Czechs ban boozed up match officials
May 13 – Two officials who appeared to be drunk during a top-flight domestic game in the Czech Republic, widely seen since on YouTube, have been banned by their national federation.
Spurs secure Pochettino as key part of future through to 2021
May 13 – Tottenham Hotspur’s Argentine manager Mauricio Pochettino has signed a contract extension which commits him to the north London club until 2021.
FIFA Congress warms-up in Mexico City with a Legends fiesta
By Paul Nicholson in Mexico City
May 12 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino’s first act in his new job was to host a Legends match at his new office in Zurich. He seems to have liked the idea so much he has repurposed it for his first Congress as president, but this time bringing in the legends (a reported 200) to sprinkle stardust around Mexico City.
Newcastle count the cost of relegation as Sunderland make great escape
By Andrew Warshaw
May 12 – They spent a whopping £80 million on new players since last summer and, when that didn’t bear fruit, brought in one of Europe’s most accomplished and respected managers late on to try and save them.
Copa America Centenario sells out sponsor packages as anticipation builds
By Paul Nicholson
May 12 – From being the competition that opened a gateway to the biggest corruption crisis global football has ever experienced, Copa America Centenario has transformed itself into what could potentially become a gamechanger in terms of international football across the Americas.
AFC schedules Goa Congress as Salman pledges support to on-going reform
May 12 – The Asian Football Confederation have called an Extraordinary Congress to be held in Goa, India, on September 27 to elect its three additional members to the newly established FIFA Council, including the required female representative.
BT drops pay platform to broadcast European club finals on Youtube and freeview
By Tom Parsons
May 12 – BT Sport has announced it will show the Champions League and Europa League finals free-to-air on its YouTube channel and freeview channel after recent criticism about the broadcaster’s low viewing figures for European football on the pay channels.
Everton sack Martinez as De Boer puts himself forward
May 12 – Everton have sacked manager Roberto Martinez after three years in charge. Even before he was fired the managerial rumour mill for next season had already started with Frank de Boer reported to be in the frame to take over after agreeing to leave Ajax after five years in charge.
Big league power plays: La Liga targets PL, everyone wants a piece of the US
By Paul Nicholson in Mexico City
May 12 – It was a joke but when MLS Commissioner Don Garber responded to the Premier League’s David Dein on World Cup hosting saying that “if you could host it next week, we could host it tomorrow”, it showed where the real power balance in football lies.
Chelsea to pay £40m to exit adidas kit deal
May 12 – Having ensured a miserable season on the pitch by their own standards, Chelsea are to end their shirt sponsorship deal with German sportswear giants Adidas six years earlier than scheduled.
Raul spearheads La Liga brand building challenge in the US
By Paul Nicholson in Mexico City
May 12 – La Liga has targeted the US as a key development country and has sent Real Madrid goalscoring legend Raul to deliver the partnerships and win American hearts and minds.
Berlusconi closes in on Chinese sale for AC Milan; Villa seek a saviour
By Paul Nicholson
May 11 – The Berlusconi family, owners of Italy’s AC Milan, have opened exclusive talks for the sale of a majority stake in the club to a group of Chinese investors.
OECD survey finds football riddled with match-fixing and little being done
By Andrew Warshaw
May 11 – Neither governments nor the sports industry are doing nearly enough to combat and reduce match-fixing and illegal betting according to a comprehensive new report released by the 34-nation Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD).
SUM win rights to sell CONCACAF sponsorship to 2021, FIFA releases $10m
By Paul Nicholson in Mexico City
May 11 – The sponsorship rights to CONCACAF events have been awarded to the MLS’s commercial arm, Soccer United Marketing (SUM), who take over from Traffic Sports, the agency that triggered the corruption scandal that lead to the arrest of the confederation’s last two presidents – Jeffrey Webb and Alfredo Hawit.
World Cup bid criteria tightened but 2026 host vote put back to 2020
By Andrew Warshaw
May 11 – The 2026 World Cup hosts will not be chosen until May 2020, three years later than originally scheduled, as FIFA beefs up eligibility rules.