Same old Iran. Women refused entry to 100th Tehran derby
April 24 – Women were reportedly barred from attending the Tehran derby between Esteghlal and Persepolis in the Iranian top flight.
James Dostoyevsky: Gianni, quo *tf vadis?
Sometimes, it looks like he can’t do anything right, doesn’t it? He blabbers about football solving the refugee crisis in the Mediterranean, he lectures about his being gay today, his being a migrant worker yesterday, and quite generally to be utterly misunderstood – every day.
Concacaf unveils Caribbean Shield and Cup details for reworked club competitions
April 24 – The Saint Kitts and Nevis FA will host the fifth edition of the 16-team Concacaf Caribbean Shield which will be played between August 3-13, 2023.
England captain Williamson ruled out of Australia/New Zealand World Cup
April 24 – England captain Leah Williamson will miss the women’s World Cup this summer after suffering a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament in a Women’s Super League match against Manchester United.
South African FA turns back on hosting Cosafa tournaments saying other nations must now step up
April 24 – The South African FA has said it no longer wants to hold tournaments organised by its regional confederation, the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations (Cosafa), saying that the events drain government resources and harm the South African Football Association’s (SAFA) access to funding.
Wrexham script a Hollywood ending with return to EFL
April 24 – Wrexham secured a fairy tale return to the English Football League after a 15-year absence with their Hollywood owners watching on as they beat Boreham Wood 3-1 to win the National League with a game to spare on Saturday.
Salomon wins second term as Honduras president and vows to turn national team round
April 24 – Jorge Salomon has been re-elected as president of the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras (Fenafuth) for a four-year term.
AT&T extends US soccer sponsorship through 2026 World Cup
April 24 – Telecoms giant AT&T has extended its 10-year sponsorship of the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), taking it through to the end of the 2026 World Cup.
Levski Sofia owner Sirakov launches ‘business club’ to raise cash to pay off tax debts
April 24 – The owner of Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia, Nasko Sirakov, has founded the Levski Business Club, which aims to raise funds to repay Levski’s tax debts that currently stand at about BGN 11 million (€5.5 million).
UEFA opens ticket sales for Champions League, Europa League and Conference League finals
April 24 – UEFA has opened ticket sales for all three its upcoming men’s club competition finals.
Juve 15-point penalty suspended as case to be returned to court
April 21 – Juventus’ 15-point penalty for alleged false accounting in transfer dealings was revoked on Thursday but the spectre of sanction did not disappear after Italy’s highest sporting court ruled that the case should be re-examined and the long bans meted out to former chairman Andrea Agnelli, ex-CEO Maurizio Arrivabene and sporting directors Federico Cherubini and Fabio Paratici were upheld.
Newcastle United visit Belgium’s KV Oostende for takeover talks
April 21 – Newcastle United and their Saudi owners, the Public Investment Fund (PIF), have reportedly expressed interest in buying Belgian club KV Oostende, recently relegated from the top flight.
Paratici ban forces him to quit Spurs as club management crisis deepens
April 21 – Just weeks after manager Antonio Conte left the club, Tottenham Hotspur’s season was plunged into further chaos today when director of football Fabio Paratici (pictured) resigned after his appeal against a 30-month ban over his role in alleged false accounting in transfer dealings when he was at Juventus was rejected by Italy’s top sport court.
Namibia pull out of joint bid leaving Botswana with prospect of going solo for AFCON 2027
April 21 – Botswana are trying to salvage their efforts to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations after Namibia withdrew from a joint bid one day before the deadline for submitting expressions of interest.
Corinthians draft in Cuca just one game into new season but fans protest
April 21 – Sao Paulo giants Corinthians have a new coach. Cuca (pictured) will take over from Fernando Lazaro, but his appointment has evoked a storm of protest over his tainted past.