April 26 – Brazil legend Marta, 38, will retire from international football this year, she confirmed. For years, Marta, Brazil’s record goal scorer in both the men’s and women’s World Cup with 17 goals in 23 appearances across six editions of the tournament, has been a lodestar of her team with her skill set, experience and unique presence and this …
Read More »Swedish clubs reject introduction of VAR into top-tier league
April 26 – Sweden is set to reject the introduction and implementation of the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) after elite clubs voiced their opposition to the technology. Across Europe’s leagues, VAR has often been at the centre of controversy and Swedish clubs, who have at least 51% fan ownership, have opposed the introduction in their country. Swedish FA president Frederik …
Read More »Joao Neves tops world U20 ranking as data points to where Summer transfer focus will be
April 26 – Benfica starlet Joao Neves is the most seasoned U20 player in world football according to data provided by the CIES Football Observatory. 19-year-old Neves ranked top of the CIES’s study, which used an index that weighted minutes played in official senior club or national team matches according to their ‘sporting level’ to decide the top 100 U20 …
Read More »Unilever signs on for Copa América 2024 in US to push its personal care brands
Aril 29 – Unilever will be a first-time sponsor for Conmebol’s Copa América that will be played in the US across 14 cities from June 20 to July 14. No value was given for the one-tournament deal which will see Unilever promote its four Personal Care brands as Official Sponsors: Axe, Degree, Dove, and Dove Men+Care. “Working with the Conmebol …
Read More »Spurs 2-3 Arsenal: Saka and Havertz shine in chaotic derby win
Match report – Player ratings – Arteta reaction – Video Football, as I have often said, is a bit mental, and yesterday’s North London provided the full gamut of hilarity, quality, and terror – but thankfully Arsenal came away from White Hart Lane with all three points. Mikel Arteta named an unchanged side from Tuesday’s 5-0 win over Chelsea, and …
Read More »U23 Asian Cup: Japan dash Qatari dreams, Indonesia stun South Korea
April 26 – Japan powered past Qatar in extra time of the U23 AFC Asian Cup, crushing the host’s senior and U23 Asian Cup double dream on home soil with a 4-2 win. Japan opened the scoring early through midfielder Yamada as it took just two minutes for the quarter final to explode into action. With both teams eager to …
Read More »The Newcastle revamp on the cards this summer
It’s no secret that this summer is a crucial one for the club in terms of recruitment. A new, robust striker to replace Callum Wilson, an upgrade at RW and a defensively minded midfielder, or a “number 6” to to use the parlance of our time are all rightly mentioned as immediate priorities to improve the first team and push …
Read More »Villas-Boas swaps touchline for boardroom as he dethrones Pinto da Costa after 42-year reign
April 29 – André Villas-Boas has been elected the new chairman of FC Porto with a landslide victory, bringing to an end the 42-year reign of Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa. Villas-Boas dethroned his rival, who had held the club in an iron fist, claiming 80.3% of the vote to win the presidency. “Porto is free again,” he triumphantly claimed. “I …
Read More »Spanish Sports Council takes charge of ‘crisis’-hit RFEF ahead of new elections
April 26 – The Spanish government has formed a special committee to oversee the country’s football federation (RFEF) until the governing body holds fresh elections following the scandal surrounding its former president, Luis Rubiales. Rubiales was arrested earlier this month as part of a corruption and money laundering investigation and is separately due to go on trial over the infamous ‘kissgate’ …
Read More »AFC U23 Asian Cup semi-finals: Uzbekistan and Japan start as favourites
April 29 – In a repeat of the 2020 AFC U23 Asian Cup that saw Saudi Arabia crowned champions, Uzbekistan gained revenge with a 2-0 win that sets up a semi-final with tournament debutants Indonesia. In the other semi-final Japan face Iraq, the winners of both semis guaranteeing a place in the final later this week and at the 2024 …
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