Red carded. British refs fail to pass FIFA quality control for Russia 2019
April 5 – British referees have invariably commanded global respect but none will take part in this year’s World Cup in Russia, the first such absence in 80 years.
Gold Cup 2025
Pochettino happy with USA’s new-found ‘fight’ but wary of the Guatemala challenge
July 2 – Having looked like a team that were struggling to find any cohesion or common purpose after four straight losses, including a miserable performance in March at the Concacaf Nations League final, suddenly the USA look as though, if not the real deal, they are certainly worth a reappraisal.
Man Utd in credit in China with new PingAn hook-up
April 4 – Manchester United fans in China will be able to apply for a club branded credit card as part of a new sponsorship agreement with Chinese banking group, PingAn Bank.
FIFA reject Morocco claims that 2026 bid criteria were manipulated at last minute
By Andrew Warshaw
April 4 – Morocco’s claim of unfair treatment by FIFA in the bidding process for the 2026 World Cup has been strongly rejected by football’s world governing body which has moved swiftly into face-saving overdrive in an effort to maintain credibility.
Dominica joins Caribbean breakaway with support for Morocco 2026
April 4 – Dominica has become the second CONCACAF nation after St Lucia to come out and confirm it is backing Morocco for the 2026 World Cup despite being part of the same confederation as the rival United 2026 bid.
Saudi’s declare for United 2026 as battle for Middle East votes hots up
April 4 – With Qatar having already stated it is supporting Morocco for the 2026 World Cup, Saudi Arabia has said that it is going the other way as the race to clinch Asian backing hots up.
Tipico extends naming rights deal with Austrian Bundesliga
April 4 – The Austrian Bundesliga has announced and extension of their main sponsorship with sports betting company Tipico for at least two years from the summer of 2018.
UEFA warn Zenit after player misses doping test after Celtic clash
April 4 – Zenit St Petersburg have been cautioned by UEFA after one of their players failed to attend a routine doping test following Celtic’s 1-0 Europa League win over the Russian side in February.
Scottish FA secure future at Hampden Park with agreement to buy
April 4 – Scotland looks set to secure their future at Hampden Park after League One club Queen’s Park agreed in principle to sell the ground to the Scottish FA.
£58m profit for Spurs – and £6m for the highest-paid director
By David Owen
April 3 – Tottenham Hotspur, the north London club in the process of building a new stadium adjacent to their now-demolished traditional White Hart Lane ground, have revealed details of a strong year for profits – and an eye-popping one for directors’ remuneration.
Record week of attendances sees Crystal Palace top stadium capacity chart
April 4 – The return from the international break saw Premier League crowds match the ground capacity levels of the opening day of the season at 97.76% across the league, the joint second highest of the season.
China’s Wuhan adds LaLiga rights as its Nice Sports agency expands remit
April 4 – China’s Wuhan DDMC Culture Co has added a second Big 5 European league to its broadcast rights portfolio, acquiring Spain’s La Liga for the country.
Exclusive: Moroccan suspicion over FIFA’s last minute bid criteria manipulations
By Andrew Warshaw
March 30 – Gianni Infantino’s insistence that the voting process to choose the 2026 World Cup hosts will be scrupulously fair and clean has come under grave scrutiny amid suspicions of underhand tactics by FIFA over the scoring system being used to assess the two contenders.
UEFA slams Skenderbeu with 10-year European ban and €1m fine for matchfixing
By Paul Nicholson
April 2 – Albania’s leading club KF Skënderbeu has been issued with a 10-year ban from European competition by UEFA for matchfixing.
Platini talks of plots, clowns, worthless judges and the all-conquering power of TV
April 3 – Michel Platini, not so long ago one of the most powerful men in world football who had aspirations to take over from Sepp Blatter as FIFA president until both were banned for ethics violations, has branded those who threw him out as “clowns” and “worthless judges” and told a French magazine that he will eventually be cleared of any wrongdoing.
Russian rumours: UK and US are plotting to remove 2018 World Cup says spokeswoman
April 3 – Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has accused the UK and US of using the poisoning scandal to try and take the World Cup away from her country.