Berlin: UEFA and the European Club Association (ECA) have renewed their memorandum of understanding (MOU), extending the partnership between the European governing body and ECA until 2030.

The agreement was signed by UEFA president Alexander Čeferin and ECA chairman, Nasser al Khelaifi, on the sidelines at the ECA’s biannual General Assembly yesterday in the German capital.

The MOU deals a blow to the nascent Union of European Clubs (UEC), a rival body launched on a one member one vote platform earlier this year as it says that UEFA will continue to recognise ECA as “the sole body representative of clubs at European level”.

ECA said in a statement that the agreement “further strengthens” the relationship between ECA and UEFA. ECA claims membership of almost 500 clubs, although only around half of those clubs were in attendance in Berlin, and less than a quarter have full voting rights.

Al Khelaifi, in his address to the General Assembly, listed a number of achievements the two bodies he says have jointly attained over the duration of the current deal.

Healthy growth

Under the terms of the new MoU, ECA’s representation in UEFA bodies will be maintained in existing committees and be further extended to various new ones.

Čeferin said that the relationship between UEFA and the ECA would bring “continuity, stability and healthy growth that will benefit every corner of Europe.”

UEC said in a statement that it was “very concerned” that European football “has not developed on the basis of an adequate governance model”. It said that its one club, one vote platform was the “very basic principle of democracy”.

It also emerged that the Belgian club Union Saint-Gilloise were blocked from renewing their ECA membership after signing up to UEC.

 

UEFA approves €1.4 billion three-year solidarity deal

Berlin: UEFA has agreed to increase solidarity payments to clubs that don’t compete in its club competitions in a deal that could be worth nearly half a billion euros each season over the next three years.

The deal will see a total of around 10 per cent of UEFA Club competition (UCC) revenues for the broadcast cycle that begins next year given to non-competing clubs, up from 7 per cent in the existing cycle.

UEFA is targeting broadcast deals worth €4.8 billion annually from 2024/25 when its new broadcast cycle starts.

The solidarity payments consist of 3 per cent payable to clubs that fall in qualifying rounds for UEFA competitions and 7 per cent to those that don’t partake at all. The solidarity money is distributed by league bodies across Europe according to their own formulas. Until the end of this season non-competing clubs take 4 per cent of the broadcast pie.

"Unbalanced model"

The deal follows lobbying by the European Leagues, an influential body that represents 35 professional leagues across Europe, to increase the share to 10 per cent for non-competing clubs.

In 2021/22, the last season for which data is available, non-qualifying clubs shared €171.8 million between them (4.75 per cent), while those that played in European Club Competition shared €2.732 billion (75.6 per cent).

In a research paper it produced earlier this year European Leagues argued that current prize distributions provided an “unbalanced model” in which the financial gap between participating clubs and non-participating clubs has “been growing constantly, causing a mounting distorting effect on domestic competitive balance.”

Following the approved solidarity deal, the Union of European Clubs (UEC) has issued a statement in which it "welcomes the announcement by UEFA to adjust the criteria and current model of revenue distribution from UEFA Club Competitions starting in 2024/25."

 

Manchester United share price drops 18.2 per cent after report claims Glazers will take club off market

Manchester United’s share price has fallen by a record amount amid speculation that the Glazer family are planning to halt their attempts to sell the club.

Shares in United, which are listed on the New York Stock Exchange, fell from $23.66 when trading closed on Friday ahead of the Labor Day weekend, to $18.83 when trading resumed on Tuesday, before recovering slightly to close at $19.35.

The price dropped back once again in morning trading on Wednesday, and was $19.16 at 1pm New York time.

The fall on Tuesday represented a drop of 18.2 per cent – the biggest decline in the share price since the club was floated in 2012. The previous biggest fall came in March 2020, when shares dropped by 14 per cent as the Covid-19 pandemic shut down global sport.

The cause of Tuesday’s drop in value, which saw United’s market capitalisation decline by almost $700 million, is widely viewed as being a report in The Mail on Sunday published over the weekend which claimed the Glazers are not going to sell United.

Doubled in a week

When the club was put up for sale last November, United’s share price almost doubled in a week from the $12-14 range it had been trading in for most of 2022, to more than $22.

The Glazers had initially hoped to attract multiple serious bidders but only two emerged: Sheik Jassim of Qatar, who wanted to acquire the entire club, and British billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose offer would have left the American family with a minority stake.

The Mail on Sunday reported that the Glazers plan to put the club back up for sale in 2025 when they believe their valuation of £7-10 billion will be met.

 

Mediapro president Jaume Roures: LFP target of €1 billion per year for next media rights cycle ‘not possible’

Mediapro president Jaume Roures has dismissed the chances of France’s Professional Football League (LFP) earning €1 billion per year from its domestic and international media rights in the next cycle, which runs from 2024/25.

LFP president Vincent Labrune has previously claimed the €1 billion figure is achievable for the new cycle, which runs from 2024/25, despite the “macroeconomic and financial context” being “delicate”.

However, in an interview with RMC Sport ahead of the launch of the rights auction next Tuesday, 12th September, Roures said: “No, I don’t think that’s [€1 billion] possible. The market situation is difficult. We must also look at the economic situation and the role of Ligue 1 among the European leagues.”

He added: “We could see in Italy with the call for tenders, where they asked for a little over a billion and they did not achieve this result. The process is still ongoing. The sports rights market is still in a difficult situation.”

The LFP is targeting €863.7 million per year from domestic rights in the new cycle, up 30 per cent on the €662.6 million earned at present, and €200 million per year from international rights, compared with an average of €80 million per season for the current cycle.

Roures argued that the international target is “far from realistic” given the departure of high-profile players such as Lionel Messi and Neymar from Ligue 1 this summer.

Collapse of €3.3 billion deal

The Mediapro president was speaking less than three years after the collapse of his company’s €3.3 billion deal with the LFP, which plunged French football into a crisis it is yet to recover from.

Roures confirmed Mediapro would not be submitting an offer in the latest tender, but said “France is not finished for us as a business”, hinting at potential production and media rights sales roles it has elsewhere in Europe.

 

Chelsea ‘pitched shirt sponsorship deal’ to Saudi airline Riyadh Air

Chelsea executives have held talks with representatives from Saudi state airline Riyadh Air about a potential front-of-shirt sponsorship deal, according to a report from The Athletic.

CEO Chris Jurasek was among a number of Chelsea officials who hosted a Riyadh Air delegation at Stamford Bridge for Saturday’s 1-0 defeat to Nottingham Forest. It is understood the club then pitched to the airline about a multi-year sponsorship deal for the men’s and women’s teams.

