May 30 – With FIFA’s ruling Council meeting in Paris on Monday, UEFA have been quick to bring their representation on the decision-making body up to its full quota of eight by electing veteran Frenchman Noel le Graet to replace the disgraced Reinhard Grindel.
By Samindra Kunti in Baku, Azerbaijan
May 30 – Chelsea demolished London rivals Arsenal to win the Europa League 4-1 after a soporific first-half and a 23-minute second-half onslaught that left Arsenal reeling and reflecting on a failed season. The North Londoners will miss out on Champions League football for a fourth consecutive season.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 30 – Supporters of African football chief Ahmad Ahmad are rallying around their under-fire president ahead of next week’s Confederation of African Football regional summit in Paris and the full FIFA Congress the following day.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 30 – Yet another high-profile former FIFA bigwig has been thrown out of the game, making a mockery of the suggestion that corruption is over among those who have served football’s world governing body.
May 30 – Just days before he takes his place among the great and the good (and not so good) of African football – if he turns up, that is – Nigerian FA chief Amaju Pinnick, a strong ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and a constant figure of controversy, has been ordered to appear in court on July 1 along with four colleagues to answer charges of alleged misappropriation of funds.
May 30 – Switzerland’s 20 first and second division clubs have unanimously turned their backs on much-publicised plans to overhaul the Champions League as fears over a split between leagues and clubs intensifies.
May 30 – Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Ahmad says a special committee has been set up to deal with security issues at the Africa Cup of Nations in Egypt next month.
By Paul Nicholson
May 30 – The European football business has never had it so good. Latest data from Deloittes puts the overall market value at a record €28.4 billion, driven primarily by a 6% rise in revenues across the increasingly dominant Big 5 European leagues and their ‘super’ clubs to €15.6 billion.
May 30 – The line-up for the Edinburgh Sports Conference, September 5-6 – titled ‘The Future of Football Transfers and Players’ Agents’ – will have Neymar Snr as one of its keynote attractions.
May 30 – Manchester City have announced a global partnership with Chinese liquor brand JNC which becomes the Club’s Official Baijiu Partner.
By Samindra Kunit in Baku, Azerbaijan
May 29 – At last the long journey and wait have come to an end. Tonight a London derby in Baku will decide the winner of the 2019 Europa League in a final that will be remembered by all involved for all the right or wrong reasons.
May 29 – Madrid authorities are launching a massive security operation ahead of Saturday’s all-English Champions League final as thousands of Liverpool and Tottenham fans converge on the Spanish capital.
May 29 – Chelsea’s preparations for the first of this week’s two all-English European finals have been overshadowed by reports that manager Maurizio Sarri appeared to storm out of a pre-match training session in Baku.
May 29 – Spanish reports claim Real Madrid’s former international defender Raul Bravo is the suspected ringleader of a damaging match-fixing operation that hit the headlines this week and has rocked Spanish football.
May 29 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has taken the rare step of banning a World Cup referee for six months for poor officiating in the Continent’s showpiece Champions League final.