Maradona offers himself to Russia, but some overtures are rejected
July 5 – Diego Maradona is at it again, stirring up controversy with outlandish comments and prompting all manner of media headlines.
Rangers crash out in Luxembourg as former owners are hammered in tax court
July 5 – How are the once mighty fallen. In one of the biggest club upsets of recent European seasons, Scotland’s Rangers were knocked out of the Europa League qualifying competition on Tuesday by part-time Luxembourg minnows Progres Niederkorn.
Deportivo cuts debt burden by €45m and opens door to raised salary cap
July 5 – La Liga club Deportivo La Coruña has restructured its crippling debt mountain with a €45 million loan-cum-sponsorship with financial institution Abanca.
With wedding celebration in full swing, Messi renews his vows with Barca
July 5 – Rumours of Lionel Messi’s possible departure from Barcelona have been well and truly crushed after the Argentine superstar agreed a contract extension which will keep him at his boyhood club until 2021.
M&A advisors Blackbridge and Whitecap combine to open new investor markets for clubs
July 5 – Mergers and acquisitions specialists Blackbridge Cross Borders form the UK and Whitecap Sports from the US have formed a strategic partnership to open up the US market to European/Asian investors and vice versa.
Crystal Palace tackle devil of a grass root problem with garlic
July 5 – If you happen to be in the region of the Crystal Palace stadium in south London over the next few weeks, you may experience a familiar odour.
Indonesia gets serious about 2034 ASEAN World Cup hosting
By Mark Baber
July 4 – The Indonesian Government through the Indonesian Football Association (PSSI) will be the consortium leader in discussing the possibility of the ASEAN submission as the joint host of the World Cup in 2034, according to comments made by Vice Chairman of the PSSI Joko Driyono.
Paperwork FIFA doesn’t want. Infantino report has not made it to Rojas yet
By Andrew Warshaw
July 4 – Fresh revelations by the German news magazine Der Spiegel have added another layer of intrigue over whether FIFA president Gianni Infantino was under renewed investigation at the time both of FIFA’s two main ethics bosses were relieved of their duties in May.
Premier League pirates. English fans turn to illegal streaming to watch their teams
July 4 – Nearly half of Premier League fans have at some stage streamed a top-flight game online through an unauthorised provider, according to a survey conducted by the BBC.
Spurs join Chelsea on Nike roster in £30m kit deal
By Paul Nicholson
July 4 – Nike have added Premier League Tottenham Hotspur to their club kit supply roster in a multi-year deal that begins next season. The announcement was made formally at the launch of the club’s new playing strip.
Aston Villa bet on Terry to take them up. Unibet wager on Villa to get there
July 4 – He may not be everyone’s cup of tea and has courted controversy throughout his career but former England and Chelsea captain John Terry has resisted the temptation to try and join the exodus to China by signing a one-year deal with second-tier Aston Villa at the age of 36 for one final challenge.
Fiorentina lose €32m claim against Chelsea over Salah loan
July 4 – The Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) has ruled against Italian club Fiorentina,in their €32 million claim against Chelsea over the loan transfer of Egyptian winger Mohamed Salah.
UEFA report blows up dangers of pyrotechnics at 25% of European club games
July 4 – An independent study commissioned by UEFA and Football Supporters Europe has highlighted the health and safety risks of letting off flares and other pyrotechnics in stadiums.
Bavarian brothers: Bayern and Siemens form new technology alliance
July 4 – Munich-based German engineering firm Siemens has been named as the Performance Partner of FC Bayern München in a three-year deal starting with the new season.
Blake denies receiving commission or money laundering in CIFA $1.2m corruption probe
By Paul Nicholson
July 4 – Bruce Blake, First Vice President of the Cayman Islands Football Association (CIFA) and a Caribbean Football Union (CFU) executive committee member, has denied at any time receiving any ‘secret’ commission or engaging in any money laundering activity.