Riyadh Air, which already sponsors Atletico Madrid, is owned by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). The Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced the formation of the new airline in March, which has still not flown a plane and does not plan to do so until 2025.

Chelsea’s shirts have been blank so far this season as the club attempts to replace mobile network Three. There have been negotiations with sports data company Infinite Athlete, but the deal is still awaiting approval from the Premier League.

Betting website also a contender

Another contender to be the Chelsea front-of-shirt sponsor is believed to be the betting website Kaiyun Sports, which announced a deal with Nottingham Forest last week.

Kaiyun Sports appears to target customers in China – where gambling is illegal – and accesses the UK market via a “white label” agreement with a company on the Isle of Man. It is unclear what country Kaiyun is based in or who its owners are, which is extremely unusual for a sponsorship deal of this prominence.

Chelsea are reassured, however, by the fact Kaiyun have existing deals with Real Madrid, Crystal Palace and Inter Milan, while the betting firm already has a partnership deal with Chelsea and was displayed on the billboards at Stamford Bridge on Saturday.

(Berlin) Delegates from more than 200 leading European clubs converge on the German capital today ahead of two days of meetings that will define the political balance in European club football for the next few years, reports Senior Correspondent James Corbett from the European Club Association (ECA) General Assembly.

Delegates at the biannual ECA General Assembly are expected to reappoint the Paris Saint Germain president Nasser al-Khelaifi as its chairman on Thursday, following elections to the ECA board today. Leading football officials including the Manchester City CEO Ferran Soriano, the Olympique Lyonais owner, John Textor, and Bayern Munich CEO Jan-Christian Dreesen, are standing for election to the ECA board later today. Also up for election is the Shakhtar Donetsk president, Serhei Palkin, who has previously endorsed the rival Union of European Clubs (UEC).

Super League rupture

Other key topics up for discussion over the course of the next two days include distribution of UEFA club competition prize money, a central issue in the European football landscape. Disagreements over how the last pot of European prize money was distributed culminated in the Super League plot, in which twelve rebel clubs simultaneously quit the ECA and formed a rival competition to the Champions League. Although the plot collapsed after three days, the rupture remains deep and three of those clubs – Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus – have never re-joined ECA.

Al Khelaifi will tell delegates in his keynote speech this afternoon that the ECA has come “a long way” since April 2021. “Today, we are a dynamic, democratic and inclusive institution – seeking influence and a voice for the many, not the few,” he will say.

 

Negreira case: Judge probes potential ‘systemic corruption' within referees committee

The judge set to rule on the Negreira case believes that FC Barcelona’s payments to the former referee Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira may have caused "systemic corruption" within the Technical Committee of Referees (CTA) of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Spanish media have reported.

In court documents seen by Spanish media, Aguirre acknowledged that there is no evidence of payments being made by Negreira to referees "for a specific match" but said what does need to be investigated is how referees were assigned certain games.

Aguirre noted that is needs to be discovered whether a “system of qualification of referees supervised by vice-president Negreira was established within the CTA that could allow referees related to him to direct relevant league and cup matches and international matches, or even maintain the category, thus increasing their income very significantly."

LaLiga clubs can join proceedings

Separately, Aguirre has also indicated that other LaLiga clubs have the right to be part of the legal proceedings as injured parties. He declared that if indeed “systemic corruption” is proven, then all LaLiga clubs could consider themselves injured parties, ratifying their right to be part of the case.

The central allegation in the case is that Negreira, who was vice-president of the Spanish FA’s refereeing committee from 1993 to 2018,received more than €7 million in payments from Barcelona via his company Dansil 95 between 2001 and 2018 to influence match results. Both Barcelona and Negreira have denied any wrongdoing.

 

Michael Verschueren resigns from Anderlecht board of directors

Anderlecht have announced that Michael Verschueren has resigned from the club’s board of directors as he prepares to take on a new role in “international football”.

In a statement, the Belgian Pro League club said: “Michael will soon take on a new challenge in international football that requires complete independence. This new professional challenge is therefore irreconcilable with his role as a director at our club.”

Verschueren has been a director at Anderlecht since 2010 and was also a long-time shareholder of the club. In addition, he has represented Anderlecht and Belgian football at the European Club Association (ECA) since 2013.

From November 2018, Verschueren was the club’s sporting director for a year and a half, when he pulled off the unlikely stunt of bringing Vincent Kompany back to Anderlecht as player-manager in the spring of 2019.

After that, Verschueren then returned to his role as a director of the club and his work as an executive board member at the ECA, where he chairs the finance department.

End of an era

Verschueren’s departure marks the end of an era for Anderlecht. His father Michel, who died last year at the age of 91, was general manager from 1980 to 2003, and oversaw the modernisation of the stadium and the winning of eleven league titles, three cups, and the UEFA Cup in 1983.

As Michel gradually took a back seat in the running of the club, his son Michael took on more responsibility before taking up his role on the board of directors.

 

RFEF sacks women's team coach Jorge Vilda and apologises for "inappropriate conduct" of Rubiales

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has sacked World Cup-winning women's team coach Jorge Vilda as the fallout over the RFEF president Luis Rubiales’ kiss of Jennifer Hermoso at the World Cup final in Sydney continues.

In a statement released on Tuesday, RFEF thanked Vilda for his "extraordinary sporting legacy" but gave no reason for his dismissal and did not mention Hermoso, Rubiales or the scandal.

"The coach has been key to the remarkable growth of women's football and leaves Spain as world champions and second in the FIFA rankings," the RFEF said.

Earlier in the day, in a separate statement by interim president Pedro Rocha, the RFEF apologised for Rubiales's "inappropriate conduct."

In the three-page statement signed by Rocha, the RFEF said: "The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and the values of football and sport as a whole have been enormous.”

Spain’s men’s team condemn “unacceptable behaviour”

Meanwhile, Spain’s men’s national team have condemned the “unacceptable behaviour” of Rubiales. At an impromptu press conference on Monday, Álvaro Morata read a statement on behalf of the squad, which was also released on the RFEF website.

“We want to reject what we consider unacceptable behaviour on the part of Mr Rubiales, who has not lived up to the institution he represents,” it read.

“We firmly and unequivocally stand on the side of the values that this sport represents. Spanish football must be a driving force for respect, inspiration, inclusion, and diversity and must set an example with its behaviour both on and off the field.”

Serie A CEO Luigi De Siervo has suggested the league may opt to launch its own media operation to show matches in Italy live if broadcasters bidding for rights do not improve their offers.

