Brazil’s Santos unveil plans for new €71m stadium
March 30 – Brazilian club Santos have revealed more details about plans for their new stadium that will replace the historic Vila Belmiro venue.
World Football
Angers president Said Chabane quits over sexual abuse allegations
March 30 – Said Chabane (pictured), president of French Ligue1 side Angers, has resigned following accusations of sexual assault.
Concacaf confirms draw and timings for Nations League Finals in Las Vegas
March 30 – Newcomers to the Concacaf Nations League finals Panama and Canada will kick off the semi-finals at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas on Thursday June 15.
Nigerian Shola Akinlade takes majority control of Denmark’s Aarhus Fremand
March 30 – Nigerian tech entrepreneur Shola Akinlade (pictured) has acquired a majority stake in Danish second-division club Aarhus Fremad through his American company Decimal Sport.
Enterprise belted in for St Louis City’s record breaking MLS debut
March 30 – St. Louis City SC, whose debut in the MLS this season has seen them set debut records winning each of their first five games, has added car rental business Enterprise as a ‘Founding Partner’ sponsor in a wide-ranging multi-year agreement.
South Africa return to AFCON finals; Senegal, Burkina Faso and Tunisia book Ivory Coast slots
March 29 – South Africa will return to the Africa Cup of Nations after booking their ticket with a hard-fought 2-1 victory against Liberia. Senegal, Burkina Faso and Tunisia also ensured their presence at the finals in Ivory Coast with wins on Tuesday.
Canada and Panama to challenge Concacaf’s old order at CNL finals in Vegas
March 29 – Canada and Panama will complete the line-up for the four-team Concacaf Nations League finals in June, both teams winning their final group games against Honduras and Costa Rica to secure their places in the Las Vegas finals.
Sacramento Republic owner Nagle set to close deal for Huddersfield Town
March 29 – US businessman and chairman of second tier US club side Sacramento Republic, Kevin Nagle (pictured), is in the final stages of buying English Championship side Huddersfield Town.
Belgium give Germany a friendly lesson in performance revitalisation
By Samindra Kunti in Cologne
March 29 – It’s rare for Germany to be schooled on home soil, but on Tuesday night a barnstorming Belgium did just that with an impressive 3-2 friendly win, a result that handed Germany a reality check on the road to Euro 2024.
Bulgaria’s Botev Plovdiv seek naming rights sponsor for new stadium opening
March 29 – Bulgarian top tier club Botev Plovdiv has launched a search for a naming rights sponsor for its new ‘Hristo Botev’ stadium in the second largest city in Bulgaria. The 19,000-capacity stadium will be officially opened within the next month.
FIFA boosts payments to clubs for World Cup player release to $355m for 2026 and 2030
March 28 – Clubs worldwide have secured a whopping 70% increase in their share of World Cup revenues for the 2026 and 2030 tournaments. FIFA has increased its payments to clubs for the release of players to $355 million. For the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the figure was a combined $209 million.
Algeria book slot for AFCON finals as qualifiers reach crucial final phase
March 28 – Algeria have qualified for the Africa Cup of Nations following a 1-0 win against Niger through a sixth-minute strike by Baghdad Bounedjah. On 12 points, they enjoy an unassailable lead in Group F with two matches to go.
Women’s Euro 2025 hosts to be announced April 5
March 28 – UEFA has announced that it will award the hosting rights to the Women’s Euro 2025 finals on April 5.
US player agency CRD Sport opens talks to buy Bulgaria’s Pirin Blagoevgrad
March 28 – American player agency CRD Sport has opened negotiations for the acquisition of Bulgaria’s top tier club Pirin Blagoevgrad.
Flamengo set sights on Copa Libertadores final at Maracana as Brazilians aim to keep the party going
March 28 – Can Brazil’s dominance of the Copa Libertadores be broken? At the draw this week, reigning champions Flamengo were given what looks to be an easy path to the knock-out rounds. Brazil’s other six clubs in the competition will be keen on leaving their mark as well.