Champions League draw: Best and worst case scenarios for Man City, Man Utd, Arsenal and Newcastle August 30, 2023 On the face of it, Thursday’s Champions League draw will be just like any other: a gathering of club suits for a glossy and unnecessarily long ceremony peppered with former stars of European football and stilted banter. But there will be something unique about this year’s draw: it will be the last to follow the [...]
Chelsea accused of penalising disabled fans with ‘appalling’ coach subsidy decision August 29, 2023 Chelsea supporters have accused the club of penalising disabled and vulnerable fans by taking the “appalling decision” to remove subsidised coach travel to domestic away games. Blues chiefs said this week that it was “not financially sustainable” to maintain the subsidy, which the Chelsea Supporters’ Trust believes costs £250,000 a year – less than some [...]
Luis Rubiales: Prosecutors look into ‘sexual assault’ as mother goes on hunger strike August 28, 2023 Spanish prosecutors began enquiries on Monday into whether Luis Rubiales committed sexual assault by kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso – as the football chief’s mother went on hunger strike over the storm surrounding her son. Rubiales appeared to grab Hermoso before kissing her on the lips at the medal ceremony for last week’s [...]
Premier League summer spending tops £2bn for first time – and more records set to fall August 28, 2023 Premier League spending has passed the £2bn mark for the first time in a single transfer window as England’s leading clubs have flexed their financial muscle. With several days left before the transfer deadline on Friday at 11pm, top-flight teams have already exceeded the record £1.92bn lavished last summer. And they could yet surpass £3bn [...]
Luis Rubiales: Spanish football boss refuses to quit at crisis meeting over kiss row August 25, 2023 The president of the Spanish football federation has refused to resign despite an uproar after he kissed a player on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final. Luis Rubiales told an emergency general assembly of the federation “I won’t resign” four times in quick succession, and claimed he was a victim [...]
Nike to sell Mary Earps England goalkeeper shirt after caving in to fan demands August 24, 2023 A limited number of replica Mary Earps goalkeeping shirts are finally being made available to buy by England kit manufacturer Nike. Earps had said prior to the World Cup it was “hugely disappointing and very hurtful” that the replica kits were not available to purchase. Calls for Nike to put things right have grown louder [...]
Fifa opens disciplinary case against Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales over kiss August 24, 2023 Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales’ refusal to quit over his kiss on Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso is set to be tested after Fifa opened proceedings against him. It comes on the eve of an emergency meeting of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), at which action is expected to be taken over the conduct [...]
Ed Warner: Why sport shouldn’t waste its time courting royals and politicians August 24, 2023 Politicians and royals rarely mix well with sport, so the fuss about the Prime Minister and Duke of Cambridge missing the Women’s World Cup final was classic British nonsense. In my experience, the less time spent trying to sprinkle dubious stardust on sporting events, the better. Civil servants and UK Sport spent ridiculous time that [...]
Liverpool set to lose millions after Anfield redevelopers cease trading August 23, 2023 Liverpool chiefs admit they do not know when the redevelopment of their Anfield Stadium will be completed after constructors the Buckingham Group ceased trading and filed a notice to appoint administrators. An £80m upgrade to the club’s Anfield Road Stand which is due to increase capacity to 61,000 had already been hit by delays when [...]
Spanish football chief Rubiales under fresh pressure to quit over Jenni Hermoso kiss August 22, 2023 Embattled Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales is facing renewed pressure to resign as the fallout from kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips continues. Rubiales’ apology on Monday has failed to dampen the furore over his public lunge at Hermoso as she collected her medal following Sunday’s 1-0 final win over England [...]