A decision on a deal for the league’s next cycle of domestic broadcast rights has already been delayed until 15th October as bids remain below the €1 billion annual price tag being sought.

Serie A had kicked off a round of talks with DAZN, Sky Italia and MediaForEurope after a first set of bids submitted by the broadcasters was dismissed as too low. The bids are for the five-year cycle starting with the 2024/25 season.

De Siervo has now indicated that the league may go in a different direction altogether. Speaking to reporters at a Serie A event in Milan, he said: "We have the structure to offer matches directly to viewers … we are considering this option. We won't back offers deemed as too low.”

“Neither optimistic nor pessimistic”

Commenting on the prospects of improved bids from broadcasters, the Serie A chief added: “I am neither optimistic nor pessimistic. I am aware of the value of the product and broadcasters must pay for the content for what it is worth."

Under its current three-year deal, Serie A is earning €930 million per year from the sale of its media rights in Italy, with DAZN holding the lion's share.

 

PSG ‘looking for new sporting director’ to replace Campos after eventful window

Paris Saint-Germain are looking for a new sporting director to replace Luís Campos following an eventful summer transfer window, according to French outlet Foot Mercato.

PSG have seen a string of high-profile departures over the summer, including Neymar, Lionel Messi, Sergio Ramos, Leandro Paredes and Mauro Icardi, but have also made 11 new signings.

Among the new arrivals is Randal Kolo Muani, signed on deadline day from Eintracht Frankfurt. Campos was said to have played a key role in PSG pulling off the late move for the French forward.

However, the saga surrounding the future of Kylian Mbappé, who was linked with a move to Saudi Arabia while refusing to extend his contract, proved a major distraction during much of the window.

Maxwell high on the list

The PSG hierarchy are believed to be unsatisfied overall with the work of Campos, who also acts as the sporting director for Celta Vigo.

PSG’s current assistant sporting director, the club’s former Brazilian left-back Maxwell, is understood to be high on the list of potential new candidates for the role.

 

CSD considers challenge to TAD ruling on Rubiales case as it seeks suspension

Spain’s Higher Sports Council (CSD) is considering challenging the ruling of the country’s Court of Arbitration for Sport (TAD) on the Luis Rubiales case, according to Spanish media reports.

On Friday, TAD agreed to open a case against the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president over his kiss of Jennifer Hermoso at the Women's World Cup final and gave a ruling on his conduct in Sydney during a tribunal.

However, while TAD declared his actions amounted to "serious" misconduct, it rejected the government’s argument that his offences were “very serious,” preventing his immediate suspension by the CSD, and forcing ministers to request the tribunal to do it instead.

Minister of Culture and Sport Miquel Iceta said on Friday that he would submit a separate complaint to TAD and request for Rubiales to be removed from his post until the investigation is resolved.

Defiant speech

The latest developments have come after the CSD filed a complaint with TAD seeking to remove Rubiales, shortly after his defiant speech at an RFEF emergency meeting on 25th August at which he refused to resign.

The RFEF chief is still refusing to step down but has become increasingly isolated after FIFA handed down a provisional 90-day suspension and the Spanish federation’s 19 regional presidents unanimously called for him to go.

A Mail on Sunday report claims the Glazers are planning to take Manchester United off the market with the plan of putting the club back up for sale in 2025 when they believe their valuation of £7-10 billion will be met.

The family had initially hoped to attract multiple serious bidders but only two emerged: Sheik Jassim of Qatar, who wanted to acquire the entire club, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, whose offer would have left the Glazers with a minority stake.

However, sources close to these parties have expressed frustration at the Glazers' stance, as they made multiple offers without receiving any indication of where they stood. Despite recent rumors suggesting that the Qatari bid was close to being accepted, no progress has been made.

2026 World Cup to boost price

According to the newspapers source suggests that the Glazer family plans to take Man Utd off the market for now and potentially sell the club again in 2025. They hope that by then, factors such as increased TV rights revenues, the expansion of FIFA's Club World Cup, and the upcoming 2026 World Cup hosted in the USA will attract more bidders and allow them to sell United for a higher price.

In a seperate report Sky Sports understands both Ratcliffe and Sheikh Jassim believe the club is still on the market as they await an answer.

 

Real Madrid's row over distribution of broadcast revenues with LaLiga escalates

The conflict between Real Madrid and LaLiga over the changes to the distribution of broadcast revenues introduced this season escalated further over the weekend as the club refused to provide any TV or radio coverage beyond the 90 minutes of their game at the Bernabéu against Getafe on Saturday.

Under the new system, LaLiga clubs that voluntarily give broadcasters more access to players and coaches will earn more in media rights this season.

Real Madrid were reported to be the only club to vote against the changes, and have stood out as the only team not collaborating with the new broadcast initiatives so far, refusing to permit access to cameras in the dressing room.

Their latest move has seen the club take an even firmer stance on the issue. According to Spanish radio station Onda Cero, Madrid sent a fax to LaLiga ahead of Saturday’s match indicating it would not allow any audiovisual activity to take place before or after the match.

Ahead of the weekend’s fixtures, LaLiga insisted that Real’s decision would not affect the quality of the retransmissions and that the level that has been offered would be maintained.

Legal action

LaLiga is said to be preparing legal action against Los Blancos over the issue as it believes they are breaching the league’s statutes and regulations.

Last month, Real Madrid filed a complaint with the Spanish National Court requesting the suspension of the changes to the way media revenues are now being shared out by the Spanish league.

 

XP launches fund to buy media rights for Brazilian championship

Brazilian investment manager and broker XP has launched a fund to raise 800 million reais ($162 million) and acquire a share of the commercial and broadcast rights of the Brazilian championship from 2025.

As reported by Brazilian media, the fund, which is targeting accredited and institutional investors, plans to buy a stake in the rights owned by clubs in the Liga Forte Futebol (LFF), a group vying to control commercial operations in Brazilian football.

In July the LFF expanded to 26 clubs, including 13 from Série A, after four teams that had formed another group, Grupo União, decided to join them. The LFF has financial backing from US-based investment group Serengeti Asset Management and venture capital group Life Capital Partners.

Serengeti and Life Capital will receive 20 per cent of the commercial revenue generated by LFF clubs in the Brazilian championship over the next 50 years, starting in 2025.

“Virtuous cycle”

Bruno Castro, CEO of XP Asset, said: “With the launch of this unprecedented fund, we are going to democratise access to investments in football for thousands of investors, creating a virtuous cycle for our national sport.”

