Inside World Football

Villa Park to expand to 50,000+ with £100m development plan

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 05:02:19 +0000

April 24 – Aston Villa has announced plans to redevelop Villa Park’s North Stand, boosting the stadium’s capacity to more than 50,000 as they join the growing list of Premier League clubs undertaking stadium expansions.

Currently, the Villains, who are enjoying their most successful season in decades, can host 42,918 fans, but demand to see Unai Emery’s high-flying team consistently exceeds available tickets.

The club will expand capacity of its North Stand by approximately 7,500 seats,

Another Texan billionaire touches down in the Premier League at Everton

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 04:14:23 +0000

April 25 – Premier League clubs continue to attract U.S. investment, with American billionaire Christopher Sarofim, a minority shareholder in the National Football League’s (NFL) Houston Texans, becoming the latest convert to the ‘round-ball game’.

Day-to-day control of the Toffees will remain with the Friedkin Group (TFG), who purchased the club from the wildly unpopular former owner, Farhad Moshiri, last year.

Sarofim (pictured), who is part of Fayez Sarofim and Co,

Ronaldo on fire as Asian Champions League Elite last 8 gather in Saudi for final shoot-out

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:55:14 +0000

April 25 – The revamped Asian Champions League Elite has reached the quarter final stage with Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal SFC kicking off against South Korea’s Gwangju FC tonight in the first of the single leg ties at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in Jeddah.

The competition is now centralised in Saudi Arabia for its final week with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, imperious throughout the competition to date, in action against Japan’s Yokohama F.

CSKA Sofia fans plan mass protest after council refuses to name new metro station after club

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 03:10:05 +0000

April 24 – The ultras of Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia have threatened to hold a large-scale protest in the centre of Sofia after the Municipal Council refused to name one of the newly built metro stations in the capital after the name of the club, SC CSKA.

At a meeting of the Sofia Municipal Council in late March, the names of the newly built metro stations in Sofia were approved, with the initial proposal to rename the Shipchenski Prohod station to SC CSKA not being approved.

Old school River Plate-Boca derby transformed into a high tech showpiece at Mâs Monumental

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 02:42:38 +0000

Aril 24 – Argentina’s Superclásico between River Plate and Boca Juniors this weekend isn’t just another edition of South America’s most intense club rivalry – it’s a window into the future of football on the continent in a stadium that has embraced technology to transform its operations.

River Plate’s Mâs Monumental, the largest stadium in the region, has become a symbol of how innovation and strategic modernisation are reshaping the footballing experience.
With a history of crowd disturbances at their biggest matches,

DAZN sub-licenses 2025 Club World Cup TV rights to Globo in Brazil

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 01:39:46 +0000

April 24 – Brazilian broadcaster Globo has partnered with streaming platform DAZN to broadcast the inaugural edition of the new Club World Cup.

The tournament is scheduled to take place from June 14 to July 13 in the United States and will feature four Brazilian clubs: Botafogo, Flamengo, Fluminense, and Palmeiras.

The coverage of Globo, Brazil’s largest broadcaster and behemoth in the TV industry, will include all matches involving Brazilian teams,

USL Super League agrees naming rights deal with Gainbridge

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 01:15:42 +0000

April 25 – The new top tier women’s league in the US, the USL Super League, is changing its name after just a season, having sold its naming rights to financial services firm Gainbridge in a multi-year partnership.

The Gainbridge Super League will start debut its new name at the start of the 2025/26 season.

“This is a landmark moment for professional soccer,” said Amanda Vandervort, president of the USL Super League.

Former USMNT coach Arena questions Pochettino’s ‘foreign’ leadership

Paul Nicholson — Fri, 25 Apr 2025 01:00:40 +0000

April 24 – In an interview with the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) website, current United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) coach Mauricio Pochettino criticised his players’ mentality, prompting former USMNT coach Bruce Arena to respond with what could generously be called “constructive feedback”.

Arena, who guided the US to the World Cup quarterfinals in 2002, shared his thoughts on the ‘Unfiltered Soccer’ podcast with all the subtlety of a brick through a jewelers window.

