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Manchester United fans have reacted with fury after "thousands" had their season-ticket accounts restricted.The action follows an attempt by United to identify potential ticket touts and those breaking the club's ticketing terms and conditions.But supporters have told BBC Sport that those who have been informed their season tickets are now at risk of being revoked include many of the club's most loyal followers, and insist that the majority have done nothing wrong."I feel angry about it - they just want us gone," Andy, a season ticket holder for more than 35 years, who was informed his account has been restricted on Monday night, told BBC Sport."My dad has been a season-ticket holder since 1974, when we were in the second division. He is a pensioner now and I have to help him with all the online stuff since digital tickets became a thing."Going the match is our bond. Things like that are what keep older people alive sometimes."It's stressful enough for my own mental health but I think it could make my dad ill."Manchester United declined to comment on the process or fan reaction when asked to do so.In one email sent to a supporter, seen by BBC Sport, Manchester United said: "We have identified patterns linked to your ticketing account that we need to understand more clearly."We need to establish whether there is a straightforward explanation for the activity identified."As it stands, those under suspicion have had restrictions placed their online accounts, preventing them from buying and transferring tickets.Those whose accounts have been flagged have been asked to submit evidence to the club to defend themselves if they feel they have been wrongly accused.United have not revoked any tickets so far and an appeals panel will make a final decision on each case before their Premier League season begins on 22 August.But supporters such as Andy say they have not been told explicitly what they are being accused of, that the lack of information feels like they are being invited to incriminate themselves, and that the confusion is causing significant anxiety."They have already taken my season ticket money," Andy says."They don't care about how it affects people, their relationships, maybe their health and mental health. There is no empathy."I feel like people are punished for their loyalty. They don't want fans, they want customers."In a social media post, Manchester United Supporters' Trust said the club has "been sending out account suspensions and season-ticket cancellation notices to thousands of supporters"."We have been overwhelmed with requests for help [and] have sent out individual advice to hundreds," the trust added."Clearly the scale of this has caused huge concern among fans."We are increasingly concerned that the current approach risks causing significant unintended consequences."Physical season tickets are a thing of the past in the Premier League.Clubs now use digital systems where fans download tickets to their phones. The change has been accompanied at many clubs by stricter rules on how, and how often, ticket holders can transfer their tickets to other people.At Manchester United, for example, fans can have their season ticket revoked if they do not attend or forward their ticket to approved friends and family members for at least 16 out of 19 Premier League fixtures.Last season, the club moved 500 season ticket holders from seats they had used for years in order to accommodate an increase in hospitality tickets.The Red Devils have made sweeping cuts to their workforce since the partial takeover by Ineos in 2024, including those working in ticketing.The method of identifying suspicious accounts United have employed uses third-party software and is largely automated.In a message sent to the club fans' forum last week, after the first restrictions were sent out to supporters, United defended their approach and insisted the vast majority of those facing potential sanctions have misbehaved."Our recent operation focused on instances where multiple accounts displayed patterns of activity indicating they may have been centrally controlled, coordinated by the same individual, or operated using automated software," they said."We are confident that the vast majority of accounts identified for misuse have been correctly flagged with the appropriate action taken."United conducted a crackdown on touting last season, cancelling 22,000 tickets for the first five home games of the season.They regard that figure as "the tip of the iceberg" and believe around 10-15% of season tickets are controlled by touts."Every single one of our members with a season ticket has had the email," says the secretary of a United supporters' club in