Spain’s Administrative Sports Court (TAD) have opened a case against Luis Rubiales for a “serious” but not “very serious” breach of conduct after his unsolicited kiss on Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup final. TAD’s decision is a setback for the Spanish government, who now cannot suspend him from his position as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation [RFEF]. However, an investigation will follow and he could still be…
Barcelona star Aitana Bonmatí sent a message of support for her fellow Spain Women’s World Cup teammates, including Jenni Hermoso, after winning the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year award on Thursday. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Bonmatí, along with Manchester City Champions League star Erling Haaland, were both named UEFA Players of the Year in the UEFA awards ceremony in Monaco. England manager Sarina Wiegman and…
Elite-level footballers are some of the highest-paid workers on the planet, which means their contracts are likely to be long, confusing and full of legal speak that might be difficult to understand for the general public. So here’s a guide to how they are put together. Tor-Kristian Karlsen, a Norwegian football scout, formerly the chief executive and sporting director at Monaco, explains all. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more…
The transfer window has entered its final stages as the clock ticks down to Friday’s deadline. The Premier League is set to close for business at 6 p.m. ET / 11 p.m. BST (find out when other leagues close here), but despite time running out for deals to do be done, there are still lots of club and players around Europe aiming to get moves over the line. Some will…
The president of European soccer’s governing body Aleksander Ceferin called Luis Rubiales’ behaviour “inappropriate” but said he did not want to interfere with FIFA’s disciplinary investigation into the Spanish Football Federation chief. Soccer’s world governing body FIFA suspended Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months on Saturday as it investigates allegations he gave a player an unwanted kiss on the lips after Spain’s women won the World Cup. FIFA…
As you may have noticed, Burnley have carved themselves a niche as the unlikely darlings of the transfer reveal video after amassing a vast repertoire of entertaining clips to welcome new faces to Turf Moor in recent months. In fact, the Premier League club’s back catalogue now covers several years after their first mainstream hit: an amusing video to announce the arrival of Peter Crouch in February 2019. Since then,…
It might all change in the last few hours of the window, but right now, this Manchester United team feels short and whatever late signings materialize — if they do materialize — will likely serve as little more than a Band-Aid. You also wonder why it had to be this way. Going into the summer, ESPN and others had budgeted for a net spend of £120 million this summer. It…
Manchester City striker Erling Haaland was named the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Player of the Year on Tuesday. The 23-year-old was voted ahead of team mates Kevin de Bruyne and John Stones, as well as Arsenal’s Martin Odegaard, Bukayo Saka and former Tottenham player Harry Kane, who is now with Bayern Munich. – Stream on ESPN+: LaLiga, Bundesliga, more (U.S.) Haaland’s remarkable performance saw him netting 52 goals in 53…
Luis Rubiales is fighting to remain the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) despite increasing pressure to resign from various sporting bodies and the government following his behaviour after the Women’s World Cup final earlier this month. Rubiales, 46, finally lost the RFEF’s support this week after FIFA provisionally suspended him from all football activity for 90 days. That left a committee of the federation’s regional presidents in…
The fallout from Luis Rubiales’ unacceptable actions between Spain winning the Women’s World Cup final on Aug. 20 and today will continue for a long time to come. So too will the accusations and counter-accusations. But the way in which Spain’s World Cup-winning women, their colleagues and union representatives have acted, and what they’ve already gained, might well be the single most important, impressive and impactful group action by footballers…