UEFA hosts logistical meeting ahead of Women’s EUROs in Switzerland

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:27:56 +0000

April 24 – As excitement builds ahead of UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 in Switzerland, head coaches and key operational staff from all 16 participating nations gathered this week in Nyon for a finalists’ workshop focused on delivering the competition’s logistical and technical framework.

Held at UEFA headquarters, the workshop addressed essential planning areas including refereeing protocols, team services, matchday operations, media and broadcast coordination, anti-doping and medical standards, and safety and sustainability measures.

Chelsea enter multi-year deal with Ticketmaster as Official Partner

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 10:20:28 +0000

April 24 – Chelsea have announced a new multi-year agreement with Ticketmaster, confirming the global operator as the club’s Official Ticketing Partner.

The partnership will see Ticketmaster roll out its digital ticketing technology at Stamford Bridge from the 2025-26 season, as Chelsea look to modernise matchday operations and reduce fraudulent resales.

The deal, which holds an undisclosed length and valuation, is designed to offer fans a more seamless and secure experience,

AS Monaco extend partnership with fashion label Vicomte A.

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:30:33 +0000

April 24 – AS Monaco have extended their partnership with French fashion label Vicomte A. until 2027, as the Principality club continues to build one of the most expansive sponsorship rosters in European football.

The renewal will see Vicomte A. remain Monaco’s official formalwear partner for a further two seasons, supplying clothing for players, staff and club executives. The brand will retain visibility at Stade Louis-II and across Monaco’s digital platforms,

EPO announces collaboration with Socilinnov to Empower Women in Football

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:22:36 +0000

April 24 – The Hellenic Football Federation (EPO), in collaboration with the non-profit organisation Socialinnov, has announced the implementation of the Empower Women in Football educational program.

This initiative, being implemented for the first time in Greece, aims to develop women’s skills and strengthen their position in football.

Socialinnov is a non-profit organisation that aims to eliminate the digital skills gap and reduce unemployment in Greece. Through innovative learning experiences,

CAF pens partnership agreement with AGL to boost development

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:14:21 +0000

April 24 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) and Africa Global Logistics (AGL) have signed a partnership to boost the development of the African game.

The terms of the deal were not disclosed, but the partnership covers the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as well as the 2026 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON).

CAF president Patrice Motsepe said: “AGL is a leading logistics company and its partnership with CAF reflects the substantial commitment by both parties to the development and growth of football for men and women in Africa.

Reading takeover inches closes after terms agreed over club’s sale

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:11:00 +0000

April 24 – English League One side Reading have reached an agreement with a prospective buyer to complete a takeover of the financially-stricken club, with the English Football League (EFL) extending a deadline to finalise the deal to May 5.

It’s the second time the EFL has granted the Royals additional time to complete the sale since owner Dai Yongge was disqualified from leading the club under the Owners’ and Directors’

Neom SC clinch promotion to Saudi Pro League with win over Al Arabi

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 09:07:47 +0000

April 24 – Following a 3-0 victory over rivals Al Arabi, Neom SC have clinched promotion to the Saudi Pro League – the professional top-flight of football in the country.

An Ahmed Abdo brace and a goal from Olympique Lyonnais loanee Said Benrahma secured Neom SC’s berth in next season’s top tier.

The promotion marks the rapid rise of a club that lingered for years in the lower tiers of Saudi football before a rebrand under the banner of Neom,

Paris Saint-Germain extend Visit Rwanda deal while penning new Novotel agreement

Andy Elliott — Thu, 24 Apr 2025 08:35:20 +0000

April 24 – Paris Saint-Germain, who recently lifted their 13th Ligue 1 title and are enjoying a successful campaign in the UEFA Champions League, have extended a lucrative sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda and added Novotel to their commercial portfolio.

Visit Rwanda was launched in 2019 to combine tourism with grassroots sport development. Branding features around PSG’s home ground, Parc des Princes, as well as on matchday assets, club content, and fan engagement campaigns.