US investors Pacific Media Group add to club holdings with completion of KV Oostende buy
April 29 – After prolongated negotiations, American investment group Pacific Media Group (PMG) has become the new owner of struggling KV Oostende.
FIFA medical chief d’Hooghe says leagues should forget this season and plan for next
April 29 – FIFA’s chief medical expert has warned countries against resuming their seasons too early because of Covid-19 and believes it makes far more sense to prepare fully for next season instead.
EU players will need to pass ‘points’ test to play in the UK’s pro leagues
April 29 – Players from the European Union will have to go through a points-based system similar to that which currently applies to non-EU footballers before being allowed to play in the English Premier League under new proposals caused by Brexit.
Lauber under renewed pressure as 2006 World Cup fraud case runs out of time
By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber is facing calls for his resignation amidst accusations that the entire Swiss criminal justice system has been undermined over the botched 2006 World Cup tax fraud investigation. The case briefly came to trial following a five-year investigation but has now controversially collapsed.
Panama Papers, off-shore TV rights deals and Lauber meeting cover-ups return to bite Infantino
By Andrew Warshaw
April 28 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino is once again facing allegations of wrongdoing in his dealings with Switzerland’s under-fire attorney general Michael Lauber over a tv rights contract he handled when he worked as UEFA’s legal affairs director.
Show me the money: UEFA’s €236.5m trumps FIFA’s $150m
April 28 – When it comes to standing on wallets UEFA clearly has a much bigger one than FIFA. Hours after FIFA announced a $150 million Covid-19 support package for its 211 member associations, UEFA trumped them by more than $85 million, releasing €236.5 million to help its 55 member associations.
‘Project Restart’ gathers pace as Spurs open up, and season looks just a spit away
April 28 – As a fourth English top-flight team, Tottenham Hotspur, opened part of their training ground for light exercises on an individual basis, plans to resume the Premier League season are being stepped up in what has been labelled ‘Project Restart’.
Spanish law change gives LaLiga more flexibility in TV deal making
April 28 – LaLiga will have more flexibility in negotiating its broadcast deals following the Spanish government’s scrapping of a three-year licensing restriction on TV rights contracts.
FIFA proposes five sub option to spread player workloads
April 28 – Teams will be able to use up to five substitutes instead of the usual three under a new “temporary dispensation” proposal from FIFA to help with congested schedules and player overload.
Argentina end league season and take opportunity to restructure competitions
April 28 – Argentina has become the latest country to cancel its domestic league as a consequence of the global health crisis.
First goal wins, 70% of the time, unless you are the Saints or Central Coast Mariners
April 28 – The importance of scoring the first goal is highlighted in a 92-league analysis by the CIES Football Observatory that found the team scoring first generally goes on to win in about 70% of matches.
Liverpool postpone £60m Anfield expansion for a year
April 28 – Liverpool’s projected £60 million expansion of their Anfield Road stadium is being placed on hold for at least a year because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
SIGA Strives 14 – Integrity group demands EU support plan must be tansparent
April 28 – Following a meeting of EU leaders and government ministers in charge of sport, SIGA chairman Franco Frattini and CEO Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros have written an Open Letter to the meeting participants encouraging them to ensure sports integrity is part of the package of support that the EU is planning to provide to member states.
Robert Herbin, the Sphinx at the heart of St Etienne’s glory years, dies aged 81
By David Owen
April 28 – Robert Herbin, who was a key player in one great Saint-Etienne team and coach of another, has died at the age of 81. Born in Paris, the tactically-astute defensive midfielder played 23 times for France, but it was his exploits with the team in green that came to epitomise French football in the 1960s and 1970s for which he will be remembered.
Qatar setting to take on Saudi for 2027 Asian Cup hosting as they go head-to-head for 2030 Asian Games
By Paul Nicholson
April 27 – Qatar is preparing a bid for the 2027 Asian Cup, the AFC’s flagship national men’s team competition, according to local sources. The bid will put the Qataris into direct competition with Saudi Arabia who have confirmed that they will be bidding for 2027.