There’s something about Messi…and Liverpool found it out last night
May 2 – Rarely if ever has a scoreline been so misleading. But then rarely if ever has a team had a player of the calibre of Lionel Messi.
Congo sacks Bokinda over admin error that saw U23s dumped from CAF finals
May 2 – The Congolese Football Association (Fecofa) has suspended its general secretary, Inyangi Bokinda, after the country was thrown out of the under-23 African Cup of Nations by CAF last week.
FIFA’s d’Hooghe says subs should be used in concussion cases after Vertonghen incident
May 2 – The head of FIFA’s medical committee says the introduction of substitutions specifically in cases of concussion could be a consideration in the light of the head injury sustained by Tottenham Hotspur’s Jan Vertonghen against Ajax in this week’s Champions League semi-final.
Sparks fly as Queiroz accuses Iranian federation of non-payment and weak support
May 2 – The eight-year tenure of Carlos Queiroz as manager of the Iranian team was often controversial, always mercurial, frequently successful, but ultimately disappointing with the country failing to win the 2019 Asian Cup, a target both Queiroz and the Iranian Football Federation (IFF) knew was within their grasp. Queiroz’s leaving of his position has been equally emotionally charged.
Spanish legend Casillas has a heart-stopping moment
May 2 – Spain’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas is recovering in hospital after suffering a heart attack during training with his club Porto.
Wanda refocuses on China with €266m pledged for Dalian grassroots build
May 2 – Chinese property giant Wanda Group, which in Europe has developed a sports marketing agency, is to invest €266 million into grassroots football in China.
Forest Green’s Vince treks to UEFA to enforce climate change message
By Andrew Warshaw
May 1 – It isn’t every day that a new age traveller turned environmentalist pioneer and lower-league football club chairman is invited to address the great and the good of UEFA.
MBS thwarted as Glazers refuse to sell Man Utd to Saudi Crown Prince
May 1 – Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is no longer considering a £3.8b billion takeover of Manchester United according to British press reports.
Headaches all round for Spurs as Ajax take a one goal lead in CL semi
May 1 – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino insists his medical staff followed UEFA protocol after defender Jan Vertonghen was briefly allowed to return to the field despite suffering a serious-looking head injury in the Champions League semi-final loss to Ajax on Tuesday.
Egypt to rethink AFCON ticket pricing after fans complain of hiked Egyptian game prices
May 1 – The Egypt Football Association (EFA) will re-examine ticket prices for this summer’s Africa Cup Nations tickets after an angry outcry from fans protesting at the cost of tickets for host nation matches.
Macron renew OGC Nice and prepare German expansion
May 1 – Macron have extended their kit supply deal with French top flight club OGC Nice through to 2024.
RB Leipzig renew CG Gruppe as sleeve sponsor in 3-year deal
May 1 – RB Leipzig, currently third in the Bundesliga and heading for Champions League football next season, have renewed their sleeve sponsorship with real estate developer CG Gruppe.
LaLiga vs RFEF: Spanish FA approves Cup competition format the league doesn’t want
April 30 – Further details have emerged of radical changes to the formats of Spain’s Copa del Rey and, especially, the Spanish Super Cup that have caused a huge rift between the Spanish FA and La Liga.
Lazio let-off over Mussolini banner and racist abuse at AC Milan cup game
April 30 – Lazio have somehow escaped an immediate stadium closure after around 50 supporters displayed a banner honouring Benito Mussolini and performed fascist salutes ahead of last week’s Italian Cup match against AC Milan, followed by instances of disgraceful racist abuse during the game itself.
West Ham join the blockchain/cryptocurrency market with Socios.com deal
April 30 – West Ham United have agreed to partner the blockchain-based fan engagement platform Socios.com. They are the first Premier League club to sign with Socios and join European clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus on the platform.