Sheeran and Ipswich Town strike an accord with one-season shirt deal
May 7 – Musician Ed Sheeran has become a shirt sponsor of Ipswich Town, once a powerhouse of the English game but in modern times a middling League one club.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Bayern and Canadian ace Davies to launch NFT on Binance crypto platform
May 7 – Bayern Munich and Canadian starAlphonso Davies has become one of the world’s first players to embrace cryptocurrency opportunities with the planned launch of a Non-Fungible Token (NFT) collection in June 2021.
Another bloody nose for Real Madrid as court rules in favour of LaLiga’s right to manage
By Paul Nicholson
May 6 – Real Madrid have lost a Spanish court case against LaLiga which challenged the legal right of the league to promote and sell its commercial and broadcast inventory.
ESL refusnik’s Real, Barca, Juve and AC Milan could face Champions League shutout
May 6 – Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and AC Milan – the four renegades who have refused to abandon the European Super League project – could be thrown out of the Champions League for two years if they continue to dig their heels in, according to reports.
Chelsea swagger to UCL final to meet Man City’s aristocrats. 8,000 English fans could follow
By Samindra Kunti
May 6 – Two years after Liverpool were crowned European champions following a 2-0 victory against Tottenham, Chelsea and Manchester City will lock horns in another all-English Champions League final at the end of May in Istanbul after the London club dispatched a fading Real Madrid 2-0 (3-1 on aggregate) in their semi-final.
Man Utd fan protest causes fixtures pile up as reds chase Champions League spot
May 6 – Manchester United face having to play four times in eight days after their postponed home Premier League match with Liverpool was rearranged for Thursday May 13.
Improving with age? Messi tops another player ranking, Man City fill 5 of top 10 slots
May 5 – Lionel Messi has topped another European ranking of players based on their performances this season. He heads PSG’s Neymar Júnior who seems to have finally settled in Paris, and Bayern goalscoring machine Robert Lewandowski.
Fox Sports picks up 1,500 hours of Conmebol rights for US
May 6 – US broadcaster Fox Sports has added English language rights for Conmebol’s competitions in a six-year deal.
Belgian Broos to take on South African rebuild, starting with Qatar 2022 qualifiers
May 6 – Bafana Bafana have a new manager with Belgian coach Hugo Broos, an AFCON winner, taking on the role to steer South Africa to a brighter future after the country’s recent elimination from next year’s continental finals.
SPFL winners Rangers agree record shirt deal with Kindred Group betting brands
May 6 – Scottish champions Rangers have renewed their shirt sponsorship with Kindred Group betting brand 32Red in what the club is saying is a record deal.
Hertha sack Lehmann after nasty fumble on WhatsApp
May 6 – Former Arsenal and German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has been sacked from his role on the board of Hertha Berlin after sending a WhatsApp message to Sky pundit and ex-international Dennis Aogo calling him a “token black guy”.
Keller removed as Swiss prosecutor in on-going Infantino criminal case
By Paul Nicholson
May 5 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has won what he hopes will be the first step towards a more significant victory in his battle to quash the Swiss federal criminal investigation into his conduct.
Motsepe’s CAF bans 20 countries from using stadia ahead of Qatar 2022 qualifiers
May 5 – In a shock ruling under its new president Patrice Motsepe (pictured), the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has banned 20 of its 54 member countries from using their stadiums to host international matches because they don’t meet “minimum requirements”.
UEFA delivers for FedEx with Champions League added to sponsorship roster
May 5 – Logistics giant FedEx has added the UEFA Champions League to its Europa League and National Team sponsorships in a three-season deal giving it coverage across all of UEFA’s men’s competitions.
