Wanda refocuses on China with €266m pledged for Dalian grassroots build
May 2 – Chinese property giant Wanda Group, which in Europe has developed a sports marketing agency, is to invest €266 million into grassroots football in China.
Forest Green’s Vince treks to UEFA to enforce climate change message
By Andrew Warshaw
May 1 – It isn’t every day that a new age traveller turned environmentalist pioneer and lower-league football club chairman is invited to address the great and the good of UEFA.
MBS thwarted as Glazers refuse to sell Man Utd to Saudi Crown Prince
May 1 – Saudi Arabia Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman is no longer considering a £3.8b billion takeover of Manchester United according to British press reports.
Headaches all round for Spurs as Ajax take a one goal lead in CL semi
May 1 – Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino insists his medical staff followed UEFA protocol after defender Jan Vertonghen was briefly allowed to return to the field despite suffering a serious-looking head injury in the Champions League semi-final loss to Ajax on Tuesday.
Egypt to rethink AFCON ticket pricing after fans complain of hiked Egyptian game prices
May 1 – The Egypt Football Association (EFA) will re-examine ticket prices for this summer’s Africa Cup Nations tickets after an angry outcry from fans protesting at the cost of tickets for host nation matches.
Macron renew OGC Nice and prepare German expansion
May 1 – Macron have extended their kit supply deal with French top flight club OGC Nice through to 2024.
RB Leipzig renew CG Gruppe as sleeve sponsor in 3-year deal
May 1 – RB Leipzig, currently third in the Bundesliga and heading for Champions League football next season, have renewed their sleeve sponsorship with real estate developer CG Gruppe.
LaLiga vs RFEF: Spanish FA approves Cup competition format the league doesn’t want
April 30 – Further details have emerged of radical changes to the formats of Spain’s Copa del Rey and, especially, the Spanish Super Cup that have caused a huge rift between the Spanish FA and La Liga.
Lazio let-off over Mussolini banner and racist abuse at AC Milan cup game
April 30 – Lazio have somehow escaped an immediate stadium closure after around 50 supporters displayed a banner honouring Benito Mussolini and performed fascist salutes ahead of last week’s Italian Cup match against AC Milan, followed by instances of disgraceful racist abuse during the game itself.
West Ham join the blockchain/cryptocurrency market with Socios.com deal
April 30 – West Ham United have agreed to partner the blockchain-based fan engagement platform Socios.com. They are the first Premier League club to sign with Socios and join European clubs Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus on the platform.
Belgium’s Mechelen and Waasland-Beveren face relegation over match-fixing charges
April 30 – The Belgian FA (KBVB) have begun the procedure which will determine if KV Mechelen and Waasland-Beveren will be relegated to the second tier of Belgian football after accusations of match-fixing on the final day of last season.
New FIFA transfer rules will change relationships between players and clubs
April 30 – Ephraim Barak, Rex Sport Academic Director and founder and managing partner of EB SportLaw, says the new FIFA Rules on the Status and Transfer of Player are “only the beginning of a very influential change”.
RB Leipzig, Real Madrid, OL and Man Utd lead way with youth
April 30 – Player recruitment can either define a club’s future or be a short term fix. An analysis by the CIES Football Observatory looks at the average of players recruited in 24 European top divisions, not including academy graduates.
Sunderland boss paid £1.9m as club plummets and losses mount
April 30 – Former Sunderland chief executive Martin Bain received more than £1 million in compensation last year even though the Scot oversaw two consecutive relegations during his tenure and enacted huge cost-cutting at the club, according to Sunderland’s financial accounts.
Man City women keep Pioneer in the picture
April 30 – English top-flight women’s club Manchester City have renewed their partnership with Pioneer Group, an audio visual provider offering digital stadium solutions. No value was given for the deal.