He added: “Some of the biggest football leagues in the world have been empowered by this business model, and Brazilian football will now have the opportunity to reach its full potential in terms of revenue generation and visibility.”

 

Spanish government suffers blow in move to suspend Rubiales after TAD rules behaviour not 'very serious'

The Spanish government has been dealt a blow in its attempts to suspend Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales over his kiss of Jennifer Hermoso at the Women's World Cup final.

On Friday, Spain’s Court of Arbitration in Sport (TAD) agreed to open a case against Rubiales and gave a ruling on his conduct in Sydney during a tribunal.

However, while the body declared his actions amounted to "serious" misconduct, it rejected the government’s argument that his offenses were “very serious,” preventing his immediate suspension by the government and forcing ministers to request the tribunal to do it instead.

Minister of Culture and Sport Miquel Iceta said at a press conference on Friday that he will submit a separate complaint to TAD and request for Rubiales to be removed from his post until the investigation is resolved.

No intention of resigning

Rubiales has insisted he has no intention of resigning despite the pressure on him to step down continuing to mount. On Friday, in a statement released on social media, he expressed regret about his actions, but also pointed to what he believed was a “manufactured campaign” against him, claiming that he had been treated unfairly.

The RFEF chief added that he is apologising to players, the federation, fans and anyone who may have been offended by his actions.

Rubiales has previously admitted that he made a mistake kissing Hermoso but said the act was consensual – a claim the player has defiantly rejected.

UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has insisted that Saudi Pro League clubs will not be allowed to play in Europe despite recent speculation about the possibility of Saudi teams entering the Champions League.

Earlier this week, the SPL’s chief operating officer, Carlo Nohra, told Bloomberg it was interested in discussing the option of Saudi clubs playing in the elite European competition.

However, in an interview with L'Equipe, Ceferin said there is no chance of such a move succeeding. "A media outlet talked about this without even asking us," he said. "Only European clubs can participate in the Champions League, Europa League and Conference League."

Ceferin added that he does not see the SPL as a competitor to UEFA's tournaments at present. "This mainly interests the media, but not so much the European football community," he said. "We'll see, but I don't even think for a second that this could threaten our competitions."

Juventus ban

The UEFA chief also commented on the punishments it handed out to Juventus ahead of this season. The organisation banned Juve from the Europa Conference League after concluding the club violated its Financial Fair Play regulations, and also issued a €20 million fine.

“Juventus? It’s logical that a club that has not complied with the rules is suspended,” Ceferin said. “This is a decision made by an independent body [UEFA’s Club Financial Control Body (CFCB)].

He added: “You cannot punish someone ten years from now if they have done something wrong now –you cannot decide to suspend Juve in 2028 while waiting for them to qualify for the Champions League.”

 

Saudi Arabia to push for support from Europe for 2034 World Cup bid

Saudi Arabia has embarked on a campaign to gain support in Europe for a bid to host the 2034 World Cup, according to The Times.

The newspaper has reported that officials and ministers from Saudi Arabia have approached senior figures in European football to secure backing for the Gulf state to host the men’s tournament.

Sources with knowledge of the situation said that while Saudi Arabia had initially considered a joint bid for the 2030 World Cup with Egypt and Greece it is now focusing on hosting 2034 on its own.

A joint bid by Spain, Portugal and Morocco is now seen as the favourite to win the bid for the 2030 tournament.

Saudi officials initially suggested a quid pro quo arrangement whereby the country would not enter the 2030 race in return for European support for the 2034 tournament, but that approach was not successful.

UEFA nations do not traditionally vote as a bloc, and that would be the case for a Saudi bid with many European countries having concerns over human rights.

Fierce summer heat

The Saudis are said to be insisting they could hold the World Cup in the summer despite the fierce heat, by using venues at higher altitudes or more temperate venues such as the futuristic city being built at Neom on the Red Sea.

However, that is seen as challenging, especially for a 48-team tournament. The only other alternative is another winter tournament, played at a similar time of year to the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

 

777 Partners co-founder defends multi-club portfolio and hails new era of ‘hyper commercialisation’

777 Partners co-founder Josh Wander has defended the American investment firm’s acquisition of multiple football clubs over recent years, and declared that the sport is entering a new era of “hyper commercialisation.”

The Miami-based group has stakes in Genoa, Sevilla and Hertha Berlin, as well as Standard Liège of Belgium, the Paris-based club Red Star FC, Vasco da Gama in Brazil, and Melbourne Victory in Australia. There is also still speculation that 777 is eyeing an investment in Everton.

Most of the clubs in the group’s portfolio have so far been financial underperformers, raising questions about the returns on the firm’s investment, but in an interview with The Financial Times, Wander said critics misunderstood the logic behind its bets.

“We have a strong view that there’s a new wave of commercialisation coming to football,” he said, adding that 777 had paid attractive prices to invest in clubs that had “done a horrible job of commercialising the product.”

Wander declined to comment on 777’s interest in Everton, but noted that the Premier League had done “a very good job relative to the other leagues of commercialising their product.”

Aim for clubs “to be profitable by next season”

Wander, who set up 777 in 2015 with co-founder Steven Pasko, said their goal is “to be profitable by next season” across its portfolio of clubs.

He added: “The vision for this football group is that one day we’re not selling hot dogs and beers to our customers; [it’s] that we’re selling insurance or financial services or whatever,” said. The intensity of fans’ engagement with their clubs meant “they want to be monetised.”

 

UEFA’s Zvonimir Boban says ‘absurd’ and ‘crazy’ stoppage-time rules will not be used in Champions League

UEFA director of football Zvonimir Boban has labelled new stoppage-time rules “absurd” and “crazy”, and insisted they will not be used in the Champions League this season.

Premier League and EFL referees have followed FIFA’s approach in the World Cup and have been adding on to the 90 minutes the exact time lost to goal celebrations, substitutions, injuries, penalties and red cards.

This has led to a significant increase in stoppage time as well as the amount of time the ball is in play, and UEFA now appears to be on a collision course with FIFA and the International FA Board (IFAB) over the rules.

As reported by The Times, Boban was in Monaco ahead of Thursday’s Champions League draw, and asked about the issue said: “It’s absolutely absurd. Regarding player welfare, it’s some kind of small tragedy or big tragedy because we are adding almost 12, 13, 14 minutes, which are very tough minutes to play.”

PFA backing

Leading players including Kevin De Bruyne and Raphaël Varane have raised concerns about the increased demands on them due to the rules and the PFA’s CEO Maheta Molango has backed UEFA’s stance.