Northern Ireland - a fan for more than 50 years, who asked not to be named."If one of our members can't go to a game for some reason, they'll usually offer it to another member and lots of our accounts are linked together. Everything is fair and done for face value. But the club don't seem to understand that, or want to understand it."It's just so disappointing. Everybody is really angry."Fans told BBC Sport they believe some of Manchester United's most loyal matchgoers have been erroneously targeted because they are more likely to ask friends or family members to log in to their account, for example to purchase tickets for away matches as a group or for help when busy with work or childcare, which they say the club is conflating with touting."It feels like you're not allowed to help your mates out and pass your ticket on to them, because the club will accuse you of touting," Andy says."But you can sell your ticket back to them and they'll sell it to someone else at a much higher price than you paid by adding on some free drinks or food.Touting - illegally reselling match tickets at an inflated price - is a widespread issue in the Premier League.Last season, BBC Sport exposed the black market of top-flight tickets available for resale online, which circumvent UK laws against ticket touting by being based abroad.Manchester United insist that revoked season tickets should be repurposed as new ones for supporters on the waiting list.But some fans believe that clubs - particularly the wealthiest - want fewer season-ticket holders in their stadiums, because selling seats for matches on an individual basis generates more revenue per ticket.In theory, fans who are tourists visiting infrequently are more likely to spend money in the stadium and in club stores than regulars who attend every match.The number of season-ticket holders at Old Trafford has dropped from 64,000 in 2006 to 46,800 in 2026."Season ticket rules are definitely a concern," says Thomas Concannon, Premier League network manager at the Football Supporters' Association."We've all benefited from passing a ticket on to a mate for face value, and fans worry that even something like that is now deemed against the rules. We need a proper consensus on the rules across all clubs."Taking a season ticket away harms the atmosphere and means you're losing that fan for life."We stand behind protecting season-ticket holders and having as many of them as possible."

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BBC Sport women’s football news reporterPublished5 minutes agoEverton have signed Holly McNamara on a free transfer after the Australia striker's Melbourne City had expired.The 23-year-old has won the Golden Boot in Australia's A-League on two occasions.Everton say they beat "a wide range of top clubs across Europe and the United States" to sign McNamara.She becomes Everton's fourth signing of the summer, following the arrivals of Noemie Mouchon, Hannah Cain and Zara Kramzar."It is unreal to be here. Goodison Park is such a special stadium. I am very lucky to be here," said McNamara."Everton have such a rich history and that drew me to the club. It is a good club that has great ambitions and a great project for the next few years."A big thing was also the chance to play in the best league in the world. It is so competitive and any team can beat anyone."I can't wait to try to do everything for this club [in order] to win and to do as well as we can."McNamara was named the A-League's young player of the year in 2022 and helped Australia reach the 2026 Women's Asian Cup final.She will wear the number nine shirt for Everton.Find interviews and extra content from the Women's Super League and beyond on the Women's Football Weekly feed

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Rangers and Celtic have been hit with disciplinary charges over the trouble that followed their Scottish Cup clash at Ibrox.The Scottish Football Association has issued identical notices of complaint to both clubs as it published the independent review into the game.Both are accused of breaching the SFA's rule 37, which centres on "good order and security" and "unacceptable conduct".The rule covers "policies and procedures" and whether clubs take appropriate measures to identify and deal with supporters who engage in unacceptable conduct.There were clashes on the pitch after Celtic won a penalty shoot-out in the quarter-final encounter on March 8.Some visiting fans spilled onto the playing surface to celebrate after the winning spot-kick and more than 100 supporters from the Rangers end charged towards them with fireworks thrown back and forth.At least 37 people have been arrested over the trouble, which saw police and stewards injured.

