By Paul Nicholson
April 18 – Wonderful as the Premier League Leicester City story is, are we seeing an English return to long ball football? Could we soon be crying out for more of the same and a demand for the likes of the old Wimbledon to return to the top flight? Could Sam Allardyce be right after all?
April 18 – Lionel Messi chalked up his 500th career goal on Sunday, his 319th in La Liga, in Barcelona’s 2-1 home defeat to Valencia.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – Reinhard Grindel, the only candidate for a job that has become something of a poisoned chalice, has officially taken over as head of the German football association (DFB), the sport’s biggest single federation.
By Paul Nicholson
April 18 – Both Milan clubs could come under Chinese ownership if reports are correct that AC Milan could be sold within eight weeks and if Suning Commerce Group complete on a proposed acquisition of a stake in Internazionale.
April 15 – Will Pep Guardiola’s final game in charge of Bayern Munich be against the team he is leaving them for at the end of the season?
April 15 – Manchester City have been charged by UEFA after fireworks were set off during their 1-0 Champions League quarter-final, second-leg win over Paris St Germain on Tuesday night.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 14 – Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema has finally learned that he will not be selected for France at this summer’s Euros after months of claim and counter-claim over his role in an alleged sex tape blackmail case that has overshadowed his international record on the field.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 13 – The threat of an international ban on Greek football has been lifted after the government and the Greek FA (EPO) reached an 11th-hour agreement with FIFA to restart the domestic cup competition.
April 12 – If the basis for international success is in the number of young players coaches can pick from their domestic leagues then England, who currently have the youngest national ‘A’ team in Europe, need to be worried about what happens next. France on the other hand has a very bright future.
By Samindra Kunti
April 12 – FC Barcelona’s Brazilian superstar Neymar, who has had assets seized in Brazil as part of a tax fraud case and whose transfer to Spain was one of the most controversial deals in world football, has had details of his contract released showing he receives a guaranteed salary of €45.9 million with his five-year contract at Barca. His buy-out clause is a massive €190 million.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 11 – Gianni Infantino has issued his most stinging rebuttal to date of any wrongdoing in the Panama Papers affair. The new FIFA president describes the way his involvement has been reported as a “disgrace”.
By Bernd Fisa
April 11 – Florence, Italy celebrated the lives and achievements of Stefano Borgonovo and Armando Segato, last weekend. Both men were former strikers for Fiorentina and Italy’s La Squadra Azzura, who lost their battle with neurological disease ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.
April 11 – Fans eager to know what the future holds for Portugal’s famed former Chelsea coach Jose Mourinho will have to wait a bit longer.
By Samindra Kunti
April 8 – In the past year Dutch football agents and intermediaries pocketed €9.5 million from professional clubs for their transfer and player contract services, according to the Dutch FA, the KNVB.
April 8 – A British businessman who was managing director of iconic English club Leeds United has alleged he was mistreated and physically abused whilst detained in Dubai for almost two years.