Rubiales says he is being persecuted for being a man
April 5 – Disgraced former Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales remains defiant in the face of a possible prison sentence and suggests he’s being punished for being a man.
World Football
Project 8 says it has 6 clubs signed for launch of women’s pro league in Canada
April 5 – Six clubs have applied to join the women’s professional soccer league in Canada providing the numbers required for launch in 2025.
Wisla Krakow threaten to boycott Polish Cup final unless FA overturn ban on travelling fans
April 5 – Wisla Krakow have threatened to boycott the Polish Cup final if a ban on their fans attending the game is upheld.
Violence mars Croatian Cup semi-final between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb
April 5 – Scenes of violence marked the Croatian Cup semi-final between Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb. After the match at the Poljud Stadium, which ended with a 1-0 victory to the visitors from Zagreb, the home team’s ultras broke through security on to pitch to confront the Hajduk players.
Hull boss Liam Rosenior demands racist abusers on social media are held accountable
April 5 – Hull City manager Liam Rosenior is the latest club manager to call for social media users to be made more accountable after being the target of online racist comments.
USL enters negotiations with Roswell for pro men’s and women’s teams and a stake in a new stadium
April 5 – The opportunity of football to bring a transformational change to cities and their sporting cultures is nowhere more evident currently that in the US.
USL adds sponsors and appoint SeatGeek ahead of women’s Super League debut in August
April 5 – The fast-growing USL, operator of second and third tier professional leagues in the US and now a top tier Women’s professional league that debuts in August, has concluded more commercial partnerships starting with the current 2024 season.
Textor to face Brazilian sports court over allegations that corruption cost Botafogo 2023 title
April 4 – Botafogo owner John Textor could face up to a year’s suspension as he goes on trial at Brazil’s top sports court for failing to provide evidence for his claims of match-fixing in the Brazilian league.
Spanish FA orders partial closure of Getafe stadium after racist insults
April 4 – Spanish top-flight club Getafe have been ordered to partially close their central stand for three matches by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) following the racial and xenophobic abuse suffered by Sevilla manager Quique Sánchez Flores and player Marcus Acuna (pictured) in Saturday’s league game.
Turkish FA hits Trabzonspor with 6-match closed stadium sanction
April 4 – The Turkish Football Federation has ordered Trabzonspor to play their next six home matches in front of empty stands following the riots after the Super Lig match between Trabzonspor and Fenerbahce last month.
Rayo Majadahonda forfeit abandoned match and keeper banned after racist incident
April 4 – The goalkeeper of a Spanish third division club has been banned for two games after confronting a supporter who he claimed racially abused him.
PepsiCo brands unveiled as Leagues Cup sponsors in multi-year deal
April 4 – The Leagues Cup, the 47-team club competition played between the MLS and Liga MX in North America, has unveiled a multi-year sponsorship with PepsiCo brands Lay’s, Sabritas, Gamesa, and Rockstar Energy Drink .
Fenerbahce fans vote to remain in Turkish Super Lig, despite Trabzonspor chaos
April 3 – Fenerbahce members have voted against a proposal to withdraw from the Turkish Super Lig.
Brys takes over from Song in Cameroon but Fecafoot didn’t appoint him
April 3 – Belgian Marc Brys has been appointed Rigobert Song’s replacement as Cameroon’s national team coach.
NWSL newcomers Bay FC load up sponsorship roster
April 3 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) newcomers Bay FC have announced a flurry of sponsorship deals with Sixth Street, Visa, Meriwest Credit Union and Lyft as the club begins the NWSL season with a last-minute upset.