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.
World Football
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.
Beckham’s plans for Inter Miami’s Freedom Park complex remain shackled
March 11 – The final approval for the build of MLS newcomer Inter Miami’s new stadium is close to getting over the line but not quite close enough.
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.
Drogba waiting in the wings as Ivory Coast elections postponed
March 10 – The elections of the Ivory Coast’s football federation (FIF) have once against been postponed, with eligibility issues prompting the new delay.
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.
LigaMX hits Queretaro with fan ban and forces sale on owners after weekend violence
March 9 – The Mexican Football Federation and LigaMX have moved swiftly to sanction Queretaro after violence at the weekend during the visit of league leaders Atlas that left 26 people injured and at least 21 hospitalised.
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.
FIFPRO and Kenyan players’ body appeal to CAS to let women compete at AFCON
March 9 – World players union FIFPRO and Kenya Footballers Welfare Association have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn the cancellation of Kenya’s qualifier with Uganda, which ruled the Kenyan women’s national team out of the Africa Cup of Nations and quashed any chance of the country qualifying for the 2023 World Cup.
CFG bid €180m for control of Brazilian champions Atletico Mineiro
By Samindra Kunti
March 8 – City Football Group (CFG), owners of Manchester City and a slate of clubs around the world, is bidding to take over Brazilian champions Atletico Mineiro.
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.
Mexicans suspend Liga MX after gruesome fan violence in Queretaro
March 7 – The Liga MX match Queretaro vs Atlas was suspended after horrific violence in and around the stadium, with reports of multiple casualties and dozens of injured fans.
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.
European Leagues body expels Russian members over Ukraine crisis
March 7 – Europe’s leagues have moved to expel the Russian Premier League and the Football National League of Russia from their association.
LaLiga and Latvia’s Virsliga look to future with MoU
March 7 – Spain’s LaLiga and Latvia’s Virslīga have signed a memorandum of understanding to work together topromote football development, with a special focus on technology solutions.