By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – He had apparently said goodbye to his staff without even having been told officially by his employers that he is surplus to requirements and is being replaced by the self-styled Special One. But according to the BBC, it is now official. Louis Van Gaal is leaving Manchester United after two years of a three-year contract and is currently discussing severance terms.
By Samindra Kunti in Paris
May 23 – Paris Saint-Germain and a departing Zlatan Ibrahimovic won a 10th French Cup against Marseille at the Stade de France in a final that descended into ugly scenes after the final whistle as Marseilles fans stormed the pitch and set fires in the stands.
May 23 – Scottish football authorities have launched an urgent inquiry into Saturday’s mass pitch invasion that marred Hibernian’s first Scottish cup triumph for 114 years.
May 23 – UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Liverpool and Sevilla for “crowd disturbances” at last week’s Europa League final.
May 23 – The International Centre for Sport Security Europe (ICSS Europe) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Department of Health and Human Services Partners to promote healthy sport across the globe. The US.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – Sepp Blatter’s support for the United States’ 2022 World Cup bid has been largely ignored and should face more scrutiny, according to the head of Qatar’s much-maligned winning bid.
May 20 – With league seasons over in Europe and Cup finals being played, attention is rapidly switching to the big international tournaments of the 2016 Euros, Copa America Centenario and the Olympic Games in Rio. One tournament that kicked off in Euros host nation France this week was the 2016 Toulon Tournament.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – In a trouble-shooting exercise to offset the resignation of one of his most important anti-corruption watchdogs, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has sought to claim the moral high ground by denouncing what he described as “premature conclusions and speculation”.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 20 – The career of Wolfgang Niersbach (pictured), for so long the rising star of German football administration who was touted as a potential leader of UEFA, has suffered a potentially fatal blow with FIFA’s ethics committee recommending a two-year ban and a SFr30,000 fine be imposed on him following an investigation of Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid.
May 20 – The biggest shake-up in the English professional football pyramid since the Premier League was set up in 1992 has been proposed, with a new fifth division of 20 clubs from 2019-20.
By Samindra Kunti
May 20 – France has extended a nationwide state of emergency to cover EURO 2016 and the Tour de France this summer. German intelligence has warned that the tournament’s opening match and final are major terrorist targets.
By Samindra Kunti
May 20 – The All India Football Federation, the AIFF, has unveiled the first details of the widespread changes to the domestic structure of Indian football that will see the Indian Super League (ISL) become the country’s premier football competition.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 19 – Dutch football chief Michael van Praag says he is running for UEFA president to put the organisation back on an even keel before handing over to someone younger.
By Samindra Kunti
May 19 – The Dutch FA, the KNVB, has relegated FC Twente from the domestic top flight, the Eredivisie, as punishment for breaching financial regulations. Twente will, however, maintain their professional license.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 19 – Having taken FIFA’s membership completely by surprise with the announcement of Fatma Samoura as his new general secretary, Gianni Infantino’s team building has continued with Norwegian football federation official Kjetil Siem being hired in the new role of director of strategic matters.