Saudi league kicks off with global ambition and a new media push
August 23 – The Saudi Professional League (SPL) kicked off last night with defending champions Al Nassr opening with a 2-0 win over Dhamk.
Controversial Lekjaa butts out of Morocco’s RS Berkane
August 23 – Controversial CAF first vice president and Moroccan FA president Fouzi Lekjaa has resigned as president of Moroccan club RS Berkane after a ten-year reign.
Sunderland ownership reboot. Donald poised to bring in new US money and Dell-boy
August 23 – English tier three club Sunderland, who only three seasons ago were in the Premier League, look set to have new American majority owners via an investment group likely to include computer billionaire Michael Dell.
IFAB tells Premier League refs to follow the VAR rules and guidelines
August 23 – After just two Premier League match days and VAR controversy throughout the league, FIFA’s law-making body IFAB has told the Premier League to get in line with a universal usage of the video referee system.
Liverpool set sights on expanding Anfield capacity to more than 60,000
August 23 – Premier League Liverpool are preparing plans for a further expansion of their Anfield stadium, pushing capacity to up to 62,000 from the current 54,000.
Former Ghana striker Junior Agogo dies, aged 40
August 23 – Former Ghana international striker Junior Agogo has died tragically at the age of 40.
Man City up-sells QNET partnership through to 2024
August 23 – Manchester City’s Official Direct Selling company QNET is renewing its sponsorship through to 2024 in a deal that will mark 10 years of partnership.
Big spending Spurs move to reschedule £400m debt to keep the cash flowing
August 23 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur, now settled in the £1 billion new stadium and having spent over £100 million in August on players, are refinancing more than £400 million of bank debt.
Last minute suitors in bid to rescue Bury from oblivion
August 23 – The clock is ticking on Bury football club but they could be given a 48-hour extension to save themselves.
Butler aims for AFCON qualification in new Liberian role
August 23 – Former West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion midfielder Peter Butler has signed a one-year contract to coach Liberia three weeks before they begin their qualification campaign for the next World Cup.
With World Cup qualifiers nearing, pressure builds on Iran to allow women into stadia
August 22 – Iran is under pressure again, this time by its own regional body, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), for failing to lift its ban on women attending men’s matches.
Conmebol repeats high ticket price policy for Copa Libertadores final in Chile
August 22 – In a repeat of the 2019 Copa America, Conmebol has set high ticket prices for November’s Copa Libertadores final in Santiago, Chile, pricing the majority of South American fans out of the showpiece event.
Concacaf unveil Guadalajara as host city for 8-team Tokyo 2020 qualifiers
August 22 – Concacaf have announced Guadalajara, Mexico, as the host venue for its men’s U-23 Championship, which will qualify two teams for Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.
David Owen: Don’t bury Bury
Alistair Burt, a former Minister of the Crown, is one of those increasingly rare Conservative MPs who don’t make you feel like you have been transported to the Planet Zog when you talk or, more recently, listen to them.
Tebas brands RFEF ‘prehistoric’ but argues there must be no evolution of Champions League
August 22 – Outspoken La Liga president Javier Tebas is back on the offensive in his war of words with the Spanish FA, accusing the federation led by Luis Rubiales of having a “prehistoric vision of our sport.”