May 25 – Timed almost to the last minute, the English Football League (EFL) has announced Watchfinder is its first ‘Official Timekeeper of the EFL Play-Off Finals’ that play this weekend over three days at Wembley Stadium.
By Paul Nicholson
May 24 – If there was any lingering doubt that the relationship between former UEFA general-secretary-turned-FIFA-president Gianni Infantino and the head of the European governing body Aleksander Ceferin was strained, those doubts were blown out the water by a speech by Ceferin to the Council of European Union Sports Ministers in Brussels yesterday (Wednesday).
May 24 – Wolfsburg and Lyon meet in the final of the UEFA Women’s Champions League tonight in Kiev, two days before Liverpool and Real Madrid play the men’s final. In future UEFA says it is “moving the finals become a centrepiece of the calendar in their own right.”
By Samindra Kunti in Kiev
May 24 – UEFA president Alexander Ceferin has remained tight-lipped about staging the Champions League final outside Europe, repeating that it is a ‘theoretical possibility.’ This week’s showpiece event in the Ukrainian capital has been a logistical nightmare, provoking renewed debate over which cities are suitable to host the showpiece game. The UEFA Executive Committee awarded the 2020 Champions League final to Istanbul.
May 24 – Dangerous liaisons and sexy encounters seem to be a growing theme as football heads into its summer finales. First Argentina issued a manual with a chapter on how to pick up Russian women, now dating a dating website for married and attached people seeking an extra-marital affair has polled female members on who the sexiest, cheat-worthy players in the Champions League final are.
May 24 – Ghana FA president Kwesi Nyantakyi (pictured) surrendered to Ghanaian authorities yesterday for questioning after Ghana’s president ordered his arrest on charges of “defrauding by false pretences” after he was caught on video accusing the president of corruption.
May 24 – Liverpool has renewed main sponsor Standard Chartered for a further four years to the end of the 2022/23 season in a reported £160 million deal. The partnership which began in 2010, will be the second longest sponsorship in the club’s history.
May 24 – Arsenal have signed a shirt sleeve deal with The Rwanda Development Board, through their subsidiary, the Rwanda Convention Bureau, which will see the “Visit Rwanda’ become the club’s official Tourism Partner. The ‘Visit Rwanda’ logo will feature on the left sleeve of all Arsenal teams next season.
By Paul Nicholson
May 23 – Russian players selected for duty at this summer’s World Cup finals have all been cleared to play. FIFA has confirmed that there are no anti-doping cases being pursued against any players named in Russia’s provisional squad for their home World Cup.
By Paul Nicholson
May 23 – The $25 billion international calendar revamp proposal that FIFA was going to ask its members to vote on at its annual Congress in Moscow has reportedly been postponed. It is now unclear when a decision and vote will be taken, though more detail of the proposal is expected to be shown to FIFA Council members when they meet June 10 prior to the June 13 full member congress.
May 23 – The Ivory Coast Football Federation (FIF) has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to review FIFA’s latest decision to audit the football body. The Ivorians are objecting that this is the second time in two months that FIFA has ordered an audit.
By Samindra Kunti
May 22 – More than 2,000 Real Madrid fans have been forced to return their tickets for Saturday’s Champions League final in Kiev over logistics and sky-rocketing expenses. Ticket touts have ramped up ticket prices ahead of the showpiece game of the European club season, asking up to £14,000 for ticket.
May 22 – The Champions League final will kick off for the 18th consecutive final using an adidas ball this Saturday. It will continue to do so for the next three years after adidas renewed their sponsorship for another three seasons.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – The all-important publication of the evaluation report into the dossiers of the two contenders bidding to stage the 2026 World Cup looks set to take place later than the May 29 date predicted by the Moroccan underdogs.
May 22 – The new Nashville MLS franchise that will start play in the 202 season has named former Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre as its chief executive officer.