Platini to return to football with FIFPro board role
June 17 – Former UEFA head Michel Platini will return to football administration, confirming that he will become the French representative on the board of world players’ union FIFPro.
Gold Cup 2025
Rampaging Canada tear Honduras apart
Canada 5 Honduras 0
June 17 – Canada over the past six years have forced their way into Concacaf’s elite but have so often flattered to deceive. They are the team everyone quite likes but have never delivered the championship title their talent screams for. Re-adjust everyone.
Covid-19 pushes major football sponsor Emirates to first-ever annual loss
By David Owen
June 17 – Emirates Group, the Dubai airline which pumps significant sums into football via an impressive quiver of sponsorship agreements, has posted a heavy loss for the strongly Covid-19-impacted 12 months to end-March 2021 – its first ever annual deficit.
AFC signs Yili as major sponsor as qualifying for Qatar 2022 and China 2023 heats up
June 16 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has reportedly signed Chinese dairy products company Yili Group as a sponsor for its national team competitions for the 2021-24 cycle.
Man Utd’s Fernandes and Maguire top ranking of most minutes played pre-Euro 2020
June 17 – Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes and Harry Maguire top a ranking of players who have played the most minutes of football since 16 May 2020 going into the Euro 2020 championships.
ECA chief promises new era of trust and transparency after night of the long knives
June 17 – The European Club Association (ECA) held its first in-person Executive Board meeting since February 2020 earlier this week in Munich.
England’s beer-guzzling fans get down to grassroots
June 17 – England fans are not only drinking in the atmosphere of being back at Wembley, they are also, literally, drinking the pitch.
Somalia fire ‘incompetent’ and ‘undisciplined’ coach after just three weeks
June 17 – With football in Somalia returning rapidly after years of violent conflict in the country, and the federation only recently having been given control back of its national Stadium Mogadishu after the departure, it seems that not all is easy going in the new reality.
PSM picks up AFC media rights for the Maldives
June 17 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has continued filling in its global TV distribution map with the announcement that PSM will be their new media partner in Maldives.
Russians keep themselves in the frame but Finnish campaign hasn’t ended
June 17 – Finland simply cannot get past their big neighbours, not even with a round of 16 spot at Euro 2020 at stake. A Bergkamp-esque strike from Aleksei Miranchuk on the stroke of half-time was enough for the dominant hosts to sink their opponents 1-0 and maintain a fighting chance in Group B.
UEFA gives Arnautovic one match ban for abusing North Macedonian player
June 16 – UEFA has suspended Austrian player, Marko Arnautovic, for the next match of Austria’s Euro 2020 campaign against Holland on Thursday after he shouted abuse at a North Macedonia player in his country’s opening 3-1 win.
Iran beat Iraq, UAE and Saudi Arabia triumph: AFC has final 12 for Qatar 2022 qualifiers
June 16 – Iran overcame Iraq by a single goal in Bahrain to progress to the next round of Qatar 2022 qualifying last night and keep their hopes alive of a third consecutive appearance at the World Cup, and sixth overall qualification.
Brazil’s top clubs unite for breakaway plan from CBF
By Samindra Kunti
June 16 – Is revolution coming belatedly to Brazilian club football? Local top flight clubs want to establish a league governing body to run the Serie A and gain more of an influence in how the Brazilian game is administered. Currently the league is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF).
Canada keep developing, Panama and El Salvador join them in Concacaf final 8
June 26 – Canada’s journey back towards Concacaf competitiveness continued with 3-0 home win over Haiti (4-0 on aggregate), taking them to the final round of World Cup Qualifying for the first time since France 98.
Liverpool greenlighted to take Anfield capacity to 61,000
June 16 – Liverpool have been given the green light by local authorities to press ahead with £60 million plans to redevelop Anfield Road capacity to 61,000.
Liverpool to trial of seat safety rails
June 16 – Liverpool is to trial the temporary installation of seats with safety rails in two areas of the Anfield stadium next season following a safety review by the Sports Grounds Safety Authority (SGSA).