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Consistency appears guaranteed, because Lisa Nandy will stay as the secretary of state for the department of culture, media and sport (DCMS).The pair already have a close working relationship.Nandy is the MP for Wigan which sits within the area of the Greater Manchester mayor, a post which Burnham had held for the past nine years.Everton season-ticket holder Burnham is an avid sports fan and has backed several initiatives throughout his political career.After being elected as the new MP for Makerfield last month, he gave his speech outside Edge Green Street - home to Ashton Town of the North West Counties League.The 56-year-old held Nandy's position at the DCMS for 18 months from January 2008.From the Olympics, to infrastructure to how sports are governing, BBC Sport looks at what his premiership could bring.The UK last hosted the Olympics in 2012, and London mayor Sadiq Khan is eyeing up another bid for the 2040 event.But in his role as Greater Manchester mayor, Burnham has already backed an Olympic Games for the north.In February, Burnham said, external it would be a "defining moment for the north" and "a powerful opportunity to unlock future growth".A northern Olympics bid would fit Burnham's vision of taking some of the attention away from the capital.The 2035 Women's World Cup will be hosted by England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales.Burnham has backed the regeneration of Old Trafford with a new ground for Manchester United.Plans are set to be signed off by Trafford Council on 21 July, with the intention the 100,000 venue would be ready for the Women's World Cup.Might a men's World Cup bid get government backing now too?Burnham has also supported shifting FA Cup semi-finals away from Wembley, having been exclusively hosted at the stadium since 2008.Burnham has not shied away from clashing with the Premier League and football's authorities.In 2023, he wrote to Premier League insisting that Everton's 10-point penalty for breaching profit and sustainability rules should be declared "null and void".There should be no concerns about the future of the independent football regulator, set up by Nandy and whose powers are just starting to kick in.In 2020, Burnham was the co-author of a manifesto for change called 'Saving Our Beautiful Game'.It laid out a number of recommendations, including "an effective and independent body to oversee the financial regulation of the game".Burnham has long been involved with fans' groups and he founded Supporters Direct, one of the forerunner organisations to the Football Supporters' Association.He backs expanding supporter ownership and representation, in 2022 creating a taskforce for fans to buy Oldham Athletic., externalThe club was eventually bought by local businessman Frank Rothwell, with the supporters' foundation taking a 3% shareholding and a seat on the board.There could be a ban on unlicensed casinos from sponsoring sports teams, too, with Burnham a long-time critic of the negative effects of gambling.An eight-week consultation has opened, external to consider proposals. Burnham's Everton have a link to Stake.com, a crypto casino without a licence to operate in the UK.Burnham was also a staunch supporter of justice for the victims of the Hillsborough disaster.His work as an MP partly led to the Hillsborough Law, which was passed last week and is intended to prevent cover-ups linked to failures of the state.When Burham was at the DCMS he ordered the first review of the "crown jewels" sports events in 10 years.It recommended that the home Ashes cricket series be made free-to-view, but this was shelved when Labour lost power in 2010.Sir Keir Starmer's government had recently proposed new legislation to prevent streaming and catch-up rights being put behind a paywall for UK viewers.Drinking alcohol in view of the pitch at English and Welsh football grounds has been banned since the Sporting Events (Control of Alcohol) Act 1985.In other sports there is no such restriction and Burnham criticised it last month.The new PM was watching his Leigh Leopards rugby league team take on Warrington Wolves at Everton's Hill Dickinson Stadium last month."How come these lads can do that in my seat here when we can't do that at an Everton home game?" Burnham said. "Something wrong there. I think we need to look at that."The rule is being slightly relaxed this season with all Women's Super League clubs allowed to offer alcohol to supporters in the stands following a successful two-year trial.But there is no suggestion, yet, of it being extended to men's football.Burnham is a huge rugby league fan, serving as president of the Rugby Football League and is a Leigh Leopards supporter."I would back this sport from the highest office," Burnham said recently. "This sport does need more. Where's the investment in the grassroots facilities?"In his time as the MP for Leigh, Burnham was a driving force behind the construction of Leigh Sports Village.The 12,000-capacity stadium is the home to Leigh Leopards, plus the Manchester United women's team and the men's youth teams.It also hosted four games at the Women's Euros in 2022.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcastSoundsGet football news sent straight to your phone

