By Andrew Warshaw
May 7 – The dangerous political tensions in Ukraine have forced a number of league fixtures as well as the domestic cup final to be relocated from the country’s pro-Russian eastern cities as well as the Russian-occupied Crimea peninsula for security reasons.
May 7 – The Italian government says it will crack down on hooliganism following the mayhem that marred last weekend’s domestic cup final in Rome.
May 7 – An English second-tier striker has been has been handed a suspended three-month ban and fined £60,000 in the latest breach of football’s betting rules to hit English football.
By David Owen
May 6 – The Football Association (FA)’s national football centre will be a hive of activity next month while Roy Hodgson’s England squad are on the other side of the Atlantic in Brazil attempting to win the country’s second FIFA World Cup and their first in nearly 50 years.
By Richard van Poortvliet
May 6 – Russia could be about to introduce a salary cap for its clubs, according to the Honorary President of the Russian Football Union, Vyacheslav Koloskov (pictured). The Russian State Duma took the lead in promoting the idea to the association.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 6- Manchester City and Paris St. Germain, both bankrolled by Middle East investors, appear to have broken Uefa’s financial fair play regulations and look like receiving swingeing punishments as a result of their relentless quest to become permanent members of European football’s affluent elite.
May 6- Having made so many friends on the pitch with the quality of their football, Atletico Madrid have suddenly hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 6- Italian football has suffered a series of further blows to its reputation as Rafa Benitez’s first trophy in charge of Napoli was overshadowed by appalling fan violence.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
May 5 – CSKA Moscow has signed a sponsorship deal with one of Russia’s leading aircraft manufacturers, Russian Helicopters.
By David Owen
May 4 – The most powerful man in world sport faces a nervous week as one of his favourite football clubs battles to avoid relegation from the German Bundesliga.
By Mark Baber
May 2 – Whilst UK bookmaker Ladbrokes have been laying the foundations for the World Cup the company says that despite a 34% year-on-year increase in football staking, their first quarter profits have been hit by a winning streak by favorites in football matches, leading to big pay outs on accumulator bets.
May 2 – In one of the most severe punishments ever handed out to backup coaching staff in top-flight English football, Rui Faria, assistant to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has been has been slapped with a six-match stadium ban for an altercation with officials during a recent Premier League game with Sunderland.
By Tom Parsons
May 1 – Football statistics website whoscored.com has signed an exclusive deal with SkySports to share their unique ‘player characteristics’ on the SkySports website.
May 1 – The Champions League Final in Lisbon later this month will be the first featuring two clubs from the same city after Atletico Madrid joined Real Madrid in the showpiece climax to the European club season.
By Richard van Poortvliet
May 1 – Russia’s Minister for Sport, Vitaly Mutko, in his promotion of the bid for hosting Euro 2020 matches, said that “EURO 2020 will be a continuation of the 2018 World Cup.”