“We welcome UEFA’s decision not to apply the new rules around additional stoppage time, which we’re now using in England, to European competitions,” he said. “It’s a decision that shows UEFA have listened to the voices of players and their unions, and are now taking action.”

Lyon have been plunged deeper into crisis following a major escalation in the dispute between American owner John Textor, who acquired the club last December through his Eagle Football business, and former president Jean-Michel Aulas.

As reported by L’Équipe, the Lyon Chamber of Commerce has frozen €14.5 million of the club’s funds, as well as the pledges of security held by Textor, following a request from Aulas. As a result, Lyon have no liquidity with just two days to go until the current transfer window closes.

According to L’Équipe, Aulas put forward his request at a special hearing of the Chamber of Commerce, and felt he had no other option in order to get back the €14.5 million that corresponds to his remaining share in the club. The equity was given as guarantees to the bank now being used as security.

Aulas said in a statement: “John Textor and Eagle Football have been looking, as they have for the past year, to remove themselves from engagements with Holnest [Aulas’ family office] to which they are contractually bound.

“As a result, the Holnest society has had to begin multiple judiciary proceedings in order to preserve its rights in the face of John Textor’s and Eagle Football’s repeated shortcomings.”

Lyon will now contest the Chamber of Commerce’s ruling and ask for an emergency interim procedure in order for the move to be retracted and to unfreeze the funds.

The Lyon executive president Santiago Cucci told L’Équipe: “Jean-Michel Aulas has blocked our accounts in the middle of the transfer window and put us at risk regarding all of our lines of credit. It is acting against the interests of the club and against his own heritage, which we would like to respect.”

Threat to sue for defamation

The escalation in the crisis surrounding the club comes after Aulas threatened to sue Textor for defamation following the American’s comments in a press conference on Tuesday, in which he suggested that ahead of his takeover Aulas had masked Lyon’s financial difficulties. Textor said he had not been made aware of a warning to the club from the DNCG, French football’s financial watchdog.

On Tuesday night, Aulas wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter): “I’m assuming that John Textor didn’t make these comments, because if he did, he’d be liable to a libel suit and, what’s more, he’d risk disastrous sanctions for OL from the DNCG and the LFP.”

RMC Sport has since reported that Aulas will sue Textor, as announced in a statement released through Holnest.

 

FC Barcelona transfer plans on hold after ‘delay in funds from commercial agreement’

FC Barcelona are facing further complications in the transfer market, which the club claim have been caused by a delay in receiving funds from a commercial agreement reached earlier this month.

Barça sources told The Athletic that the hold-up relates to their deal with German company Libero Football Finance. However, the firm has said that Barcelona requested a change in the agreement, and that it does not believe there has been a delay in the payment.

Barça president Joan Laporta and club treasurer Ferran Olive are now preparing to sign a bank guarantee that will provide the club with an immediate injection of €20 million. This would be the third bank guarantee the club’s executives have arranged in this way over the past 12 months.

LaLiga cost control rules

The development comes as the Catalan giants once again seek to boost their finances in order to meet LaLiga’s cost control rules. As it stands, they cannot sign Portuguese full-back Joao Cancelo, who they are trying to bring in on loan from Manchester City, nor can they fully register their squad, making some players ineligible to play.

Earlier this month, two days before their opening fixture in LaLiga against Getafe, Barcelona only had 12 first-team squad members registered.

The commercial arrangement involving Libero allowed the club to register more players in time for kick-off. However, with the transfer window closing on Friday night, Barça’s next moves in the market have been halted, although club sources insisted the Cancelo deal will still be completed.

 

Palkin backs playing Champions League final in US ahead of ECA elections

Shakhtar Donetsk CEO Sergei Palkin, who is standing for election to the European Club Association (ECA) board, has said he believes that playing the Champions League final in the US would benefit the European game.

In an extensive and wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, Palkin was asked his thoughts on taking the final of Europe’s elite competition outside of the continent to destinations such as New York, Miami or the Saudi capital Riyadh, as previously discussed by some ECA executives.

“Now this idea is quite interesting, and it is one I would support definitely, because this is directed to the promotion of European football,” he said.

“Therefore, yes, we should consider these kinds of choices to bring our European football to, for example, the US or different continents. It will be quite interesting. Why not?”

Palkin was speaking ahead of next week’s ECA general assembly in Berlin, where the organisation will hold its latest elections for representation on its board. The CEO of the Ukrainian champions officially declared his candidacy on Tuesday.

“We need to be open-minded”

The idea of taking the Champions League final away from Europe has received opposition from many fans, particularly in England, and Palkin was asked whether he felt clubs and UEFA would have to help supporters with the costs of travel if such a move occurred.

“First of all, we should analyse everything, before talking about operational issues,” he said. “But we need to be open-minded and I would support this idea to promote football for fans outside of Europe and make these steps to develop European football.”

 

UK government launches new scheme to boost women’s sport investment

The UK’s Department for Business and Trade has launched a new scheme designed to deliver greater investment in women’s sport.

In a statement, the government said the Women’s Sport Investment Accelerator will bring UK-based women’s sports rightsholders who are seeking investment together with industry experts and sports investors.

“The new programme will provide a series of sessions offering market insights, connections and networking events alongside comprehensive mentoring for rightsholders who are looking for investment,” it said.

Women’s Super League could benefit

The government added that the Women’s Super League is among those which could benefit from the programme, which will run for a year starting this autumn.

The application process is open to rightsholders of any UK-based women’s sports leagues, teams, competitions or events aiming to attract investment and boost their growth.

The scheme will be carried out in association with Deloitte’s Sports Business Group and supported by the International Working Group (IWG) on Women and Sport.

Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales was cutting an increasingly isolated figure last night after renewed calls for him to resign over his kiss of Jennifer Hermoso at the Women's World Cup final.

On Monday evening, the RFEF’s Territorial Presidents' Committee, made up of the federation’s 19 regional presidents, unanimously called for Rubiales to step down.

In a statement, the committee said: “Following recent events and unacceptable behaviour that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Mr Luis Rubiales immediately tender his resignation as president of the RFEF.”

The regional presidents said they would also push for “a profound and imminent restructuring of strategic positions at the federation in order to make way for a new era in the management of Spanish football”.

The committee added that it “has given its unanimous backing to [RFEFinterim president] Mr. Pedro Rocha to lead us through a new stage where dialogue and reconciliation with all football institutions will be the line followed.”

Cannot attend UEFA events

On Tuesday, it also emerged that Rubiales will not be allowed to attend any UEFA events or meetings over the coming months as the European governing body complies with the provisional 90-day suspension handed out by FIFA, pending the outcome of its investigation into the issue.