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Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said Kevin Keegan "carried the love of the game on his sleeve" as he paid a fond tribute to his former rival.Keegan's death aged 75 was announced on Monday and Ferguson, recalling their managerial battles, praised the former Newcastle United manager for the impact he made with the Tyneside club."I had the utmost respect for him," Ferguson, whose team famously beat Newcastle to the Premier League title in 1995-96, told Track Radio."We had many duels when he was manager of Newcastle, but I have to say the job he did at Newcastle was fantastic."Keegan's first stint as Magpies boss was between 1992 and 1997. He guided the club to promotion to the Premier League in 1992-93 before they went on to finish as runners-up to United three years later."He re-energised that club and he brought that enthusiasm and fanaticism that great supporters can give. That's the job he did," said Ferguson."And he also brought three great players to the club – [David] Ginola, [Faustino] Asprilla, Philippe Albert - and added a bit of class to the team, and I must say the challenges we had with Newcastle at that time at United were huge."Kevin carried the love of the game on his sleeve, there's no question about that, and that carried right on to the fans, to the players."That period at Newcastle was of emotion, it was excitement. They brought these great players to the club too and they added to it, and it gave Newcastle - I think - their best ever team."Keegan famously said "I will love it if we beat them" in a TV outburst aimed at Ferguson as Newcastle gave up a 12-point lead when they were beaten to the title by United in 1996.That reaction came after Ferguson questioned whether Leeds and Nottingham Forest would try as hard against Newcastle as they would against Manchester United.Ferguson recalled that the pair bumped into each other at Wentworth Golf Club a few weeks after the end of the season and there was no animosity as they spent time together."The great thing about him, he held no grudges. That was a fantastic quality he had and we had a great night," said Ferguson."All aside whatever happened in previous weeks, that was soon forgotten. I really respected him for that."Gifted, charismatic and passionate amid highs and lows - Keegan obituaryHe claimed three league titles, the European Cup, two Uefa Cups and the FA Cup during a six-year spell from 1971 to 1977 at Liverpool.He helped Hamburg win the Bundesliga and earned back-to-back Ballons d'Or in 1978 and 1979. Keegan remains one of only four English players to have won the award to date.As a manager, he was also in charge at Fulham and Manchester City in addition to England and Newcastle.Keegan signed Alan Shearer for a world record £15m fee for Newcastle in 1996 and also took charge of England at a time when the striker was captaining his country."He was my friend. A man everyone loved. For his passion. For his energy but most of all for his friendship. He loved football and he loved Newcastle more than anything," said Shearer."I'm so honoured to have known him. We will miss you Kevin."Newcastle United's current manager Eddie Howe got in touch with Keegan when he was appointed by the Magpies in 2021."Kevin was an inspiration to me as a young player and, I'm honoured to say, a friend whose guidance and support meant a great deal in recent years," said Howe."He showed me incredible warmth and generosity. He had already given so much to this football club, yet he immediately made me feel welcome."Kevin understood better than most the privilege and responsibility of leading Newcastle United. He was always willing to share his wisdom, offer encouragement and provide support, and I will always be grateful for that."Former Scotland and Liverpool forward Sir Kenny Dalglish described Keegan as "one of the very best players of his generation" who "wore Liverpool's famous number seven shirt with great distinction"."His achievements on the pitch were exceptional, but he was also a wonderful person and genuine gentleman," added Dalglish, who was signed from Celtic to replace Keegan at Liverpool in 1977, and later also succeeded him as manager of Newcastle."He gave so many people wonderful memories and his teams played the game in a way that supporters loved to watch."Football has lost one of its true greats."Phil Thompson described his former England and Liverpool team-mate as the "best of all the people I have known in football and in sport"."He was a lovely man and that is above all his footballing exploits," said former defender Thompson. "Humility poured out of Kevin's veins."He added: "When he came to Liverpool, he was a star waiting to happen. We got a superhero in 1971 and he was a revelation. He was inspirational."Former Liverpool forward David Fairclough made his first-team debut for Liverpool in 1975 and said he "looked up" to Keegan and "started to do things the Kevin Keegan way"."I remember going home after training, having been an apprentice, and telling my friends how close I had been to Kevin Keegan," Fairclough told BBC Radio Merseyside. "I would tell them about the fact he had even addressed me."As a young kid, it was so nice that he had noticed me. I remember my mates being gobsmacked about it because he was the top man at Liverpool at that time."Keegan scored 21 goals in 63 games for England between 1972 and 1982, and went on to manage them from February 1999 until October 2000.Listen to the latest Football Daily podcastSoundsGet football news sent straight to your phone

