May 30 – West Ham have planning approval to instal Europe’s largest in-stadium digital screen at the Olympic Stadium as part of a wrap around the stadium carrying the club’s colours and logo.
By Samindra Kunti in Milan
May 27 – By the end of Saturday night the Champions League trophy will be returning to the Spanish capital as Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid contest club’s football richest game. The winner will bank a cool €15 million; the runner-up €10.5 million. The champions will also earn a ticket to the FIFA World Club Cup in Japan in December, where another €4.5 million is on offer for the winning finalist.
May 27 – UEFA Champions League sponsor Nissan have again delved into their ‘Excitement Index’ data to come up with a list of the most exciting moments and players so far this campaign.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 27 – The self-styled Special One is back – officially. Jose Mourinho has signed a three-year contract to become Manchester United’s new manager, already setting up a mouth-watering 2016-17 Premier League season with the last campaign only just out of the way.
May 27 – Unlike FIFA’s surprise announcement of its never-before-heard-of new general secretary recruited single-handedly by new president Gianni Infantino, CONCACAF’s new general secretary announced yesterday comes out a more rigorous recruitment process led by an executive search firm.
May 27 – Liverpool have been hit with a second UEFA fine in less than a week, this time for their fans letting off fireworks during their Europa League quarterfinal against Borussia Dortmund in April.
May 27 – Fixture congestion has finally taken its toll on the world’s oldest and most revered domestic knockout competition with English FA Cup quarter-final replays to be scrapped from next season.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 26 – More than 90,000 police and security agents will be deployed across France to ensure safety at Euro 2016 as fears about potential terrorist action heighten, according to French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve.
May 26 – Italy’s Serie A champions Juventus have added an Arabic language service to their web and social media platforms. The deal with KingFut principally targets the middle east and Africa and is the club’s seventh language extension.
May 26 – Rumoured Chinese investment in Spanish club Granada CF looks to be nearing completion with reports that a figure of €37 million has been agreed.
May 26 – Image rights negotiations are reportedly delaying Jose Mourinho’s imminent appointment as Manchester United manager.
May 26 – Michael van Praag, the only declared candidate so far to become the new president of UEFA, is unlikely to be accused of overspending in his effort to replace Michel Platini.
May 26 – Three Romanian top-flight clubs have had points deducted for failing to put their financial affairs in order.
First Domenico Scala, now Markus Kattner. Two big fish with key roles to play in monitoring FIFA’s good governance. Yet both gobbled up in deadly, shark-infested waters within the space of a few days under the new regime of Gianni Infantino.
By Paul Nicholson
May 24 – Liverpool will play FC Barcelona at London’s Wembley Stadium the weekend before the start of the 2016/17 season on August 6, as part of the International Champions Cup (ICC) that is being played mainly in the US but also in four European cities – Dublin, Glasgow, London and Stockholm.