While UEFA is still yet to comment publicly on the saga, as reported by Sky Sports News, the FIFA suspension means the RFEF president, who is a vice-president at the European body, is banned from Thursday’s Champions League draw in Monaco.

He will also not be allowed to attend the UEFA Executive Committee meeting in Cyprus at the end of next month, or take part in the vote for the 2028 and 2032 Euro hosts on 10th October in Nyon.

Coach Vilda also under pressure

Jorge Vilda, the head coach of Spain’s women’s team, is also coming under increasing pressure, with the RFEF exploring its options over whether it can sack the World Cup-winning manager, the BBC reports.

Vilda remains in his position despite most of his coaching and technical staff resigning over the issue, while 81 Spain players, including all 23 World Cup winners, have also said they would not play for the team again while Rubiales remained as president.

Spain’s Labour Ministry writes to clubs about pay gap

Meanwhile, Spain’s Labour Ministry has sent letters to football clubs across the country as a first step of a wider campaign to investigate the salary gap between male and female players.

At a press conference on Monday, labour minister Yolanda Diaz said income differences must be “reasonable.” The government’s Labor Inspectorate agency will follow up the letters by contacting clubs and requesting more information about salary calculations.

 

Chelsea supporters’ group accuse club of ‘penny-pinching’ for removing fans’ subsidised coach travel

Chelsea have been accused of penny-pinching and putting financial strain on supporters after removing a £10 coach subsidy for travel to domestic away games.

The Chelsea Supporters’ Trust (CST) has reacted angrily to the decision and questioned the club’s stance that it was “not financially sustainable to continue to offer subsidised coach travel.”

In a statement, the group noted that the decision comes not long after Chelsea broke the British transfer record for the second time this year by buying Moisés Caicedo from Brighton & Hove Albion in a deal worth up to £115 million.

“The appalling decision will force those who rely on the service to pay significantly more to travel to away fixtures,” it said, adding that it “has therefore decided to part-fund the cost of the upcoming away travel to Bournemouth [for the Premier League match on 17th September] on this one occasion.”

The trust said it will subsidise the cost from the quoted £29 to £10 “to highlight the appalling decision and to give the club additional time to fully reassess the feedback received from user groups.”

Priced out of attending away games

The CST, which met with club officials this month to urge them not to remove the subsidy, added that supporters who use the club coaches fear they will be priced out of attending away games.

“It appears that during a cost-of-living crisis, Chelsea FC are happy to increase the financial burden on many supporters by penny-pinching,” it said.

 

Chinese Super League chairman Liu Jun taken away for investigation

Chinese Super League chairman Liu Jun has been taken away by authorities for investigation, according to a report from the state-backed Beijing Youth Daily.

The report did not give further details on the investigation and the Chinese Football Association (CFA) has yet to comment.

Liu was previously chairman of now-defunct CSL side Jiangsu Suning and was appointed CEO of Inter Milan in 2016, soon after the club was purchased by Suning Holdings Group.

The CSL chairman is the latest senior football official to come under scrutiny following an anti-corruption investigation of Chinese football which began last November.

Earlier this month, China’s top state prosecutor announced that former national team coach Li Tie had been charged with corruption offences, including bribery.

"Severe violations of the law”

Back in January, two former CFA officials were investigated for suspected "severe violations of the law," according to statements posted by the Chinese sports regulator. Then in February, CFA chairman Chen Xuyuan was placed under investigation for suspected serious violations of discipline and law.

In March, two more leading Chinese football officials Wang Xiaoping, director of the CFA's disciplinary committee, and Huang Song, head of the competition department – were also investigated for suspected serious violations of the law.

UEFA has reportedly dismissed a request from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to have all its clubs suspended from European competition as the Women’s World Cup final kiss saga involving RFEF president Luis Rubiales and Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso took a series of dramatic new twists on Monday.

Early in the day, Spanish radio station Onda Cero revealed that the RFEF had sent a letter to UEFA complaining that government attempts to get Rubiales suspended were in breach of rules on outside interference.

The federation believed it had grounds to get UEFA to intervene because statutes say the body will not recognise a national association if it is not being independently run. One result of such a decision is for all clubs playing under that association to be removed from European competition.

RFEF secretary general Andreu Camps was said to have written his letter on Friday immediately after the Spanish government announced it was beginning legal proceedings seeking to suspend the RFEF president, following a defiant speech in which Rubiales refused to step down.

However, it was widely reported later on Monday that UEFA had rejected the RFEF’s complaint, which was seen as an attempt to ward off the government moves to topple its president.

According to The Daily Telegraph, there is no appetite within European football’s governing body to intervene in the saga, with FIFA having already given Rubiales a provisional 90-day suspension, pending the outcome of its investigation into the issue.

“As these events fall under the disciplinary jurisdiction of FIFA, it was agreed that the FIFA disciplinary bodies would handle the case,” a source told the newspaper.

Prosecutor’s Office initiates proceedings

The pressure on Rubiales continued to mount on Monday as the Spanish Prosecutor’s Office initiated proceedings against him for possible sexual assault on Hermoso, whom he kissed on the lips during the Women’s World Cup final trophy presentation.

Hermoso has been given 15 days by the National Court Prosecutor’s Office to contact it as an alleged victim of sexual assault, which could result in criminal proceedings being brought against the RFEF president.

In a further extraordinary development on Monday, Rubiales’ mother Angeles Bejar locked herself in to a church and went on hunger strike in protest over what she describes as an “inhuman witch-hunt” against her son.

 

Inter Miami project MLS record $200m revenue in 2024 due to Messi effect

Inter Miami are anticipating revenues of $200 million for next year, more than triple the target set before Lionel Messi’s arrival, the MLS team’s chief business officer Xavier Asensi has told Sportico.

As well as the boost from ticket sales following the arrival of the Argentine World Cup winner, Inter Miami are also benefiting from a major increase in sponsorship income – including from corporate partnerships that were signed years ago.

Asensi said the club have for the last few years pushed to sign sponsorship deals with a clause that would lead to higher payments should a player of Messi’s calibre sign with the club.

Those deals include the agreement with cryptocurrency platform XBTO as front-of-shirt sponsor, which was announced as one of the largest sponsorship deals in MLS club history when it was unveiled in September 2021.

Asensi said Inter Miami also structured a number of partnerships so that they would expire at the end of 2023, allowing the club to hit the market at a point where its assets are likely most valuable.