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Midfielder Enzo Fernandez has claimed Argentina represented their nation "in the best possible way" during the World Cup, despite ugly scenes during and after their final loss to Spain.Fernandez was sent off late in normal time for two yellow cards and Spain won 1-0 after extra time on Sunday in New Jersey.His first booking was for showing dissent towards Slovenian referee Slavko Vincic and Fernandez was later dismissed for catching Pau Cubarsi with a challenge that sent the defender cartwheeling in the air.But, in a statement on social media, Chelsea midfielder Fernandez did not mention the red card and said: "As time goes by, you realise there is something much bigger than just a result."For years, this group has represented the team in the best possible way. It teaches that competing isn't just about winning; it's about giving your all for the jersey and never giving up."It has been a privilege to be part of a group that always stepped up, competed at the highest level, and defended these colours with pride, humility, and commitment."Keeper Martinez may 'step aside' from ArgentinaFifa's disciplinary committee has appointed a disciplinary and ethics prosecutor to assess what happened and any player or coach involved could face suspension, while the Argentine Football Association may also be fined.Nahuel Molina, Leandro Paredes, Thiago Almada and assistant coach Roberto Ayala all appeared to be involved, with Paredes pushing Spain's Eric Garcia by the throat.Spain's Gavi tried to intervene, but was forced to the ground by Almada, before Paredes pushed Gavi to the turf by putting his hand in the Spaniard's face.Ayala then looked to be holding Garcia around the throat, before appearing to strike Spain midfielder Dani Olmo.While the match ended with ugly scenes broadcast around the world, questions remain over what happened behind closed doors prior to kick-off.There has been widespread speculation on social media about what was said in the Argentina dressing room before the game, including whether Lionel Messi informed his team-mates that the final would be his last match for the national side.It comes after Argentine television company RLC Noticias posted footage appearing to show Messi urging his team-mates to stay calm on their walk to the tunnel - and "forget about everything else".In the footage, which has not been verified by the BBC, Messi is seen saying: "Let's go, boys, [let's keep] calm people, calm. The main thing is for us to remain calm, boys, that we remain calm, calm."Let's just concentrate on playing, nothing else, calm OK? Let's forget everything else."Let's just play, let's just concentrate on playing. Let's go."Back on the pitch, the actions of the Argentina players were heavily criticised, with former England captain Alan Shearer saying: "Paredes threw two or three haymakers into someone's face. He went for them. There is no place or space for that."We know how much it means to them and we know how much it hurts to lose, but there is a way to lose. Too many times we have seen that from Argentina. The reaction after the final whistle is terrible."Former England goalkeeper Joe Hart added: "The game's done, they can have absolutely no complaints about what happened. Disgusting behaviour."Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni attempted to calm the situation down in his post-match interview and said: "We are gracious in victory, and we must be gracious in defeat," he said. "Today, we are showing that we know how to lose."We lost the match, and we accept it, but that doesn't mean we stop living or forget everything we did to get here."Argentina, the World Cup winners in 1978, 1986 and 2022, won their first seven matches in North America, beating Algeria, Austria, Jordan, Cape Verde, Egypt, Belgium and England before losing to Spain.Against Egypt, Argentina were 2-0 down before scoring three late goals to win and in the semi-final with England, the Three Lions led 1-0 until the 85th minute before goals from Fernandez and a Lautaro Martinez header gave them a 2-1 win.Several media outlets in Argentina have suggested the loss could mark the finish of Scaloni's tenure as national team coach and called it the end of an era, with talisman Lionel Messi, in tears at the end, unlikely to play