By Samindra Kunti in Madrid
May 31 – At a seminar ahead of the Champions League final La Liga boss Javier Tebas again slammed the plans of UEFA and ECA to reform European football from 2024 with a continental Super League. He also rubbished what he deemed insinuations of racism by Manchester City boss Khaldoon Al-Mubarak.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 31 – They are the underdogs with the bookmakers, are in unchartered territory and face a side desperate to make up for the pain of 12 months ago. But as the old cliché goes – or two clichés to be precise – it’s 11 versus 11 and anything can happen on the day when Tottenham Hotspur take on firm favourites Liverpool for Champions League glory on Saturday.
May 31 – It isn’t the biggest TV deal ever done and it isn’t the biggest football tournament on the planet, but it nevertheless is still national team football, even if the nations are unrecognised.
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
May 31 – In what is one of the more bizarre performance-related sackings of a top manager, irritable president of Egyptian club Zamalek Murtada Mansour fired Swiss coach Christian Gross soon after his side drew 1-1 against Al-Entag in an Egyptian Premier League tie on Thursday.
May 31 – Las Vegas will decide next week whether it will make a bid to be the 30th MLS franchise when its City Council meet to discuss a proposal for a downtown stadium.
May 31 – The expanded Concacaf League club tournament, the baby brother of Concacaf’s leading regional Champions League competition, has held the draw for its second edition in Guatemala.
May 30 – BeIN Sports will broadcast the Women’s World Cup after striking a deal with FIFA to air the tournament in more than 30 countries across Asia, the Middle East and North Africa.
May 30 – Major League Soccer from the US and Mexico’s Liga MX have released details of their new Leagues Cup to be played between eight teams from the two leading professional leagues in the Concacaf region.
May 31 – The English Football League has extended its deal with the Carabao energy drink brand for a further two years.
May 30 – With FIFA’s ruling Council meeting in Paris on Monday, UEFA have been quick to bring their representation on the decision-making body up to its full quota of eight by electing veteran Frenchman Noel le Graet to replace the disgraced Reinhard Grindel.
By Samindra Kunti in Baku, Azerbaijan
May 30 – Chelsea demolished London rivals Arsenal to win the Europa League 4-1 after a soporific first-half and a 23-minute second-half onslaught that left Arsenal reeling and reflecting on a failed season. The North Londoners will miss out on Champions League football for a fourth consecutive season.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 30 – Supporters of African football chief Ahmad Ahmad are rallying around their under-fire president ahead of next week’s Confederation of African Football regional summit in Paris and the full FIFA Congress the following day.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 30 – Yet another high-profile former FIFA bigwig has been thrown out of the game, making a mockery of the suggestion that corruption is over among those who have served football’s world governing body.
May 30 – Just days before he takes his place among the great and the good (and not so good) of African football – if he turns up, that is – Nigerian FA chief Amaju Pinnick, a strong ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino and a constant figure of controversy, has been ordered to appear in court on July 1 along with four colleagues to answer charges of alleged misappropriation of funds.
May 30 – Switzerland’s 20 first and second division clubs have unanimously turned their backs on much-publicised plans to overhaul the Champions League as fears over a split between leagues and clubs intensifies.