Spanish FA moves to end Adidas deal with 7 years left on contract
May 22 – The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have moved to end their kit supply deal with German sportswear giant Adidas seven years early.
Mastercard invest in women’s game adding CL winners Olympique Lyonnais to roster
May 22 – Mastercard is moving swiftly into the top tier of the women’s club football market in Europe announcing a second team sponsorship in two days.
Decision on expanded 48-team Qatar 2022 World Cup will be made at Paris Congress in June
By Andrew Warshaw
May 21 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising chief has confirmed that a decision will definitely be made one way or the other at the upcoming FIFA Congress over possible expansion to 48 teams – but won’t say which way it will go.
Women’s World Cup ticketing bust-up as buyers find their seat allocations split
May 21 – Tickets for this summer’s Women World Cup are among the hottest in town, but some fans may find themselves sitting on their own as some group ticket buyers have been given split seating allocation for certain games.
UEFA defend Baku as Europa League final venue in open letter to Arsenal
By Andrew Warshaw
May 21 – Amid widespread condemnation of their decision to stage the all-English Europa League final in distant Azerbaijan, UEFA have defended their selection of the capital Baku saying all its member nations deserve a chance to host even though only a small part of the country actually lies within Europe.
New handball and subs rules head raft of law changes set for next season
May 21 – Significant new tweaks approved earlier this year by football’s lawmakers are will come into effect across the game from the start of next season, designed to reduce a number of grey areas.
Bayern fans close season with Bundesliga win and protest over Champions League reform
May 21 – As the German league season came to a close last weekend with Bayern Munich retaining their title for a seventh consecutive time – much to the misfortune of Borussia Dortmund – German fans not for the first time expressed their displeasure of what they perceive as an elitist attitude by European football’s hierarchy.
Aussies launch 2023 Women’s World Cup bid but say it will need more that $5m to win
May 21 – Australian FA (FFA) boss David Gallop has said it will take “many millions of dollars” of government funding to win the hosting rights for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, at the official launch of Australia’s bid for the tournament.
Mastercard moves into English women’s club game with WSL winners Arsenal
May 21 – Arsenal’s women’s team, just crowned as Women’s Super League (WSL) champions, have unveiled Mastercard as their first major Official Partner. No value or term was given for the deal.
Clarke graduates from club boss to national football supremo with Scotland
May 21 – Steve Clarke has been named as the new Scotland manager on a three-year contract.
MG Motor goes up a gear with Welsh FA in 3-year tie-up
May 21 – The Football Association of Wales (FAW) has agreed a three-year partnership with MG Motor UK to become its Official Vehicle Partner.
Kappa take over Villa kit deal with Premier League return in focus
May 21 – Championship club Aston Villa, who play-off against Derby County for a return to the Premier League May 27, have announced Kappa as their kit supplier for the 2019/20 season.
Ceferin says Champions League matches will avoid weekend league schedules
By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has publicly declared for the first time that radical plans to overhaul the structure of the Champions League post-2024 will not include playing European fixtures at weekends.
Guinea stripped of World Cup U17 slot for age-cheating, Senegal take spot
May 20 – Guinea have been thrown out of this year’s Under-17 World Cup in Brazil after they were found guilty of age-cheating at the recent U-17 Africa Cup of Nations which served as World Cup qualifiers.
Inter Milan clears final UEFA financial hurdle for return to full European play
May 20 – UEFA has announced that Inter Milan have fully complied with its financial fair play requirements and will no longer face extra financial scrutiny.