Billion dollar Barca: record revenues again for Spanish giant
July 26 – FC Barcelona have broken the billion dollar revenue mark for the second season running, announcing that for the 2018/19 year income rose to €990 million ($1.1 billion).
Sakho sues Wada claiming dope test blunder killed his Liverpool career and depressed earnings
July 26 – A Premier League player is suing the world anti-doping agency (WADA) for £13 million over claims a drug-test blunder wrecked part of his career.
Brazil go overseas to Sundhage to pick up national women’s team reins
July 26 – Experienced Swedish coach Pia Sundhage will replace Vadao as the head coach of the Brazilian national women’s team, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) announced.
AIA stays front and centre with Spurs in renewed 8-year £320m deal
July 26 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur have renewed their partnership with principal partners AIA Group Limited (AIA), in a deal reportedly lifting the value of the sponsorship by £5 million to £40 million a year.
Everton unveil designs for £500m dockland stadium
July 26 – Everton have unveiled designs for their new £500 million stadium to be built on semi-abandoned dockland in north Liverpool. The clubs the new stadium will deliver a huge economic benefit to the city, regenerating a part of Liverpool.
Carjackers outgunned by Arsenal’s Kolasinac and Ozil
July 26 – Two Premier League players have been involved in a carjacking attempt by an armed gang in London.
Nissan use Man City’s Japan visit to accelerate CFG deal
July 25 – With Manchester City now on the Japan leg of their pre-season Asian tour, owners City Football Group and Japanese carmaker Nissan have used the timing to announce they have extended their global partnership that began in 2014 when Nissan became the group’s official automotive partner.
PSG greenlighted for new €250m training complex in Poissy
July 25 – French champions Paris Saint-Germain have been given the green light to develop a new training centre that would cost the Ligue 1 club a reported €250 million.
Confederation tourneys bring change to FIFA rankings with Algeria gaining 26 places
July 25 – The now completed confederation championships for CAF, Concacaf and Conmebol have brought change to the FIFA men’s rankings.
Going back in: Gay Championship player changes mind on coming out
July 25 – In a stark example of the effect of homophobia in football, a Twitter user who claimed to be a player in England’s second-tier Championship, and who intended to come out as gay, has appeared to change his mind after admitting he is “not strong enough to do this”.
Cosafa hits Zimbabwe with suspension and £200k fine
July 25 – The 16-member Council of Southern African Football Associations (Cosafa) has suspended Zimbabwe from participating in next year’s Cosafa Cup, the region’s biggest tournament, and slapped the Zimbabwe FA (ZIFA) with a $200,000 fine.
Welsh secure JD as league title sponsor for 7 years and rebrand with Cymru name
July 25 – The Welsh FA (FAW) has announced a new seven-year title sponsorship deal for the top tiers of its domestic league and a rebranding of the competitions embracing the country’s Welsh-language name – Cymru – in the title.
Africa talking. 10m take to Facebook to engage with AFCON 2019
July 25 – Facebook has released a set of stats following CAF’s AFCON 2019 championship in Egypt that show more than 10 million people got involved on the social media platform. The official tournament Facebook page had more than 3.6 million likes.
FIFA follows through on threat and bans Bility after his refusal to toe line on CAF takeover
By Paul Nicholson
July 24 – Two days after announcing he would be taking the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), in order to stop FIFA’s direct intervention in CAF’s day-to-day affairs, Liberian Musa Hassan Bility has been banned for 10 years by FIFA’s Ethics Committee and fined CHF500,000.