Adidas and Real Madrid close in on €1.1bn sponsorship renewal
November 6 – Reports from Spain indicate Real Madrid are on the verge of signing a €1.1 billion sponsorship renewal with Adidas.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Mbappé leapfrogs Kane to become most valuable player in the world
November 6 – The transfer value of French and PSG star Kylian Mbappé just keeps on rising, having now overtaken Tottenham Hotspur’s Harry Kane and his Brazilian club mate, the most expensive player in the planet, Neymar.
AFC backs Palestinian FA ‘sovereignty’ after Israeli military raids on Jerusalem club
November 6 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has expressed its concern over an alleged Israeli raid on a meeting at Silwan FC, a Palestinian club based in East Jerusalem.
Zimbabwe’s Chiyangwa takes leaf from FIFA’s African playbook and bans rivals
November 6 – African football is heading for another disputed internal electoral process after challengers to the regime of Zimbabwean strongman Philip Chiyangwa (pictured right with FIFA president Gianni Infantino) and his deputy Omega Sibanda were controversially barred from contesting polls for the Zifa executive committee set for December 1.
Business as usual for Subies at RFEF after Spanish police release him without charge
November 6 – The Spanish FA has decided to keep Andreu Subies (pictured) in his post as vice-president despite the fact that he was recently arrested as part of the same police operation that also saw the federation’s former president and FIFA powerbroker Angel Maria Villar resign on corruption charges.
Bayern target Latin America with Spanish-language online shop
November 5 – Bayern Munich has taken a deeper step into the Spanish-speaking Latin American market with the launch of a Spanish language online shop.
Football Leaks: Super League talk rattles Europe; Infantino says it is just a smear campaign
By Andrew Warshaw
November 5 – European football has been rocked by fresh revelations of a proposed breakaway super league to start in 2021 while FIFA president Gianni Infantino has separately been accused of secretly helping two of Europe’s most affluent elite clubs gain more lenient sanctions for breaching financial fair play rules.
Football clubs are a safe playing field for criminals and money launderers, finds report
November 5 – Club football is wide open to criminal ownership, money launderers, third party ownership groups and sports betting fraudsters, according to a report published last week.
Rummenigge says Bayern has not held secret European Super League talks
November 5 – Bayern Munich boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (pictured) says the club will consult its lawyers following Der Spiegel’s allegations that it was one of the European elite who took part in secret discussions to form a European breakaway ‘Super League’.
Political selection: Liverpool leave Shaqiri out for Red Star Belgrade match
November 5 – Liverpool have left Xherdan Shaqiri out of their squad to face Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade in the Champions League on Tuesday because they want to “avoid any distractions” that may be caused by the midfielder’s Albanian heritage.
Balkan countries reveal ambition for 2028 Euro or 2030 World Cup hosting
November 5 – Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia and Romania are considering an unlikely joint bid to host the 2030 World Cup.
FIFA opens investigations after refusal to recognise Namibia’s removal of Mbidi
November 5 – FIFA has stepped into yet another internal African dispute by saying it doesn’t recognise last week’s decision to sack Namibia Football Association president, Frans Mbidi (pictured).
USL announces FC Dallas as final team for 10-club League One. NISA playing catch-up
November 5 – The USL has announced the full line for its 10-team USL League One, a third tier professional league licensed by the US Soccer Federation. FC Dallas, who have a team in the MLS, will be a founding member for the league’s inaugural season in 2019.
FIFA 19 expands pro-player focus with in-game kits for esports pro teams
November 5 – EA Sports has been building new league partnerships in recent months with European leagues, including the Premier League and Bundesliga, for competitive leagues in its FIFA 19 platform. Now it has partnered with 13 worldwide esports professional organisations.
Official starting gun fired in the race for AFC presidency and seats at the top tables
By Paul Nicholson
November 2 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially opened nominations for the positions of AFC President, five FIFA Vice Presidents and six FIFA Council members. Elections will be held at the AFC Congress in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on April 6, 2019.