Textor’s Molenbeek drop to Belgium’s second tier after relegation play-off loss
May 13 – Belgium is turning into a miserable market for US club investors.
Federations
777 Partners troubles mount as fans block Standard Liège from travelling
May 13 – Supporters’ protests forced 777 Partners-owned Standard Liège to postpone their league match with Westerlo after the team coach was blocked from reaching the stadium.
Cavan Sullivan breaks MLS record signing for 14-year-old youth player
May 13 – MLS club Philadelphia Union has signed a contract with 14-year-old attacking midfielder Cavan Sullivan that will see him earn an MLS record $500,000 annually, with a $5 million move to Manchester City when he turns 18.
Sporting Charleroi pull women out of Pro League saying licensing criteria are unsustainable
May 10 – Sporting Charleroi has become the latest club to withdraw from the Belgian women’s top-flight, citing the new demands by the league on clubs to fulfil licensing criteria as too great a burden to sustain the team.
Machida goal is enough to secure Union first Belgian silverware for 89 years
May 10 – Union Saint-Gilloise defeated Antwerp 1-0 in the Belgian Cup final at the Heysel Stadium on Thursday to clinch their first piece of silverware since 1935.
Romanians draft in Anna Signeul with two-year mission to develop women’s game
May 10 – The Romanian Football Federation (FRF) Sweden’s Anna Signeul to help develop the women’s game in the country.
Serbia breaks ground on construction of 60,000-seat national stadium in Belgrade
May 3 – Serbia has begun construction of its new national stadium with a breaking ground ceremony involving the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vucic,
Clubs unite to protest FA and Premier League’s closed-door deal to scrap FA Cup replays
May 2 – Eleven English Football League clubs and 16 from the non-league pyramid have joined forces to call for the reinstatement of FA Cup replays.
Vincent del Bosque to head government-formed Spanish commission overseeing crisis-hit RFEF
May 1 – Spanish football administration has taken yet another twist with former national team coach Vicente del Bosque appointed by the government to head a commission to oversee the country’s scandal-hit federation (RFEF) after a corruption and money laundering probe targeted both the current and former RFEF presidents.
Levski Sofia fury over disrespect shown by CSKA Sofia’s Karanga and Ormandzhiev
April 30 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have called on the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) to sanction CSKA Sofia’s striker Fernando Karanga and the CEO of the club Stoyan Ormandzhiev after ugly scenes marred the match at Vasil Levski Stadium in Sofia.
Rocha takes RFEF leadership as FIFA warns Spanish politicians against interference
April 4 – The Spanish football federation (RFEF) has appointed Pedro Rocha as its new president following the resignation of disgraced former chief Luis Rubiales who stepped down last September.
Spanish Sports Council takes charge of ‘crisis’-hit RFEF ahead of new elections
April 26 – The Spanish government has formed a special committee to oversee the country’s football federation (RFEF) until the governing body holds fresh elections following the scandal surrounding its former president, Luis Rubiales.
Swedish clubs reject introduction of VAR into top-tier league
April 26 – Sweden is set to reject the introduction and implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after elite clubs voiced their opposition to the technology.
English FA drafts in Sue Day from rugby union as new director of football
April 25 – The English Football Association has announced the appointment of Sue Day as its new director of women’s football.
Welsh FA launches major overhaul of its top tier league with expansion on and off the pitch
April 24 – The Welsh FA (FAW) has launched a six-year strategy through to 2030 for the overhaul of the top tier of its men’s league, the JD Cymru Premier League, to make it more competitive on and off the field, and boost its commercial positioning as it reformats both the league and its calendar.