Exclusive: Criticised World Cup referee was suffering extreme heat strain, data shows August 12, 2026 A Fifa referee labelled the worst at the World Cup was experiencing a level of heat strain associated with impaired decision making, new data has revealed. Uzbek official Ilgiz Tantashev was widely criticised for his handling of France’s last-16 win over Paraguay, who escaped without any bookings despite committing repeated violent fouls. French outlet L’Equipe [...]
Bayer Leverkusen and RB Leipzig face ownership shake-up after 50+1 ruling August 12, 2026 Bundesliga giants Bayer Leverkusen, RB Leipzig and Wolfsburg face ownership overhauls after Germany’s competition watchdog ruled they are non-compliant with the country’s 50+1 rule. The rule mandates that all football clubs must be majority controlled by members but Leverkusen, Leipzig and Wolfsburg have historically benefited from loopholes. In its final decision on a long-running challenge [...]
Chelsea fans stunned as ticket sharing equated with sexual misconduct August 12, 2026 Chelsea have stunned supporters by equating unauthorised ticket sharing with sexual misconduct in their sanctioning guidelines for the new season. Premier League clubs are cracking down on ticket misuse but long-standing season ticket holders, who have long shared log-ins and built networks to help each other buy tickets, feel unfairly targeted. Bots and touts remain [...]
English Football League ‘concerned and disappointed’ at PFA legal challenge August 11, 2026 The English Football League (EFL) has criticised player union the PFA for taking legal action to block new cost controls for clubs in League One. The PFA is opposing the Squad Cost Management Protocol on the basis it could damage players’ earning potential, having previously defeated a previous rule change in 2021 on the basis [...]
Trump speaks up for Infantino at last as Fifa boss fights world football rebellion August 11, 2026 US president Donald Trump has belatedly come to the aid of Gianni Infantino, saying it would be “a terrible mistake” to replace the under-fire Fifa boss. Infantino is fighting to save his job after three of Fifa’s four biggest confederations declared they had lost trust in him over plans to sell off stakes in a [...]
Infantino crisis shows football needs independent non-exec, says ex-Fifa advisor August 11, 2026 The crisis at the top of world football has again shown the need for independent non-executive directors, says former Fifa and Uefa advisor Ebru Koksal. Fifa president Gianni Infantino is staring down calls to quit over his secret plans to sell stakes in a new commercial entity that would manage the World Cup to private [...]
Nottingham Forest owner Marinakis sues Crystal Palace for defamation August 10, 2026 Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis is suing Crystal Palace in the High Court after fans of the south London club displayed a banner depicting him holding a gun to a player’s head. Lawyers for Marinakis lodged the claim for defamation today, almost a year after the banner appeared at a Premier League fixture between the [...]
Ebru Koksal: ‘Women tend to ask difficult questions, and that’s not always liked’ August 10, 2026 Former investment banker turned CEO of Galatasaray, Turkish FA chief and advisor to Fifa and Uefa Ebru Koksal on the barriers faced by women in football, how it compares to the world of finance, and what England has got right. Ebru Koksal’s path to becoming a trailblazing female figure and one of the most respected [...]
Jeff Bezos closes in on Liverpool FC stake as FSG sale deal nears August 10, 2026 Amazon tycoon Jeff Bezos is set to buy shares in Liverpool FC as Fenway Sports Group plans a significant minority sale. A consortium featuring Bezos, as well as Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, is led by the son-in-law of steel billionaire Lakshmi Mittal and former Queens Park Rangers shareholder Amit Bhatia and is nearing a deal [...]
Prem Rugby team ditch Big Game fixture at Premier League ground August 10, 2026 Prem Rugby club Gloucester have cancelled a planned fixture at Aston Villa’s Villa Park after its inaugural staging last season was criticised by fans. A Slater Cup fixture between Gloucester and Leicester Tigers was held at the Premier League ground last season, with a number of discounted tickets helping the attendance top 20,000 – around [...]