European club game hits €25.5bn value with Premier League driving the growth
June 7 – The European football market in 2016/17 was worth a record €25.5 billion with the Big 5 leagues accounting for €14.7 billion.
Spurs and England’s Kane is world’s most valuable player, Neymar is second
June 7 – Neymar may hold the record as the most expensive transfer in football history, but he isn’t the most valuable player in the world. Tottenham’s Harry Kane holds that position, valued €3.7 million higher than the Brazilian money machine, according to a new ranking of the Top 100 players in Europe’s Big 5 leagues.
Man City enters Chinese esports market with team in Tencent’s Online Star League
June 7 – Manchester City, one of the first English Premier League clubs to embrace esports with the signing of professional gamers to play under the club banner in tournaments, have taken a step deeper into the competitive video gaming sector with the set up of an EA Sports FIFA Online team in Beijing, China.
Ramos says Salah could have played on in CL final with an injection
June 6 – Real Madrid defender Sergio Ramos, whose arm wrestle on Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah put the Egyptian striker out of the Champions League final, has hit back at widespread criticism of his action and says Salah could have played on instead of leaving the field in tears.
Russia 2018: FIFA files criminal law suit against ticketing website Viagogo
June 6 – FIFA has filed a criminal complaint in Switzerland against the ticket website Viagogo on the eve of the World Cup as part of a crackdown on unauthorised sales.
European clubs provide 74% of World Cup players, just 35 of 736 come from South American clubs
June 6 – When European clubs complain about their highly paid players being stretched to the limit by too much international competition, they often receive scant sympathy.
Green Card innovation wins fans as Conifa World Cup closes in on final
By Andrew Warshaw
June 6 – It has taken a tournament for unaffiliated nations, stateless peoples, breakaway diasporas, indigenous communities and ethnic minorities to launch what is being hailed as one of football’s most refreshing innovations to cut down on dissent and improve respect for officials.
Israel burned after Argentina bows to pressure and cancels World Cup warm-up in Jersualem
By Samindra Kunti
June 6 – Argentina has cancelled a World Cup warm-up match with Israel following political pressure from Palestine. The cancellation of the highly controversial friendly has thrown Argentina’s World Cup preparations further into disarray.
Iran turn up to Russian 2018 party early and determined not to be the first to leave
June 6 – Iran were the first team to arrive in Russia ahead of the 2018 World Cup, which kicks off next week. The Iranians have been paired in group B with Spain, Portugal and Morocco, but their preparations have been blighted by logistical problems.
Inter Academy expands with two new Chinese sites and first Slovakian centre
June 6 – Italian giant Internazionale have opened three new academies, one in Slovakia and two more in China taking the number of Inter Academies in the world’s largest country to six.
Buffon given 3-game ban for CL semi-final referee outburst
June 6 – Veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been suspended for three games by UEFA in the wake of his red card and behaviour during Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
UEFA earmarks record €2.04 billion for clubs in European competition next season
June 6 – UEFA will give a record €2.04 billion to clubs playing in the Champions League and Europa League next season, a more than €800 million increase on last season.
Conmebol refuses to hear Morocco’s 2026 pitch pre-FIFA Congress vote
By Andrew Warshaw
June 5 – Morocco’s 2026 World Cup bid leaders have been refused permission to make a final presentation to FIFA’s South American voters ahead of the all-important ballot on June 13.
Infantino says Qatar would need to agree to 48-team 2022 but keeps calendar discussion alive
By Andrew Warshaw
June 5 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino suddenly appears to be backtracking on bringing forward plans for a 48-team World Cup to the 2022 tournament in Qatar.
Xia rethinks funding after Aston Villa’s play-off loss misses out on £160m payday
June 5 – Tony Xia (pictured), Aston Villa’s Chinese owner who bought the club from American Randy Lerner for £62 million in 2016, is looking for new funding for the club after failure to win the Championship play-off against Fulham that would have returned the club to the monied land of the Premier League.