France 2019 World Cup ticket sales top 700,000
April 18 – With just 50 days to go until the kick off the Women’s World Cup in France, new ticket sales records are being set with more than 720,000 tickets sold.
CAF continue cover-up as Ahmad cleans house and FIFA remains silent
By Andrew Warshaw
April 17 – Almost a full week after the second most powerful official in African football was sacked from his post, paying the price for corruption allegations swirling around his boss, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) has finally acknowledged the change in a brief statement – but without any mention of the circumstances involved.
North and South Koreas still on course for joint 2023 Women’s World Cup bid
April 17 – A potential landmark joint bid from North and South Korea for the 2023 Women’s World Cup remains very much in the race
Ajax beat the odds and Juventus to reach Champions League semis
April 17 – They began their challenge back in the qualifying rounds when they were 250 to 1 outsiders. But now Ajax of Amsterdam, the pioneers of total football back in the 1970s, are just one round and two matches away from an unlikely place in this season’s Champions League final.
AFC draws teams for first round of Qatar 2020 qualifying
April 17 – The draw for the first phase of Asia’s qualifying round for the 2022 World Cup finals was made on Wednesday despite the fact that the continent doesn’t know for sure how many teams will be represented in Qatar.
2020 Olympic tournament to kick off in Sapporo two days before opening ceremony
By David Owen
April 17 – The schedule for the men’s and women’s Olympic football tournaments next year in Japan has been published, with the sport getting up and running as usual well before the official opening ceremony for the Games.
FIFA to send fact-finding team to Pakistan as PFF power struggle continues
April 17 – World governing body FIFA is to send a fact-finding mission to Pakistan to assess the administrative crisis in the Pakistan Football Federation (PFF), but the FIFA delegation seems unlikely to issues sanctions preventing Pakistan from taking part in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers.
LaLiga renews virtual ad board deal guaranteeing Barca, Real and Atletico
April 15 – LaLiga has extended its virtual perimeter and virtual goal-side advertising deal with the UK’s Interregional Sports Group (ISG). The deal was concluded via LaLiga’s media agency MediaPro.
Bad bet: Scholes faces FA charges over football wagers
April 17 – Former Manchester United and England midfielder Paul Scholes has been charged with misconduct by the FA for allegedly breaking betting rules.
Ireland’s Delaney quits FAI over €100K loan, but hangs on to UEFA posts
By Andrew Warshaw
April 16 – John Delaney’s colourful and controversial career as an influential voice in European football administration is under severe threat after the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) announced he had offered to step aside as its executive vice-president with immediate effect amid increasing criticism over an authorised loan he provided in 2017 that called into question serious governance issues.
LaLiga to kick off new Puma technical deal next season
April 16 – Puma will become LaLiga’s official technical partner from the start of the 2019/20 season, and will supply the official match ball for all matches in LaLiga Santander and La Liga 1|2|3.
Sala transfer: Cardiff hang on to transfer cash as Nantes claim deal was completed
April 16 – Cardiff City have submitted evidence to FIFA in their dispute with Nantes over the £15 million transfer fee for the late Emiliano Sala.
Catching up. FIFA gives jailed Brazilian Marin a life ban and CHF1m fine
April 16 – Jose Maria Marin, disgraced former president of the Brazil Football Confederation (CBF), has been banned for life by FIFA and fined CHF1 million for taking bribes, 16 months after he was convicted of corruption charges in the United States.
RFEF goes into battle with La Liga with its own OTT platform offer
By Paul Nicholson
April 16 – The animosity between the Spanish FA (RFEF) and LaLiga has found a new broadcast battleground to play out.
Head for heights: Maguire tops van Dyke in PL defensive stats, Guerdes leads Big 5
April 16 – An analysis of defensive aerial challenges across Europe by the CIES Football Observatory ranks Olympique Lyonnais defender Marcelo Guerdes as the continent’s leading defender winning 85.5% of aerial challenges.