Ceferin opens door for South Americans to join Europe’s Nations League
March 11 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has suggested that South American teams could feature in the Nations League in the near future.
Disconnected: Three suspends Chelsea shirt sponsorship with immediate effect
March 11 – Following sweeping sanctions against Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich, mobile company Three have suspended their £40 million-a-year shirt sponsorship of the London club with immediate effect.
Jewson builds new partnership with EFL’s 72 clubs
March 11 – The English Football League (EFL) has unveiled a new sponsor partnership with UK builders’ merchant, Jewson. The agreement will cover all 72 clubs in the EFL’s three leagues – Championship, League One and League Two.
Ukraine solidarity: AC Milan launch replica Shevchenko shirt to raise relief funds
March 11 – Leagues and clubs across Europe have been showing their support for Ukraine following the invasion by Russia. AC Milan have gone a step further and are raising money via a special replica jersey.
Beckham’s plans for Inter Miami’s Freedom Park complex remain shackled
March 11 – The final approval for the build of MLS newcomer Inter Miami’s new stadium is close to getting over the line but not quite close enough.
Chelsea sale on hold as Abramovich assets are frozen over his links to Putin
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – In what can only be described as a move of seismic proportions, the entire future of European champions Chelsea has been plunged into doubt after the club’s Russian oligarch owner Roman Abramovich was officially sanctioned by the UK government today following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Al-Khelaifi lawyers claim slander and ask how record $450m World Cup TV deal needs a bribe
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – Lawyers for Nasser Al-Khelaifi (pictured), the Qatari head of broadcaster beIN Sport and boss of Paris St Germain, have demanded a full acquittal of their client over bribery allegations relating to the sale of media rights for the 2026 and 2030 World Cup.
AS Monaco’s Russian owner Rybolovev donates to Ukrainian aid funds
March 10 – Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, president and majority owner of France’s AS Monaco and Cercle Brugge in Belgium, is donating money to support the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine and help ‘innocent’ people.
Drogba waiting in the wings as Ivory Coast elections postponed
March 10 – The elections of the Ivory Coast’s football federation (FIF) have once against been postponed, with eligibility issues prompting the new delay.
PSG crash out of Champions League to Benzema-inspired Real Madrid
March 10 – PSG and the fabled Messi-Neymar-Mbappe trio are out of the Champions League after Karim Benzema masterminded a dramatic 3-1 victory for Real Madrid to progress to the last eight of the European Cup, 3-2 on aggregate.
Barça closing €300m deal with LaLiga’s private equity partners CVC, reports
March 10 – Barcelona, who are challenging the legitimacy of LaLiga’s €1 billion venture capital deal with CVC in court, are nevertheless reportedly close to signing their own €300 million agreement with the investor.
Italy earn their stripes. Adidas to take over from Puma after Qatar 2022
March 10 – It is all change among the big kit and equipment suppliers in Italy. Adidas is to take over from Puma as the Italian federation’s kit supplier from January 2023. Last week Puma took over from Nike to become the official match ball of Serie A from the start of the 2022/23 season.
CFG goes back to school with launch of City Football Leadership Institute with BrandEd
March 10 – Manchester City owner, City Football Group, is entering the education business via a partnership with BrandEd,to launch the City Football Leadership Institute.
AFC expands into Pacific Islands with Free TV Australian deal for 2022
March 10 – The AFC has added to their global broadcast footprint with a media rights deal with Free TV Australia for the Pacific Islands.
From Sardinian villa to Swiss prison cell: prosecutor demands long stretches for Al-Khelaifi and Valcke
March 9 – Switzerland’s public prosecutor has called for hefty prison sentences for Paris Saint-Germain and beIN Sport boss Nasser Al-Khelaifi and FIFA’s former number two Jerome Valcke (pictured) over alleged bribery relating to a World Cup TV rights deal.