April 7 – Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin have dismissed their goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry over homophobic and anti-migrant comments that he made in an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, citing that Petry’s values were incompatible with those of the club.
April 7 – MLS team San Jose Earthquakes have sealed a ten-year stadium naming rights deal with PayPal in a deal estimated at more than $20 million, according to local sources.
April 7 – Italy’s government has decided that Rome’s Olympic stadium can admit a limited number of fans for European Championship matches this summer, a welcome boost to UEFA amid concerns some venues may not be ready.
April 7 – BMW has agreed a sponsorship with AC Milan to become one of the club’s premium sponsors as its ‘Automotive Partner’.
April 6 – South Africa’s leading football official Danny Jordaan (pictured right) has been appointed as a special advisor on sports and marketing to African supremo Patrice Motsepe (pictured left).
By David Owen
April 5 – FIFA doled out not far off $50 million of interest-free loans to national associations during the first six months when its covid-19 relief plan was in operation.
By Paul Nicholson
April 6 – The bitter conflict over broadcast rights and piracy in Saudi Arabia has seen the first regional resolution with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announcing an exclusive agreement with the Saudi Sports Company for the media rights to all its competitions for the 2021-2024 commercial cycle.
April 6 – After being empty for more than year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Wembley will welcome 8,000 fans for this month’s League Cup final between holders Manchester City, who are going for a unique quadruple of trophies, and Tottenham Hotspur.
April 6 – A Serbian referee has been handed a 15-month prison sentence and banned from officiating in his country for 10 years after awarding two highly suspicious penalties, one of which was described as “scandalous” by the local media.
April 6 – Umbro and the Ethiopian Football Federation (EFF) have extended their partnership to sponsor the country’s national teams in a new four-year deal.
April 6 – Premier League Everton have agreed what they are describing as a short-term strategic sponsorship deal with global gaming brand MY.GAMES.
April 6 – Valencia’s La Liga fixture at Cádiz on Sunday was suspended for 20 minutes after the visitors walked off the pitch in solidarity with one of their players who said he was subjected to racist abuse.
April 6 – Tottenham Hotspur are the latest club to call on social media companies to do more to combat racist trolls after their Colombian defender Davinson Sanchez revealed abuse was directed at him following the club’s 2-2 draw with Newcastle at the weekend.
By David Owen
April 5 – The high cost of escaping the second-tier Championship for the Premier League’s promised land has been highlighted once again, with Leeds United posting a pre-tax loss of a stunning £62.4 million for its promotion season.
Without fans football has at times been void of excitement during the coronavirus pandemic. Football is not just about the players and the ball but rather the atmosphere created by the game and the fans on the stands. There are countless situations in football history where fans have lit football matches with crazy reactions.
