Sigurdsson sale not enough to prevent dive into loss for relegated Swansea
By David Owen
April 22 – Swansea City have reported a pre-tax loss of £3.2 million for the year to 31 July 2018, the club’s relegation season.
Newcastle repay £33m of debt to owner Ashley
By David Owen
April 19 – Newcastle United, the north-east club seemingly assured now of retaining its place in the Premier League for at least one more season, has repaid £33 million of the debt owed to owner Mike Ashley (pictured).
African social media comment turns up pressure on Ahmad as document details charges
By Paul Nicholson
April 18 – The pressure on CAF president Ahmad Ahmad is not relenting as social media networks in Africa and increasingly worldwide are sharing a document that purports to be part of the complaint sent to FIFA Ethics on Ahmad’s conduct.
Cape Verde’s Semedo says CAF payments to personal account are legal, annual and not corrupt
April 18 – One of the African countries caught up in the scandal over the activities of CAF president Ahmad Ahmad has denied reports that its boss received personal payments authorised by Ahmad.
Delaney debacle casts shadow over Britain and Ireland 2030 World Cup bid
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – A joint British and Irish bid to stage the 2030 World Cup has been handed a potential setback following the demise of former Football Association of Ireland (FAI) chief executive John Delaney.
Juve are out but Italian battle for Champions League rights is on
April 18 – Mediaset are on the verge of wrestling the free-to-air rights for the Champions League from Italian state broadcaster RAI in a two-year deal with Sky Italia.
Valencia sell land to enable new Mestalla build to restart
April 18 – Spanish club Valencia will restart their efforts to complete the construction of their new stadium after they accepted a $128 million offer for the Mestalla stadium plot from local co-operative ADU Mediterráneo.
Champions League drama, VAR controversy and away goals rule sends Spurs into semis
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – For the second night running, the Champions League threw up the most extraordinary of stories as underdogs Tottenham Hotspur, without their injured talisman Harry Kane, went through to the semi-finals in remarkable circumstances against the might of big-spending Manchester City after one of the most stirring, nerve-wracking ties in the history of club football.
France 2019 World Cup ticket sales top 700,000
April 18 – With just 50 days to go until the kick off the Women’s World Cup in France, new ticket sales records are being set with more than 720,000 tickets sold.
CAF continue cover-up as Ahmad cleans house and FIFA remains silent
By Andrew Warshaw
April 17 – Almost a full week after the second most powerful official in African football was sacked from his post, paying the price for corruption allegations swirling around his boss, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has finally acknowledged the change in a brief statement – but without any mention of the circumstances involved.
North and South Koreas still on course for joint 2023 Women’s World Cup bid
April 17 – A potential landmark joint bid from North and South Korea for the 2023 Women’s World Cup remains very much in the race
Ajax beat the odds and Juventus to reach Champions League semis
April 17 – They began their challenge back in the qualifying rounds when they were 250 to 1 outsiders. But now Ajax of Amsterdam, the pioneers of total football back in the 1970s, are just one round and two matches away from an unlikely place in this season’s Champions League final.
AFC draws teams for first round of Qatar 2020 qualifying
April 17 – The draw for the first phase of Asia’s qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup finals was made on Wednesday despite the fact that the continent doesn’t know for sure how many teams will be represented in Qatar.
2020 Olympic tournament to kick off in Sapporo two days before opening ceremony
By David Owen
April 17 – The schedule for the men’s and women’s Olympic football tournaments next year in Japan has been published, with the sport getting up and running as usual well before the official opening ceremony for the Games.
FIFA to send fact-finding team to Pakistan as PFF power struggle continues
April 17 – World governing body FIFA is to send a fact-finding mission to Pakistan to assess the administrative crisis in the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), but the FIFA delegation seems unlikely to issues sanctions preventing Pakistan from taking part in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.