Nike locks out all 16 Chinese Super League clubs in $470m 10-year deal
May 12 – The Chinese Super League (CSL) has extended its kit partnership with Nike for a further 10 years – starting in June 2019 and taking them through to 2029.
Greek tragedy adds a farcical chapter as Spanish ref in the firing line for cup final
By Paul Nicholson
May 11 – At the end of a season of unprecedented turmoil and allegations of corruption that have pointed to matchfixing and match manipulation within the highest administrative levels of the Greek game, the Hellenic Football Federation (HFF) have finally decided to fly in a non-Greek referee for the final match of its season.
Russia and Argentina take measures to keep the Barras Bravas out of 2018 World Cup stadia
By Samindra Kunti
May 11 – The Argentine government will sign an agreement Russia to prevent more than 3,000 Argentine hooligans from entering Russia and the host venues this summer during the World Cup.
FIFPro suspicion as Infantino’s $25bn cash plan offers big clubs a bi-annual $1.5bn feast
May 11 – The international players union FIFPro is the latest organisation to express their opposition to Gianni Infantino’s ambitious plans to change the landscape of world football with two new competitions, a revamped Club World Cup and a new FIFA Nations League.
Telstra and Aussie FA sign 5-year digital deal
May 11 – Telstra and Football Federation Australia (FFA) have signed a five-year digital rights and sponsorship agreement, with Telstra securing the live mobile rights for football until 2023.
US dismiss Morocco calls for its territories to be pulled from FIFA’s 2026 vote
May 11 – Morocco’s rivals to stage the 2026 World Cup have defended the right of four US-governed territories to take part in next month’s vote after the north Africans complained in writing to FIFA about a potential conflict of interest.
Wenger warning for top Euro leagues, saying big club Super League is inevitable
May 11 – Outgoing Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger says the introduction of a European super league, resisted for years by football’s authorities, is “inevitable” and says Premier League matches will ultimately be moved to midweek.
New CIES study reveals global flows of football talent
May 11 – A report by the CIES Football Observatory provides insights into the global flows of football expatriates, revealing that the labour market of footballers is increasingly internationalised with player flow between countries still on the increase.
Morocco call for four US territories to be pulled from 2026 vote
By Andrew Warshaw
May 10 – The new voting process to select the 2026 World Cup hosts has led to yet more claims of unfair tactics by underdogs Morocco who have requested FIFA exclude four United States-governed territories from the ballot in June.
SIGA Expert Summit: Anti-matchfixers call for criminal regulation to fight tsumani of fixers
By Paul Nicholson
May 10 – The battle against betting related match-fixing needs to be stepped up with stronger regulation and real co-operation between the anti-matchfixing stakeholders, was the overriding message from the first SIGA Expert Summit on Sports Betting, Integrity and Media that closed in Porto, Portugal, this week.
Transfer costs: Man City top Barca by €7.6m in Euro ranking of average player values
May 10 – With the summer transfer window merry-go-round already starting its first revolutions, the CIES Football Observatory has produced a report on the average transfer values of Big 5 league squads.
Jordaan says SAFA exco will mandate which way the 2026 World Cup vote goes
May 10 – South African Football Association (SAFA) president Danny Jordaan has been forced to diplomatically backtrack over a previous pledge that his federation would be voting for Morocco to stage the 2026 World Cup.
Russian Cup launch gives gamers chance to qualify for FIFA eWorld Cup 2018
May 10 – Russia will have its own round of the EA Sports FIFA 18 Global Series with VY Esports having struck a deal to for the Russian Interactive Football Cup to become an official qualifying competition.
Swedish fans chip in with tactical tips on Andersson’s walk to work
May 10 – At last, a FIFA World Cup story that is not about corruption. Sweden’s football fans are being given the opportunity to help national team manager Janne Andersson with his tactics for Russia 2018.
FIFA cuts comms lines, scrapping daily 2018 World Cup briefings
May 10 – In a move that seems likely to be regarded in some circles as a protectionist measure to avoid negative publicity, FIFA has scrapped its daily media briefings at next month’s World Cup, with a need-to-know policy installed instead.