Mastercard adds three more years to UEFA Champions League sponsorship
October 19 – Mastercard has extended its 26-year partnership with UEFA for a further three years with a new deal for the Champions League for the 2021-24 rights cycle.
Gold Cup 2025
Honduras stun Panama with penalty shoot-out win for spot in semi-finals
June 28 – Honduras stunned a shell-shocked Panama, coming back from a goal down to force a penalty shoot-out and claim the first spot in the semi-finals. Outside the covered State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Arizona, the temperature had hit 108 degrees. Inside the emotional seesaw of this game reached a similar high pitch.
West Ham’s late triple spoils Bale’s return to Spurs
October 19 – Gareth Bale’s much-anticipated homecoming to Tottenham Hotspur was overshadowed by his team squandering a 3-0 lead with just minutes remaining against London rivals West Ham on Sunday.
Anger over Robinho’s Italian rape case forces him out at Santos
October 19 – Santos and former Brazil star Robinho have parted ways after growing public pressure over the player’s rape conviction in Italy in 2017 and his current defense.
Kenya’s delayed elections see Mwendwa returned as president
October 19 – Nicholas Mwendwa (pictured) will serve as Football Kenya Federation president for another four years after being re-elected by a landslide following a bruising political battle.
Tempers fray as racist insults and bite accusations mar French Ligue 2 match
October 19 – A French second division player has denied biting the cheek of an opposition goalkeeper, declaring instead that he had been racially abused.
Expedia take Liverpool’s sleeve with focus on post-Covid journey
October 19 – Online travel business Expedia has debuted this weekend as Liverpool’s sleeve sponsor, taking over from Western Union who still had two years left to run on their agreement.
Ceferin warns English that unity is key to progress, whether financial or beating Covid
UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin speaks exclusively with Paul Nicholson
October 16 – “In March when the pandemic started we united to save the season. Some didn’t understand that if we aren’t united we are weaker,” says UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin. The record shows that the season was impressively saved, but with the rate of covid infections spiking, in some European countries alarmingly, there is a need for more saving.
AFC confirms it will complete Asian Champions League with final in Doha, Qatar
October 16 – Doha will stage the final of the Asian Champions League on December 19, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) confirmed on Friday.
Germany’s DFB counters fraud claim saying a deal had already been done with tax office
October 16 – The German football federation (DFB) has claimed that it has already paid 2019 taxes related to advertising income after reaching an agreement with tax authorities. Six DFB officials are currently under investigation for tax evasion.
EFL emphasises ‘unity’ as it turns down Premier League’s £50m covid bail-out
By Paul Nicholson
October 16 – English Football League (EFL) clubs have rejected the £50 million offer for financial support from the Premier League following the collapse of the ‘Big Picture Project’ proposal that would have seen them receive a £250 million covid bail out.
LFP chase Mediapro for unpaid €172m as agency seeks to renegotiate TV deal
October 16 – The French League (LFP) has formally demanded that Spanish media rights agency Mediapro pay €172 million due as part of its Ligue 1 broadcast deal.
Neville and Bernstein lead call for independent football regulator in England
October 16 – A group including former FA chairman David Bernstein, former England defender Gary Neville (pictured), former FA executive David Davies and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham have called for government to intervene in the game and set up an independent regulator.
Japan chooses 11 founding women’s teams for inaugural WE League
October 16 – Japan’s professional women’s league – The WE League – has picked its 11 founding clubs ahead of the inaugural 2021-22 season.
Man Utd top up with Laybuy deal; Melitta buzzed with global renewal
October 16 – While Manchester United’s owners and top management have been playing politics over the future powerbase of English professional football with their backfired Big Picture Project, the commercial engine of the club has nevertheless continued to purr.
Conmebol returned $37m of stolen cash from Swiss accounts of Leoz and Deluca
By Samindra Kunti
October 15 – Conmebol is to receive a windfall $37 million from the Swiss bank accounts of Nicolas Leoz and Eduardo Deluca after the Swiss attorney general stated that “the forfeited funds will be returned directly”.