UEFA splits Euro 2020 official Beer Partner tender 12 ways
March 15 – UEFA has launched a multi-opportunity tender to be the ‘Beer Partner’ of the 2020 Euros which will be played in 12 host cities across Europe.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Conmebol to keep 2020 Copa America at home with Argentina and Colombia co-hosting
By Samindra Kunti
March 14 – Argentina and Colombia will co-host the 2020 Copa America after the South American Football Confederation Conmebol shot down a proposal from the United States for a pan-American tournament. It’s the first time in its history that the Copa America will be co-hosted.
FIFA drop Nations League proposal from Council agenda but push on Club World Cup
By Andrew Warshaw
March 14 – One of the key components of Gianni Infantino’s project to change the landscape of football’s global competitions has been ditched just 24 hours before it was to be put to the decision-making FIFA Council.
FIFA-fraudster Salguero faced 20 years in US prison but gets just 7-year ban from Zurich
March 14 – Former Guatemala football chief and one-time FIFA executive committee member Rafael Salguero, who avoided a jail term for his role in the FifaGate corruption scandal, has been banned by FIFA for seven years.
Prince Ali urges FIFA to speed up Afghan FA sexual abuse investigation
By Andrew Warshaw
March 14 – Two-time FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein has called on world football’s governing body to take far stronger action against Afghan football federation chief Keramuudin Karim over allegations of sexual abuse towards members of the Afghan women’s squad.
Van Dijk marches Saints to £33m profit in spite of disappointing season
By David Owen
March 14 – The sale of star defender Virgil van Dijk to Liverpool looks to have been the main factor keeping Southampton in the black in the year to end-June 2018, after a season in which the south coast club, which has supplied so many influential players to the Merseysiders in recent times, only narrowly escaped relegation.
Liverpool sweep Bayern aside to make it 4 English teams in Champions League last 8
March 14 – For the first time in 10 seasons, half the Champions League quarterfinalists are from one single country, with the Premier League providing four clubs in Friday’s eagerly awaited draw.
Ranting Neymar tells VAR officials to ‘Go **** yourselves’ on Instagram
March 15 – Neymar is under investigation by UEFA for comments the Brazilian superstar made after Paris St. Germain’s Champions League defeat by Manchester United last week.
FIFPro demands global calendar is put on hold until it takes account of player welfare
March 14 – The international players union FIFPro has called on FIFA to abandon plans for a revamped Club World Cup and expansion of the 2022 World Cup until it has reviewed the game’s “crowded” international match calendar.
Sharing Budweiser: Brewer adds England women to roster alongside men’s deal
March 15 – Budweiser has expanded its English football sponsorships becoming an Official Partner and the Official Beer of the England Women’s Football Team, a moniker it already holds for the men’s team.
Miami heat: CAF’s Ahmed refused visa for US entry to attend FIFA Council meeting
By Paul Nicholson
March 13 – Africa’s leading football official, Ahmad Ahmad from Madagascar, has been refused a visa to travel to the US to attend the crucial FIFA Council meetings in Miami at the end of this week, according to African sources.
AFC streaming of ACL reaches 1m in Saudi Arabia but now Saudi 24 channel joins piracy
By Paul Nicholson
March 13 – The streaming of the Asian Champions League match involving Saudi Arabia’s Al Ahli Saudi away to Uzbekistan’s Pakhator was watched by close to 1 million people in Saudi Arabia on the AFC’s YouTube and Facebook Live channels.
Europeans head for Miami locked and loaded to battle against Infantino’s calendar revamp
By Andrew Warshaw
March 13 – European members of FIFA’s all-powerful 37-strong ruling Council look set to express their continued opposition to Gianni Infantino’s $25 billion plan to change the landscape of global competitions when the body meets in Miami on Friday for arguably its most crucial summit since it replaced FIFA’s scandal-tarnished executive committee.
Colombian women win battle to keep pro league financed
By Samindra Kunti
March 13 – Colombian women’s football players have won a first battle in their fight for an equal playing field by saving the pro league which the Colombia Football Federation (FCF)wanted to disband.
Man Utd top Euro table of shots on target, but Man City dwarf all with total number of shots
March 13 – Data looking at the highest and lowest percentages of shots on target across 30 European leagues sees Manchester United leading teams in the Big 5 leagues, ahead of Barcelona.