Rayo Majadahonda forfeit abandoned match and keeper banned after racist incident
April 4 – The goalkeeper of a Spanish third division club has been banned for two games after confronting a supporter who he claimed racially abused him.
Year: 2024
Argentina extend world ranking lead, Belgium return to top three
April 4 – In the most recent update to the FIFA World Rankings, Argentina continue to hold the coveted first position and have even extended their lead. Despite a loss to Germany on home soil, France remain in second place.
Chelsea defend Gallagher over mascot criticism
April 4 – Chelsea have condemned abuse of their England international midfielder Conor Gallagher after he was criticised for appearing not to acknowledge a high five from a black child moments before a Premier League match.
PepsiCo brands unveiled as Leagues Cup sponsors in multi-year deal
April 4 – The Leagues Cup, the 47-team club competition played between the MLS and Liga MX in North America, has unveiled a multi-year sponsorship with PepsiCo brands Lay’s, Sabritas, Gamesa, and Rockstar Energy Drink .
Yahoo Sports and OneFootball combine for content hub in US and Canada
April 4 – Global media and tech business Yahoo has struck a deal between its Yahoo Sports division and streaming platform OneFootball to create a new hub for football content.
Spanish police arrest Rubiales as part of corruption probe into RFEF’s Saudi cash
April 3 – Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), has been arrested as part of a corruption investigation.
Fenerbahce fans vote to remain in Turkish Super Lig, despite Trabzonspor chaos
April 3 – Fenerbahce members have voted against a proposal to withdraw from the Turkish Super Lig.
Brys takes over from Song in Cameroon but Fecafoot didn’t appoint him
April 3 – Belgian Marc Brys has been appointed Rigobert Song’s replacement as Cameroon’s national team coach.
NWSL newcomers Bay FC load up sponsorship roster
April 3 – National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) newcomers Bay FC have announced a flurry of sponsorship deals with Sixth Street, Visa, Meriwest Credit Union and Lyft as the club begins the NWSL season with a last-minute upset.
Ajax suspend new CEO Kroes on suspicion of insider trading
April 3 – Dutch giants Ajax Amsterdam have suspended their new CEO Alex Kroes on suspicion of insider trading, the club confirmed in a statement on Tuesday.
Varane says wider education needed on dangers of concussion injuries
April 3 – Manchester United’s French international defender Raphaël Varane has opened up alarmingly about how concussion has damaged his body as he stressed the importance of creating more awareness among players around the dangers of heading the ball.
Barclays poised to double its WSL sponsorship in 3-year deal
April 4 – The Women’s Super League and Women’s Championship are close to finalising a landmark sponsorship agreement, as Barclays prepares to double its financial support for the two leagues.
Saarbrücken’s fairy tale cup run ends in semi-final loss to Kaiserslautern
April 3 – German third-tier club Saarbrücken’s astonishing journey in the DFB-Pokal, which included impressive victories over heavyweight clubs Bayern Munich and Eintracht Frankfurt, came crashing down on Tuesday night after losing 2-0 to Bundesliga 2 side Kaiserslautern.
Seagulls soar to new heights with a £122.8 million profit for 2022/23 financial year
April 3 – Premier League Brighton and Hove Albion have reported a record profit after tax for the 2022/23 season of £122.8 million, a jump of almost £100 million on the £24.1 million reported the previous year.
AFC 2026 World Cup qualifying sees seven nations qualified for 18 team third round
April 3 – The second round group qualifiers for AFC nations chasing places at the 2026 World Cup has now seen seven out of 18 slots filled for the third round.