By David Owen
May 27 – It would be difficult to make the case ahead of Saturday’s Champions League final that Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, the two teams set to lock horns in the Wanda Metropolitano, are indisputably the two best sides in Europe.
May 24 – Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, one of the most influential figures in world sports administration, has reportedly been charged in France with corruption over Qatari bids to host the world athletics championships.
May 24 – Eight countries, including a potential three country bid from the Gulf states, have expressed interest in the U-20 World Cup in 2021. The 2019 edition has just kicked off in Poland.
May 24 – Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has added his voice to criticism surrounding UEFA’s choice of Azerbaijan for next week’s all-English Europa League final – and says the absence of Henrikh Mkhitaryan for political reasons “should not happen” in this day and age.
May 24 – Dubbed the £170 million game, the Championship play off for a spot in the English Premier League to be played between Aston Villa and Derby County on Monday is the most lucrative one-off fixture in world football. And it could be worth as much £300 million.
May 24 – Amid the disappointment of seeing his hopes of expanding the Qatar World Cup to 48 dashed, Gianni Infantino can at least turn to Vladimir Putin to re-inforce his status at world football’s most powerful official.
May 24 – India’s newly-appointed coach Igor Stimac has called for better communication between the All India Football Federation (AIFF) and I-League clubs in the ongoing tussle between the two parties over the future of the Indian game.
May 24 – Celtic top the list of interim payouts being made to clubs by the Scotland Professional Football League (SPFL). At £2 million it is almost double the next highest payment of £1.1 million to cross-Glasgow rivals Rangers.
May 24 – UEFA look set to elect a replacement next week, most likely on an interim basis, for Germany’s Reinhard Grindel who was forced to resign last month as a UEFA vice president and as a member of the FIFA Council after being forced out as president of his national federation.
May 24 – Montenegro’s appeal against playing their next home match behind closed doors after supporters racially abused England players has been rejected by UEFA.
May 24 – Bayern Munich, having celebrated their seventh consecutive Bundesliga title with five-litre flagons of Paulaner beer on the pitch, have decided they want more and extended their partnership through to 2026 with the Munich-based brewer.
May 24 – Referees and their assistants at next week’s Europa League final will have smart new kit to wear under a new deal signed between Macron and UEFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – Gianni Infantino’s hopes of expanding the Qatar World Cup to 48 teams have been dealt a crushing blow with FIFA announcing it has ditched the idea – exactly two weeks before it was due to be debated by the organisation’s entire global membership.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – Is the noose starting to tighten around the neck of controversial African football supremo Ahmad Ahmad?
May 23 – Poland will launch the U-20 World Cup against Colombia on home soil today as tomorrow’s stars compete for the world crown. Defending champions England failed to qualify for the tournament.