UEFA unveils new branding for club competition finals
August 26 – New season, new brand identities. UEFA has unveiled the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League final identities for Istanbul, Budapest and Prague.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Saudi Arabia extends 2022 World Cup welcome for fans with Hayya card, easing hotel pressures
August 25 – Not just Qatar, but Saudi Arabia will seek to welcome the world this November and December. In a bid to capitalise on the influx of football fans in the Gulf during the World Cup, Saudi Arabia will issue a special 60-day visa for holders of a Hayya card, a fan-id required to enter Qatar.
Iranian clubs out in the cold as FA again fails to meet AFC licensing criteria
August 25 – Iranian clubs will continue to be denied entry to the AFC Champions League until the Iranian FA changes its club licensing criteria to be complaint with the regional confederation’s rules.
Istanbul stage set for Champions League group draw today
August 25 – The 32-team draw for the lucrative group stage of the Champions League takes place later today in Istanbul – host of this season’s final with all manner of mouthwatering ties in prospect.
Zinchenko pays tribute to his football comrades playing in the Ukrainian top flight
August 25 – Arsenal’s Ukrainian international defender Oleksandr Zinchenko has hailed the resumption of domestic football in his homeland for the first time since the Russian invasion in February but says his compatriots face danger by even stepping on to the pitch.
Indians ask FIFA to lift ban as politicians line up for a run at AIFF presidency
August 25 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has asked FIFA to lift the federation’s suspension after control over day-to-day affairs was returned to the ruling body.
Iran grants limited tickets for Esteghal match to women, but doubts over process persist
August 25 – Iranian women will be allowed to attend Thursday’s domestic top flight match between Esteghlal and Mes Kerman, but doubts remain over the reality behind the ticketing process and the preparedness of Iranian officials to accommodate female supporters despite pressure from FIFA.
Football Australia renews Johnson to end of 2024
August 25 – Football Australia has extended the contract of its CEO James Johnson until the end of 2024.
England’s record goal scorer Ellen White to hang up her boots
August 25 – England’s all-time women’s record goal scorer Ellen White has announced her retirement at the age of 33, saying all her football “dreams came true” in winning Euro 2022.
Thanks Vlad – $1tn oil windfall to trigger new wave of Gulf investment
August 24 – Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City, Newcastle United: Middle East-based interests have already snapped up their share of Western trophy sports assets. The region has also hosted dozens of high-profile international sports events, none more glittering than the FIFA World Cup, whose kick-off in tiny but mega-wealthy Qatar is now less than three months away.
Qatar deports 60 migrant workers for protesting against unpaid wages
August 24 – With just months to go until the kick-off of the World Cup, hosts Qatar have deported 60 migrant workers after they protested against unpaid wages, some of whom said they had not been paid for seven months.
Benfica end Dynamo Kiev’s UCL dreams, Maccabi Haifa and Viktoria Plzen through
August 24 – On the day that domestic football returned to Ukraine, Dynamo Kyiv were eliminated from the Champions League, losing 5-0 on aggregate to Lisbon giants Benfica.
Chile fear FIFA delays will stop any potential CAS appeal over Ecuador’s 2022 participation
By Paul Nicholson
August 23 – The Chilean FA have expressed increasing concern over FIFA’s delay in ruling on their appeal over whether Ecuador should be expelled from the 2022 World Cup for fielding an ineligible player.
MLS renews with EA Sports in a deal that will cover rebranding of the FIFA franchised game
August 24 – Major League Soccer (MLS) has agreed a multi-year agreement with EA Sports that will see them extend their partnership beyond the end of the FIFA23 video game license that ends this year before the game is renamed EA Sports FC.