Ajax offer fans season ticket refunds
April 8 – Ajax Amsterdam will offer season ticket holders a full or partial refund for the matches they have missed out on this season, the Dutch club has announced.
Europe
AEK owner Melissanidis faces life ban and points deduction for club
By Paul Nicholson
April 7 – Controversial AEK Athens owner Dimitris Melissanidis has again hit the headlines in Greece where he could be facing a life ban from football.
Serie A faces €150m drop in TV income after failure to back beIN over piracy row
April 7 – The financial fall out of Serie A’s failure to back beIN Sport in its battle against piracy and in particular Saudi-focussed BeoutQ has now come home to roost via a drop in overseas broadcast rights that could be as much as €150 million annually.
UEFA hands Kudela ‘token’ one match suspension for racist abuse ahead of full hearing
April 7 – Slavia Prague defender Ondrej Kudela, who was at the centre of a racism storm last month, has been provisionally suspended for one game by UEFA ahead of a full hearing.
EFL clubs protest transfer embargo arguing rules don’t follow UK’s new Covid laws
April 7 – Ten clubs from the English Football League Championship placed under a transfer embargo last month are arguing that the English Football League (EFL) rules have not taken into account new government rules on company filings and that they are being unlawfully restricted.
Hertha Berlin sack coach over homophobic and anti-migrant views
April 7 – Bundesliga outfit Hertha Berlin have dismissed their goalkeeping coach Zsolt Petry over homophobic and anti-migrant comments that he made in an interview with Hungarian newspaper Magyar Nemzet, citing that Petry’s values were incompatible with those of the club.
Wembley plans series of test events for fan return, with 8,000 set for League Cup final
April 6 – After being empty for more than year because of the coronavirus pandemic, Wembley will welcome 8,000 fans for this month’s League Cup final between holders Manchester City, who are going for a unique quadruple of trophies, and Tottenham Hotspur.
Valencia players walk off against Cádiz after Diakhaby racially abused
April 6 – Valencia’s La Liga fixture at Cádiz on Sunday was suspended for 20 minutes after the visitors walked off the pitch in solidarity with one of their players who said he was subjected to racist abuse.
Unbearable time for Yogi: North Macedonia derail Germany machine in Duisberg
April 1 – North Macedonia stunned Germany and Joachim Low 2-1 with an 85th minute winner from Eljif Elmas to record their most famous international victory, leaving Die Mannschaft’s World Cup qualification campaign in disarray.
Spanish media follow the political line and refuse to recognise Kosovo
April 1 – Spain’s World Cup qualifier against Kosovo on Wednesday may have gone ahead as planned but it was always likely to be embroiled in controversy.
UEFA stalls on Champions League reveal as big clubs and leagues battle for €$£
By Andrew Warshaw
March 31 – A decision on the future of the Champions League post-2024 has been delayed until next month with UEFA seemingly at loggerheads with Europe’s elite clubs and leagues over the precise nature of the deal.
Belgian boss Martinez calls for Euro 2020 squads to be expanded to up to 27 players
By Samindra Kunti in Leuven
March 31 – Belgium national team coach Roberto Martinez has voiced his support to expand national team squads to 26, 27 players for Euro 2020, calling it “a necessity”.
Swedish FA calls in Sportradar to boost fight against match-fixing
March 31 – Swedish football that has been rocked by match-fixing scandal and saw criminal charges issued against five individuals last December, has moved to beef up its integrity operations via an increased betting monitoring deal with Sportradar.
Belgians add voice to protests calling for change in Qatar and action against racism
March 31 – The world’s number one team Belgium wore t-shirts on Tuesday in support of migrant workers involved in building 2022 World Cup stadiums in Qatar, following other European sides in protesting for improved human rights in the Gulf state.
EFL secures £117m loan to fund Championship clubs through Covid
March 30 – The English Football League (EFL) has secured a £117 million loan fund for Championship clubs with MetLife Investment Management.