Russian oligarch and Abramovich associate Oyf looking to cash out of Vitesse Arnhem
March 15 – Another Russian oligarch, closely linked to Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, is looking to cash out of his football club ownership.
Europe
Scotland to play Poland with money going to UNICEF’s Ukraine emergency fund
March 15 – Scotland will play Poland in a friendly on March 24 instead of their postponed World Cup play-off semi-final against Ukraine – with £10 from every ticket sold going towards UNICEF’s Ukraine emergency fund.
Eriksen picked for Denmark friendlies with Qatar 2022 only a beat away
March 15 – Christian Eriksen has been named in Denmark’s squad for the first time since his cardiac arrest that shocked the world while he was playing against Finland at Euro 2020 last summer.
Ballon d’Or given makeover with performances to be judged on the European calendar
March 14 – The Ballon d’Or award given to the world’s best male and female footballer will now be judged on performances over the main European season rather than an entire calendar year.
Wolves and Porto put finances in order to exit UEFA’s FFP control regime
March 14 – England’s Wolverhampton Wanderers and Portugal’s FC Porto have broken free of the shackles of UEFA’s financial fair play scrutiny and have exited the settlement regimes they were under.
Neuendorf takes over at German FA promising ‘cultural change’
March 14 – Former politician Bernd Neuendorf was sworn in on Friday as the new president of the embattled German Football Association in what the entire hierarchy will hope is a new beginning after years of off-the-field scandal.
Everton pledge £500k to Ukraine relief but Moshiri fails to condemn Russian invasion
March 13 – Everton, majority owned by British Iranian Farhad Moshiri, a close associate of sanctioned Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov, has pledged £250,000 to the Disaster Emergency Committee’s Ukraine Humanitarian Appeal.
PSG’s Al-Khelaifi loses the plot after Real Madrid loss and goes on the rampage
March 11 – UEFA have been placed in the awkward position of investigating one of their own inner circle after opening disciplinary proceedings against Paris St-Germain president Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
Ceferin opens door for South Americans to join Europe’s Nations League
March 11 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has suggested that South American teams could feature in the Nations League in the near future.
Ukraine solidarity: AC Milan launch replica Shevchenko shirt to raise relief funds
March 11 – Leagues and clubs across Europe have been showing their support for Ukraine following the invasion by Russia. AC Milan have gone a step further and are raising money via a special replica jersey.
AS Monaco’s Russian owner Rybolovev donates to Ukrainian aid funds
March 10 – Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, president and majority owner of France’s AS Monaco and Cercle Brugge in Belgium, is donating money to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and help ‘innocent’ people.
PSG crash out of Champions League to Benzema-inspired Real Madrid
March 10 – PSG and the fabled Messi-Neymar-Mbappe trio are out of the Champions League after Karim Benzema masterminded a dramatic 3-1 victory for Real Madrid to progress to the last eight of the European Cup, 3-2 on aggregate.
Premier League switches off Russian broadcasts over Putin’s ‘barbaric, senseless invasion’
March 9 – The Premier League has suspended its TV deal with Russia with immediate effect, cutting off the feed as punishment for the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
Madrid court rules against Real Madrid and Barca’s bid to pause LaLiga Impulso funding
March 8 – The challenge by Real Madrid, FC Barcelona and Athletic Club to LaLiga Impulso, the joint venture that will see CVC Capital Partners inject about €1 billion into the league, has suffered a new blow in court.
Monaco owner Rybolovlev escapes sanctions, for now
March 7 – AS Monaco president and Russian oligarch Dimitri Rybolovlev will not have to relinquish his ownership of the French club after his country’s invasion of Ukraine.