Highest single-year revenue

If Inter Miami were to reach the anticipated $200 million revenue mark in 2024, it would dramatically outpace the highest single-year revenue haul for any team in MLS history and place them among the world’s highest earning football clubs.

 

Saudi Pro League confirms interest in joining UEFA Champions League

The Saudi Pro League has confirmed its desire to join the UEFA Champions League following increasing speculation about the possibility of such a move over recent weeks.

In an interview with Bloomberg, the leagues’ chief operating officer, Carlo Nohra, said it is interested in discussing the option of its clubs entering the elite European competition.

“We are trying to be different, so any kind of format-changing or improvements that can be introduced into the league will be welcomed,” Nohra said.

He added that the SPL is still “completely committed” to being in the AFC Champions League, and that any talks about SPL teams joining the UEFA Champions League would probably be between UEFA and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation.

Non-European countries

UEFA members include a few non-European countries, including Kazakhstan, whose clubs can participate in the Champions League.

UEFA referred Bloomberg to comments this month by its chief of football Zvonimir Boban. Responding to a report of a Saudi club joining the Champions League in 2025, he told Croatian newspaper Jutarnji List that it’s a “fabrication”.

 

FIGC reduces Agnelli ban over player salaries case from 16 to 10 months

The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) has reduced its punishments handed out to Andrea Agnelli over the Juventus player salaries case following an appeal by the club’s former president.

Agnelli had been banned from Italian football for 16 months and fined €60,000 after a trial at the FIGC Federal Court last month examining allegations related to player salary manoeuvres, relations with agents and partnerships with other clubs.

However, the FIGC said the ban has now been reduced to ten months and the fine lowered to €40,000 as the federation partially upheld Agnelli's appeal against the sanctions, heard at the FIGC’s Federal Court of Appeal on Monday.

“Causal contribution”

In explaining the reasons for the decision, the court said: “The preliminary findings allow us to affirm with reasonable certainty the causal contribution of … Agnelli in the salary manoeuvre [case]”.

It added: “It is evident that the actual economic and financial situation is well known to the [president], constantly informed and updated on the state of the art.”

Agnelli has already been serving a two-year FIGC ban for alleged financial malpractice following the separate capital gains case heard in January, when Juventus were handed a 15-point penalty, which was eventually reduced to ten points.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is to hold an "extraordinary and urgent" meeting on Monday amid the continuing fallout over president Luis Rubiales’ conduct at the Women’s World Cup final, when he kissed Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation.

An RFEF spokesman said on Sunday that its interim president Pedro Rocha has called the meeting "to evaluate the situation in which the federation finds itself" and look at "the decisions or actions to be taken.”

The federation has also launched an internal investigation after its sexual violence protocol was activated.

FIFA suspension

The announcement of the RFEF meeting came after Rubiales vowed to fight on and stay in his position despite growing pressure to step down and a provisional 90-day FIFA suspension “from all football-related activities at national and international level,” announced by the global governing body on Saturday.

The FIFA suspension followed the opening of disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales last Thursday. In response to the suspension, the RFEF said its president would "legally defend himself", adding: “He fully trusts FIFA and reiterates that, in this way, he is given the opportunity to begin his defence so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven.”

Later on Saturday, nearly all the coaching and technical staff for the Spanish women’s team resigned over the issue. Head coach Jorge Vilda remained in his position, but in comments published on Sunday by Spanish sports newspaper Marca he described the crisis as "a real nonsense" and said it has "tarnished a well-deserved victory" for the players and the country.

Defiant speech

The weekend’s developments came after RFEF held an emergency meeting on Friday morning, at which Rubiales insisted he would not resign as he delivered a defiant speech after being widely expected to step down.

Soon after the meeting, the Spanish government announced it was beginning legal proceedings seeking to suspend Rubiales, and the Spanish secretary of sport declared he "wants this to be Spanish football's MeToo moment".

During his speech, Rubiales called the kiss "consensual", but later on Friday Hermoso released a statement on Instagram rejecting the RFEF president’s claims, saying that "at no time ... was his kiss ever consensual".

RFEF then issued a statement threatening legal action against Hermoso for refusing to accept Rubiales’ version of events. Also that evening, 81 Spanish players – including all 23 players who went to the Women's World Cup – issued a joint statement via their FUTPRO union saying they will not play for Spain's women's team until Rubiales is removed from his position.

Pressure continued to mount on the RFEF president over the weekend as a number of Spanish clubs, as well as the men’s national team coach, Luis de la Fuente, released statements condemning his actions and supporting the moves to suspend him.

On Sunday evening, UEFA, where Rubiales is a vice-president, were still yet to comment on the case.

 

Real Betis shareholders approve €43 million capital increase

Real Betis’s shareholders have overwhelmingly approved the club’s proposed €43 million capital increase, with 93.5 per cent voting in favour of the move at an extraordinary general meeting held on Friday.

In a statement, the LaLiga club said that of the 60,754 shares represented at the meeting, there were 56,813 votes of approval, 3,141 votes against and 800 abstentions.

Of the club’s total shareholding, 51.7 per cent was represented at the EGM, enough for a legitimate vote, although shareholder Salvador Carrero Moral was among a number of disapproving voices who questioned the list of shareholders present.

"Here we have been told that it is duly attended because there are 60-odd thousand shareholders,” he said. “I want to raise protest, because the criterion is contrary to that maintained in previous meetings, in which all capital was counted with suspended political rights."

Long-term impact of Covid-19 pandemic

Betis claimed the proposal was met with “massive support from the small shareholder”, and board member José María Pagola told those at the meeting that the capital increase was required due to the lingering impact of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Covid has clearly led us to this situation,” he said. “It affects Betis and all the clubs in LaLiga. It is the cause of the situation in which we find ourselves. There is a transfer of doubt from the short-term to the long-term.”

Pagola pointed out that as at 30th June 2023, the club had a record net debt of €112 million and negative equity of €72 million, and said the capital increase will provide a necessary boost to the club’s finances.

 

Manchester City and Newcastle face potential European Commission investigation over 'state subsidies' complaints

Manchester City and Newcastle United could face an investigation by the European Commission for alleged breaches of new rules over ‘state subsidies’, according to The Mail on Sunday.

The commission has confirmed to the newspaper that it has received complaints against the two clubs from multiple parties concerning the new rules, which are designed to prevent ‘state aid’ from distorting markets across the continent.

The complaints come under the Foreign Subsidies Regulation (FSR), which became law in January and has been in force since June. They are likely to focus on whether City may be controlled by the state of the UAE and that Newcastle are a Saudi Arabian state tool.

