May 20 – A white paper restaurant napkin that formally linked a young Lionel Messi to Barcelona was sold at a Bonhams on-line auction on Friday for $968,600. The starting price for the napkin was $379,000. The napkin was signed on December 14, 2000 at a Barcelona tennis club in a meeting between Argentine agent Horacio Gaggioli, another agent, Josep …

May 17 – The USL Super League have announced a new long-term, league wide uniform and apparel partnership with Capelli Sport, as the league expands its portfolio of brand partners as it establishes itself as tier one women’s professional league in the US. Set for its inaugural kickoff in August, the USL Super League was licensed by the US federation …

May 17 – Juventus coach Massimiliano Allegri has been suspended for two matches and fined €5,000 by a Serie A league judge for his behaviour during the Italian Cup final. Allegri lost his cool in stoppage time when he grew angry at a decision, ripped off his jacket and earned a red card for sarcastically applauding the referee. Juventus beat Atalanta …

May 17 – Leeds United became the first team to reach the 2024 Championship playoff final for the Premier League with an emphatic 4-0 victory over Norwich City last night. The result means that Leeds are set to meet the winner of Southampton and West Bromwich Albion, which will be decided tonight, in the final at Wembley on the May …

May 17 – Australian professional football has been plunged into disrepute by accusations that the captain of A-League club Macarthur FC paid two younger teammates up to 10,000 Australian dollars to deliberately receive yellow cards in a scheme set up by a South American gambling connection. Ulises Davila (pictured) and fellow players Kearyn Baccus and Clayton Lewis have been arrested …

May 20 – Online bookmaker Betano has renewed its sleeve sponsorship with Portgual’s Benfica for a further three years. Betano first signed its sponsorship with Sporting for the 2021-22 season in a two year deal that is subsequently renewed for a further two years. Betano was also the first sponsor to take the club’s sleeve patch. “We are thrilled to extend …

The club campaigns for several American players in Germany’s top divisions have ended, opening the door to a potential busy summer of international action. Kevin Paredes, Joe Scally, and Johan Gomez are just three American players that could be featuring in competitions this summer with either the U.S. men’s national team or the U.S. men’s olympic national team. Lennard Maloney …

Jadon Sancho, once a star at Borussia Dortmund, faces a challenging path if he hopes to return to his former club from Manchester United. Despite his desire for a move and Dortmund’s interest, several significant hurdles remain, not least of which are financial. Sancho’s move to Manchester United in 2021 came with high expectations following a sensational spell in the …

Luis Brown, a promising young defender from Arsenal’s academy, has confirmed his departure from the Gunners and is on the brink of signing a professional contract with West Ham United. This development was reported by Jeorge Bird, a well-known Arsenal youth blogger, and followed by noted football journalist Fabrizio Romano. Brown took to Instagram to announce his exit from Arsenal …

In the complex and unforgiving world of Premier League football, Mikel Arteta, in his heart of hearts, may have known that Arsenal’s title race was effectively over before the pivotal match against West Ham. As Pep Guardiola’s former assistant, he understands better than most just how relentless Manchester City can be. The Gunners needed a miracle to keep their title …