualifiers for Swiss finals
By Samindra Kunti in Leuven
October 30 – Belgium, Norway, Sweden, Portugal, Wales and Ireland were among the teams to progress to the final round of the Euro 2025 playoffs with the seven last tickets at stake for the tournament in Switzerland.