Giggs ‘abuse’ trial date set for January next year
June 1 – A trial date of January 24 next year has been set for former Wales manager Ryan Giggs who is accused of deliberately headbutting his ex-girlfriend and of controlling behaviour.
Kessler, Bareman and Gregorius to headline second WoW webinar tomorrow
June 1 – SIGA will host the second of its Women on Wednesdays (WoW) webinar series tomorrow (Wednesday 2 June) with a focus on football and three key leaders of the women’s game globally.
Ceferin favours ‘final 4’ flourish for Champions League
June 1 – European governing body UEFA is considering a Final Four format for the Champions League as a way to build a showpiece week of European football and generate more revenues.
Concacaf builds it brands with Amazon deal to sell official licensed product
June 1 – Regional confederation Concacaf has struck an e-commerce deal with Sym Entertainment that will allow it to sell official licensed products of its main competitions on Amazon platforms worldwide.
Chelsea seize Champions League title as Guardiola tinkers and Man City crumble
By Samindra Kunti
May 30 – In a dramatic Champions League final, one of the best European Cup finals for a number of seasons, Chelsea, N’Golo Kante and Kai Havertz out-manoeuvred and outperformed Manchester City and Pep Guardiola’s experimental tactics to win 1-0 and clinch the continent’s premier club competition for a second time.
Japan merciless as AFC restarts its Asian Qualifiers with all to play for
By Paul Nicholson
May 28 – The long-awaited restart of the Asian Qualifiers for the 2020 World Cup and 2023 Asian Cup in China got off to an explosive start today with Japan swamping Myanmar with 10-0 to secure their place in the third round of 2022 qualifying and guarantee a slot for the China 2023 Asian Cup.
Julius Baer buy their way out of FIFAGate corruption case with £80m settlement
By Samindra Kunti
May 28 – Swiss bank Julius Baer has been fined $80 million by the U.S. Department of Justice for its role in FIFAGate, the scandal that rocked world football in 2015.
UCL final: Man City closing on final destination, Chelsea look to bump-start new era
May 28 – In the age of super clubs, Chelsea and Manchester City will decide who reigns supreme over Europe on Saturday in an all-English Champions League final that will be played in front of 16,500 fans in Porto, Portugal.
Al Ahly have edge ahead of African Super Cup against RS Berkane in Doha
May 28 – Egyptian Giants Al Ahly start as firm favourites to lift the African Super Cup against Morocco’s Renaissance Berkane and complete a treble of titles under South African coach Pitso Mosimane.
Ceferin pledges unity and support for football pyramid
May 28 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has taken another dig at those who prioritise profit over passion by pledging to support the entire football pyramid.
Singapore drop AFC Cup hosting as covid cases rise; West Zone groups wrap up
May 28 – The AFC Cup hit another bump in its long road to completing a full season, with the Singapore’s decision to withdraw from Groups H and I matches, which were scheduled to take place June 29 to July 6.
European leaders emphasise meritocracy over plutocracy, with Villareal as timely reminder
By Andrew Warshaw
May 28 – Villarreal’s euphoric upset win over Manchester United in this week’s Europa League final was not only a triumph for the club and its fans, it also cemented the anti-Super League sentiment and justified the narrative that middle and smaller-sized clubs can fulfil their dreams on the biggest stage.
Famine to feast: FIFA rankings unchanged but packed match calendar will bring change
May 28 – With only one international match played since FIFA last published its rankings, the calendar is about move from famine to feast with an explosion of activity including Gold Cup and Euro 2020 and Copa America, as well as World Cup qualifiers.
Musical chairs: Conte and Zidane quit, Pirlo could be next, Poch rumoured for Spurs return
May 28 – Two more high-profile managers are back in the market for new jobs after Antonio Conte left Inter Milan after winning Serie A and Zinedine Zidane resigned from Real Madrid after two and half years.
Nike cuts Neymar loose after sex allegations come back to bite
May 28 – US sportswear giant Nike says it dropped Brazilian footballer Neymar because he “refused to co-operate in a good faith investigation” into an allegation of sexual assault against an employee.