All 5 former winners in same half of Champions League draw
NYON, Switzerland (AP) — All five former Champions League winners were put into the same half of the draw on Friday, setting up a possible semifinal pairing between Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Real Madrid, Juventus, Barcelona, Chelsea and Bayern Munich will whittle down one side of the draw to reach the final on Aug. […]
Nashville out of MLS is Back after 9 players test positive
Nashville SC has withdrawn from Major League Soccer’s MLS is Back tournament in Florida after nine players tested positive for the coronavirus, the league announced Thursday. Nashville is the second team to withdraw from the tournament. FC Dallas had to pull out after 10 players and a coach tested positive for COVID-19. “Due to the […]
CBS picks up Champions League rights after Turner opts out
American broadcaster CBS will get an early start on its Champions League deal, showing games next month when the pandemic-delayed competition resumes.
Milan turns to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation, Liverpool to revive glory
Preparing to complete a ninth Serie A campaign without winning the Scudetto, AC Milan decided returning to the pinnacle of football required a new approach. Jay-Z’s entertainment agency Roc Nation is at the center of it, linking up with Milan to scour the world for sponsors and use concerts and other high-profile events to attract […]
MLS to resume season minus 1 team amid growing virus concern
Major League Soccer is about to resume its season — in a state that has seen a huge spike in coronavirus infections, with one team absent because of a COVID-19 outbreak, and with plenty of worry about what will happen next. The MLS is Back tournament starts Wednesday in Florida. The league’s teams are sequestered […]
New Zealander Erceg holds down North Carolina’s backline
Coach Paul Riley calls defender Abby Erceg the bedrock of the North Carolina Courage. A New Zealand native, Erceg is captain of the two-time National Women’s Soccer League defending champions. Re-signed in March, she holds down a defense that allowed a league-low 23 goals last season. “She reminds me of Virgil van Dijk almost, for […]
European soccer clubs face $4.5B income drop over next year
GENEVA (AP) — European soccer clubs expect to lose 4 billion euros ($4.5 billion) in revenue over the next year because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a study released Tuesday by the European Club Association. The ECA estimated clubs in 55 countries face a collective shortfall of 1.6 billion euros ($1.8 billion) this season […]
FC Dallas withdraws from the MLS is Back tournament
FC Dallas has withdrawn from the MLS is Back tournament in Florida after 10 players tested positive for coronavirus. The league said Monday that of the 557 players sequestered at a pair of Walt Disney World hotels, 13 have tested positive: 10 from Dallas, two from Nashville and one from Columbus. Additionally, a Dallas coach […]
2022 Qatar World Cup cuts jobs after ‘efficiency exercise’
Organizers of the 2022 World Cup have become the latest Qatari state entity to make staff redundant. The World Cup organizing committee did not directly cite the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic in a statement announcing the job losses. But secretary general Hassan Al Thawadi recently spoke of his concerns about the looming global […]
Refereeing criticism increases as Madrid nears Spanish title
MADRID (AP) — The closer Real Madrid gets to the Spanish league title, the stronger the accusations it is benefiting from the referees. Its opponents are not holding back, and Madrid has heard enough. “I’m tired of always talking about the same thing,” Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane said after the 1-0 win at Athletic Bilbao […]