Lionel Nessie makes debut for Inverness
By David Owen
March 27 – Hats off to Scottish second-tier club Inverness Caledonian Thistle for what must be the classiest intervention of the season in the often dubious field of football club mascots.
UEFA boosts intelligence data for war on matchfixing with ESSA deal
March 27 – UEFA has boosted its armoury in the war on matchfixing with an information-sharing agreement with sports betting integrity body ESSA.
US to host 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship with eyes on France 2019
March 27 – The US will host the 2018 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, to be played October 4-17. Venue for the 8-team championship have still to be decided.
Croatian Bruno Boban dies after being struck by ball in league match
March 27 – Third tier Croatian footballer Bruno Boban collapsed and died after being hit in the chest by the ball during a match.
Gibraltar beat Latvia to secure first win as a FIFA nation
March 27 – Gibraltar won their first game as a FIFA nation on Sunday, beating Latvia 1-0 in an international friendly.
World Cup 2026: Morocco fear FIFA politics are pushing them to a pre-vote exclusion
By Andrew Warshaw in Marrakesh
March 26 – On the day FIFA released the bid books of the two contenders to stage the 2026 World Cup, African supporters of Morocco are crying foul over what they perceive as too much power being handed to the all-important panel that will determine whether the underdogs meet the necessary criteria to take on the heavyweight favourites from North America.
Drug running, guns and political favour. Greece’s tragic football plots thicken
By Paul Nicholson
March 26 – The lifting of the suspension of the Greek Superleague is under discussion with the clubs meeting again today. But suspension will remain in place until clubs agree to government conditions stipulated by Greece’s deputy sports minister Giorgos Vasileiadis.
Russia readies Luzhniki for World Cup 2018 opener with visit of Brazil
By Samindra Kunti in Moscow
Moscow – The Luzhniki Stadium, Russia’s flagship venue for this summer’s World Cup, has staged a successful second test-run, a much-anticipated friendly between Russia and Brazil. The stadium will host the opening game and the final of the World Cup.
UEFA allocate €76m in solidarity feed and win bonuses for Nations League
March 26 – UEFA has released detail of the solidarity and bonus fees for its new Nations League competition which will see €76.25 million shared amongst the European confederations 55 countries.
England’s Russian warm-up. Fans disgrace country at Dutch (un)friendly
March 26 – The resurgence of hooliganism by England fans has cast a dark shadow over the current international break as well as the build-up to the World Cup in Russia.
Portugal fuelled by second World Cup sponsor from China, Eastroc Super Drink
March 26 – European Champions Portugal have added a second national team sponsor from China for the 2018 Russia World Cup. Eastroc Super Drink with be the Portuguese team’s Official Energy Drink.
Man City owners CFG hint at getting closer to Chinese club acquisition
March 26 – City Football Group (CFG), owners of Premier League Manchester City and New York City FC in the MLS, has again indicated that further club acquisitions are likely and that China will likely be the next market.
Atletico build on Wanda connection with office openings in China
March 26 – LaLiga club Atletico de Madrid is flexing its Chinese muscle with the opening of two offices in the Chinese cities of Beijing and the other in Chengdu.
Crash and burned: UEFA banned Sampson for post-Euro aggressive rant
March 26 – Former England women’s head coach Mark Sampson was banned for three games by UEFA 24 hours after he was sacked in September by the English FA for “inappropriate behaviour” in an unrelated previous role, it has emerged.
German football stays ‘anchored in society’ as clubs reject changing 50+1 rule
March 23 – Regarded as the root of everything morally correct about the German club structure, the Bundesliga has voted to retain the 50+1 rule which has been held up as a bastion of commercial fair play.