Covid-hit China withdraws from hosting AFC Asian Cup 2023
By Paul Nicholson
May 16 – China has pulled out of hosting the AFC Asian Cup 2023 just over a year before the 24-team finals are scheduled to be held in the country.
Cosafa’s new chief Almeida e Silva wastes no time in giving region’s support to Infantino
May 15 – Gianni Infantino has enjoyed a good weekend. New Cosafa president Artur de Almeida e Silva (pictured) has vowed that his regional governing body will support the FIFA boss’ bid for re-election next year.
Everton fans racially abuse families of Brentford strikers
May 16 – Two players from Premier League club Brentford claim members of their family were racially abused during Sunday’s fixture at Everton.
Fox agrees full package of Canadian broadcast rights for US market
May 16 – US sports broadcaster Fox has secured another two seasons of neighbouring Canada’s men’s and women’s football.
AFC Grassroots Football Day 2022 sees 41 MAs participate
May 16 – The AFC’s Grassroots Football Day 2022, held May 15, saw 41 Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) member associations participate in a range of activities across the region.
Al Ahly appeal CAF decision to host Champions League final at Wydad’s Casablanca stadium
May 15 – Egyptian club Al Ahly has appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over CAF’s decisions to give the hosting of the final to Casablanca, Morocco.
Liverpool win FA Cup final on penalties to keep quadruple hopes alive
By Samindra Kunti at Wembley
May 15 – Liverpool’s quadruple dream remains alive after defeating Chelsea 6-5 in a penalty shootout in the 150th Anniversary FA Cup Final following a tense and draining 120 minutes.
UEFA defends ticketing for club finals as fans trampled in online scramble to secure seats
By Samindra Kunti and Paul Nicholson
May 12 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has defended the ticket policy for the final of the Champions League between Liverpool and Madrid in Paris this month as fans for all three club finals have scrambled to get tickets.
Eligibility questions over bid by Angola’s Almeida e Silva for Cosafa presidency
May 13 – Artur de Almeida e Silva looks set to succeed Zimbabwe’s Phillip Chiyangwa as the new president of Cosafa, the Council of Southern Africa Football Associations, but questions have been raised over whether the president of the Federação Angolana de Futebol (FAF) should have been allowed to stand for the presidency in the first place.
European Leagues welcome late UCL changes but warn money split post-2024 is key
May 13 – The European Leagues have welcomed the last-minute changes to UEFA’s re-configured Champions League structure that will come into force post 2024 and were approved by UEFA’s executive committee and congress this week.
Qatar hotels refuse bookings from LGBTQ+ guests for 2022 World Cup, reports
May 13 – A media investigation has revealed that a number of FIFA-recommended hotels in Qatar have refused to accept LGBTQ+ guests despite previous claims that those of all gender persuasions would be welcomed for the World Cup.
TikTok doubles up with women’s EURO 2022 after successful men’s EURO 2020
May 13 – TikTok has become an official partner of the Women’s EURO 2022 in a one-event deal, following on from its partnership with the men’s EURO 2020 championship last year.
Football Australia keeps up its pace of change with new club licensing rules
May 13 – Football Australia has announced the country’s first ever domestic club licensing regulations for its professional leagues.
Chelsea go cypto with WhaleFin sleeve deal
May 13 – Premier League Chelsea, still theoretically operating under a restrictive government license while the club sale to the Todd Boehly-led and Clearlake Capital-backed group is completed, has announced a £20 million shirt sleeve deal with cryptocurrency trading platform WhaleFin.
Swooshed: Nike pull out of 17-year Spartak Moscow kit deal
May 13 – US sportwear giant Nike is reported to have severed its 17-year sponsorship deal with Russian Premier League club Spartak Moscow after the team was ruled out of next season’s European competitions because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine.