By Samindra Kunti in Paris
June 7 – ‘Dare to shine’. Tonight the hosts and South Korea will try and convert that slogan on to the pitch at the curtain raiser of the France 2019 Women’s World Cup. On the sidelines US legend Mia Hamm issued another rallying cry for more investment in the women’s game.
By Samindra Kunti in Paris
June 7 – FIFA and Gianni Infantino have promised to invest $500 million in the women’s game over the next four years, responding to the criticism over the minimal prize money on offer at the Women’s World Cup in France.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 7 – Hours before the women’s World Cup was due to kick off in the French capital, Gianni Infantino insisted the tournament would change perceptions about the women’s game for ever. But more importantly the FIFA president missed a vital – some might say essential – opportunity to address the scourge of sexual harassment pervading the game.
June 7 – World governing body FIFA and the United Nations Women – the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women – have signed a first-ever MoU on Friday to empower girls and women around the world and achieve gender equality.
June 7 – Manchester City, desperate not to be punished by UEFA as they chase winning Europe’s premier club trophy, have filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to block UEFA’s pursuit of a Champions League ban for violating Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
June 7 – Reportedly about to lose their star player Eden Hazard to Real Madrid, Chelsea have appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against being slapped with a two-window transfer ban by FIFA after being found guilty in February of illegally signing no fewer than 29 under-age foreign players.
June 7 – Aston Villa, who won the €170 million play off game to return to the Premier League after a two-season absence, has announced a one-year principal partner deal with online gaming company W88.
By Paul Nicholson
June 6 – The privileged and protected world of African confederation president Ahmad Ahmad has come crashing down with his arrest at the Berri Hotel in Paris this morning where he has been staying during the FIFA Congress and in the run-up to the opening of the Women’s World Cup this weekend.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 6 – Everything seemed to be running so smoothly for the FIFA administration. A trouble-free election victory for Gianni Infantino, the shortest of Congresses, a first ever women’s football convention extolling the sporting virtues of female players and the eagerly anticipated opening of the Women’s World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 6 – There are precious few welcoming banners, hardly any fanfare and no signs of the thousands of fans who traditionally pour in from across the globe to watch the men’s version of the tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 6 – Amid uproar, chaos and allegations of bias and mismanagement, the image of African football administration has once again descended into farce after its executive ordered a replay on neutral ground of the controversial African Champions League final second leg between Esperance of Tunisia and Wydad Casablanca of Morocco.
June 6 – The next few weeks are exciting ones for Concacaf. The Women’s World Cup in France sees the US defends its crown, and in just over a week the confederation’s expanded blue riband men’s national team event, the Gold Cup, kicks off at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles.
June 6 – Brazil’s Neymar remains in the headlines for all the wrong reasons. On Wednesday he limped off the field in a 2-0 warm-up win over Qatar with a ligament injury that will keep him out of the Copa America on home soil.
June 6 – Ugly scenes between a minority of England fans and Portuguese police marred the Nations League semi-final in Guimaraes, tarnishing the image of travelling England fans once more. The Football Association has condemned the fans involved as “an embarrassment”.
June 6 – A potentially pivotal two-day summit of Europe’s leading clubs to discuss controversial proposals to revamp the Champions League has been plunged into disarray with the Spanish and English both openly rebelling against the plans.