Terrorist motive ruled out of Dortmund bus bomb attack
May 17 – Federal investigators in Germany say they have not found any indications that there was a “terrorist background” to the attack on the Borussia Dortmund team bus on April 11.
Spanish courts chase Falcao and Coentrao for unpaid tax on image rights deals
May 17 – In the latest tax evasion case to hit Spanish football, the prosecutor in Madrid says it has filed a lawsuit against Radamel Falcao (pictured) and Fabio Coentrao, accusing them of hiding almost €7 million from the tax office between 2012 and 2014.
Chinese siblings take control at Reading and get a second shot at Premier League
May 17 – Chinese brother and sister Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li (pictured) who failed to complete on the acquisition of Hull City last year after the Premier League ruled against their deal, may become Premier League club owners after all having become the majority shareholders in Reading.
Zenit move league game after pitch at St Petersburg’s new stadium cuts up
By Samindra Kunti
May 17 – Zenit St. Petersburg have been forced to play tonight’s (Wednesday) league match with FC Krasnodar at another ground after the pitch at the Krestovsky stadium was deemed to be too poor for the fixture.
AFC integrity chief lines up probe into Lai case
May 17 – Asian football’s new independent anti-corruption watchdog is calling on the confederation to launch its own separate probe into the circumstances surrounding the prosecution of former marketing chief Richard Lai.
Everton confirm record SportPesa deal, as online gambler bases Euro HQ in Liverpool
May 17 – Everton have confirmed SportPesa as the club’s new shirt sponsor in a five-year deal that chief executive Robert Elstone said is the biggest deal in the club’s history.
Liverpool provide best value in Premier League, Man Utd worst
May 16 – Liverpool are the best value team for entertainment this season across all four English professionals divisions, according to an analysis by MyVoucherCodes.co.uk. In contrast Manchester United offer the worst value for entertainment at Old Trafford.
TSN secures Canadian TV rights for Gold Cup and Champions League
May 17 – CONCACAF has secured another cornerstone broadcast partner for its blue riband Gold Cup and Champions League competitions. Canadian sports network TSN has signed a multi-year rights deal for Canada that begins with the upcoming Gold Cup this July.
Man Utd set up for big finish on and off the pitch as revenue forecast to hit £560m
By Paul Nicholson
May 16 – Manchester United, setting themselves up for a Europa Cup final season finale, are also predicting a big year-end finish for their financials, forecasting a better than expected financial performance.
Mongolia surprise UAE as AFC U-20 Futsal Championship kicks off in Bangkok
May 16 – The inaugural Asian Football Confederation U-20 Futsal Championship kicked off today in Bangkok, Thailand, with 21 teams playing for the AFC title and qualification for the 2018 Summer Youth Olympics in Buenos Aires.
Kiron pushes the boundaries for Bangladeshi women and the ‘South Zone’
By Andrew Warshaw
May 16 – Asian football’s new female FIFA Council member, whose election last week was given little fanfare amid the maelstrom of the FIFA Congress in Bahrain, says she aims to elevate the game throughout the Continent despite her relative inexperience on the international stage.
Lavezzi hits Chinese wall as joke pictures fail to amuse
May 16 – Argentine star Ezequiel Lavezzi, one of the most highly paid players in world football, has been forced to apologise after he made a slant-eyed pose in promotional pictures for his Chinese Super League club.
Murdoch’s ‘monkey’ MacKenzie eclipsed by the Sun after toxic gorilla comparison
May 16 – Britain’s biggest selling daily newspaper the Sun has dropped its former editor Kelvin MacKenzie, now an outspoken columnist, over an article he wrote likening Everton midfielder Ross Barkley, an England international, to a gorilla.
Manchester derby set for summer lift off in Houston
May 16 – The International Champions Cup are having a second shot at staging the first ever Manchester derby outside Manchester. This time the US organisers are looking to play the game at the NRG Stadium in Houston Texas.
Messi outranks Ronaldo, four Bayern players make Best XI, Pogba breaks into top tier
May 16 – The CIES Football Observatory has ranked the best players of the 2016/17 season using their stats analysis and have come up with a Best XI that includes five players from the Bundesliga wth four of them – Manuel Neuer, Javi Martinez, Mats Hummels and Thiago Alcantara – from Bayern Munich.