City have always maintained the club are a personal venture of Sheikh Mansour, who is a member of the ruling family of Abu Dhabi and deputy prime minister of the UAE.

Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF), which owns 80 per cent of Newcastle and is chaired by the de facto Saudi ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, has always claimed to be an impartial, independent investment entity.

LaLiga criticism

It has not been confirmed who made the complaints about City and Newcastle, but it is said to be likely that there has been a complaint about the clubs from LaLiga now that the FSR is up and running.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas has long been a critic of what he calls ‘state-funded clubs’, including City. The Spanish league has previously made a formal complaint to the European Commission about state aid unfairly helping Paris Saint-Germain, who are in effect owned and funded by the government of Qatar.

 

Liverpool apologise and admit to ‘inadequate’ academy processes after complaint from player’s parents

Liverpool have apologised and admitted to failings in their academy system after receiving a formal complaint from the parents of a teenager released by the club last year.

As reported by The Athletic, the Merseyside club launched an internal investigation after being accused of failing to offer adequate mental health support to the boy and poor communication over his prospects of being kept on before he left Anfield last year.

The parents of the boy – who cannot be named as he is still a minor, but has now joined another club – also had concerns over Liverpool’s handling of an injury suffered by their son while his future at the club hung in the balance.

Automated email

The parents only became aware that their son was not being offered a re-registration at Liverpool when they received an automated email from the Premier League confirming the news last September.

This came despite a senior academy director having informed them he would have to “fall off a cliff” not to be kept on just a few months previously. Liverpool’s internal investigation, summarised in a 15-page report which has been seen by The Athletic, admitted that some of its processes were “inadequate”.

Club secretary Danny Stanway also offered the parents an apology for the “shock” caused by receiving the automated email, insisting it did not reflect Liverpool’s final position regarding his re-registration.

Everton's hopes of bringing new investment into the club have suffered a significant blow after the American group MSP Sports Capital withdrew from talks over taking a minority stake, The Times reports.

The New-York based firm had signed an exclusivity agreement with the Merseyside club in May, when it was looking to take a 25 per cent holding that could have been worth £150 million.

Two thirds of that amount would have gone to Everton Stadium Development Company, which is overseeing the construction of Everton’s new Bramley-Moore Dock stadium, with the rest going to the club.

However, the time period of exclusivity that MSP Sports Capital had has now elapsed. It will, however, still lend £100 million to the stadium company.

Alternative funding

It is understood that Everton owner Farhad Moshiri is seeking alternative funding for the stadium, which is scheduled to be completed next year.

Earlier this year, Everton were reported to be close to a £600 million takeover by another American investment firm, 777 Partners, but this has not come to fruition.

 

Chelsea confident Premier League will approve £40m-a-year shirt sponsorship agreement despite concerns over deal

Chelsea are still waiting for approval from the Premier League of their new £40 million-a-year shirt sponsorship deal with Infinite Athlete but are said to remain hopeful that the deal will go ahead.

According to The Daily Telegraph, the sports data company has provided the Premier League with details of its funding and revenues in a bid to get the green light to display its brand on the front of Chelsea’s shirts.

As reported by The Evening Standard, Infinite Athlete was created just a week before discussions about becoming Chelsea’s sponsor began and its estimated turnover is £12 million this year, so it is being asked for funding proof.

The start-up aims to prove it has raised significant funding through venture capital, but there are also concerns over whether the deal will pass Premier League fair market rules, with Infinite Athlete-backer Silver Lake linked to Clearlake Capital, owner of a majority stake in Chelsea.

It is believed InfiniteAthlete has told the Premier League it has already raised hundreds of millions in investment and that revenue generated across its investors and backers also runs into the hundreds of millions.

Contract with Three expired

Chelsea have started the Premier League season without a sponsor on their shirts after the contract with Three expired in the summer. A proposed deal with US TV network Paramount was blocked by the Premier League, while the Blues pulled out of advanced negotiations with gambling firm Stake.

 

FIFA to investigate RFEF president Luis Rubiales’ conduct at Women’s World Cup final

FIFA has announced that it has opened disciplinary proceedings over the conduct of Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales at the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday.

Rubiales has faced heavy criticism and calls to resign after he kissed Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation. He also grabbed his crotch while celebrating Spain’s 1-0 victory over England while standing close to Spain’s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter, Sofia.

In a statement released on Thursday, FIFA said: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee informed Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ on 20 August 2023.”

The global governing body said “the events may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code,” which cover “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play”.

FIFA added that “the FIFA Disciplinary Committee will only provide further information on these disciplinary proceedings once it has issued a final decision on the matter.”

Rubiales issued a video apology late on Monday, after initially calling critics "idiots", but Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sanchez described the apology as “insufficient”.

RFEF opens internal proceedings

Meanwhile, the RFEF has called an extraordinary general assembly for Friday in response to the matter, and confirmed it has opened internal proceedings.

The world players’ union, FIFPRO, had called on FIFA on Wednesday to open proceedings against Rubiales, while the FUTPRO union in Spain, which Hermoso has said is representing her interests in this case, expressed its “firm and resounding condemnation” for behaviour which it said “violates the dignity of women.”

 

Liverpool unsure of completion date for Anfield Road stand as work halted

Liverpool CEO Billy Hogan has admitted the club do not know when the £80 million upgrade of the Anfield Road stand will be finished after the construction company responsible for the project filed for administration last week.

The Merseyside club had initially hoped to have the new stand, which will increase capacity from 54,000 to 61,000, ready in time for the start of this season.

However, work on the project, which began in September 2021, stopped last Thursday when the Buckingham Group, which is also responsible for the development of Fulham’s Craven Cottage, filed for administration.

The lower tier of the stand has already been opened, and there had been a provisional opening date of mid-October for the upper tiers, but in a Q&A published on Liverpool’s website, Hogan made no assurances that it would be ready in time.

“Timing, obviously, is incredibly fluid right now, there’s a lot of uncertainty around where we are and obviously in time that will become more clear,” he said. “If Buckingham does enter into administration, then we’ll need to address any delays that may arise from completing the new stand as a result of that.”

“Still aiming for October”

Hogan added: “We are still aiming for October but what we’re working through now is to put a plan in place. There is an unbelievable amount of work going on in the background, literally since we were made aware of Buckingham’s intentions, to make sure that we have as little impact on that timeline as possible.

“I don’t want to set false expectations but we do have to have, obviously, a schedule that we need to work towards. Effectively major work stopped on the site on Thursday morning after the announcement so clearly that impacts all of our planning.”