at another World Cup."The pain is immense, and this wound will take time to heal. But I also hold onto all the good things," Messi wrote on social media.However, the team were still greeted by thousands of Argentina fans with an open-top bus parade through the streets of Buenos Aires.Scaloni and 16 of his 26 players returned to the country and were welcomed by a red carpet and military band at Ezeiza International Airport.Aston Villa goalkeeper Emiliano Martinez, who made 11 saves during the final, was among the players in Argentina, but Messi was one of those who did not make the trip, instead returning to Miami where he plays club football for Inter Miami.When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC SportHow to watch the World Cup on the BBC and ITV

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Argentina goalkeeper Emi Martinez says he is considering whether it is "time to step aside" from international football after his side's 1-0 defeat to Spain in the World Cup final.The 33-year-old has won 67 caps for his country and played every minute of Argentina's eight World Cup games, keeping two clean sheets and conceding eight goals.He was a World Cup winner in 2022, also claiming the golden glove award as the tournament's outstanding goalkeeper."I dreamt we'd win it again, I dreamt of bringing it back to Argentina and making history once more," Martinez wrote in a post on Instagram., external"The truth is, the pain is hard to explain. There are many things to reflect on and how to move forward, and if it's time to step aside."I'm so sorry, I truly tried my best to help my country and my team-mates."Martinez won the Yashin Trophy, awarded to the world's best goalkeeper at the Ballon d'Or awards, in 2023 and 2024.He has played for Aston Villa since 2020 and has a contract until 2029, but has been linked to a move to Italian side Juventus this summer.When the World Cup finishes, the football continues on BBC Sport

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The World Cup is over but could Premier League clubs feel the effects of the tournament as they prepare for the new season?The World Cup spanned six weeks and ended in success for Spain, who beat Argentina 1-0 in Sunday's final in New Jersey.There were more than 150 Premier League players at the tournament, so how could their involvement impact their clubs?Manchester City were the best represented Premier League club, with 16 of their players featuring at the tournament.That total included Spain captain Rodri, who started every game and won player of the tournament, as well as Marc Guehi, Nico O'Reilly, new signing Elliot Anderson and Rayan Cherki, all of whom reached the last four.Arsenal had the next-highest number of players feature at the tournament, with 13, including Spain trio Mikel Merino and Martin Zubimendi as well England quartet Declan Rice, Bukayo Saka, Eberechi Eze and Noni Madueke.Spurs, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Crystal Palace and Manchester United were next on the list having all hit double figures for players who featured at the tournament.Manchester City topped the list in terms of minutes played too, with a combined total of 5,595 putting them well ahead of next-highest Arsenal, who totalled 4,224, with Spurs third on 3,318.The Premier League player who played the most was actually Aston Villa's Emi Martinez, who played every minute for Argentina, including four chunks of extra-time, totalling 810 minutes.His Argentina team-mate Alexis Mac Allister, of Liverpool, played the next most minutes, on 749, ahead of Rodri on 726.How long players remained at the tournament is significant because FIFA have mandated a minimum of three weeks off for players before the new season, meaning those who went deep at the tournament will be reporting for pre-season much later than the rest.The Premier League season begins in just over four weeks on Friday August 21, when Arsenal face Coventry live on Sky Sports.While Manchester City players played the most minutes at the World Cup, they mostly remained free of injury.The same can't be said of some of their Premier League rivals.Aston Villa lost Amadou Onana to an anterior cruciate ligament injury, which typically means a player misses between six and nine months.Arsenal's William Saliba picked up a back injury in France's semi-final defeat to Spain, while Saka and Rice also experienced fitness issues during the tournament.Youri Tielemans, who has moved from Aston Villa to Manchester United, suffered a hamstring injury which caused him to miss Belgium's quarter-final loss to Spain.Tielemans' new Manchester United team-mate Manuel Ugarte sustained a similar injury to Onana before Uruguay's group-stage exit.When combining factors including minutes played, players used, injuries, potential injury durations and recency of appearances in an overall impact index, Arsenal come out as the most impacted club.Aston Villa, Manchester United and Spurs are next on the list, with Manchester City only fifth, despite having had more players feature at the tournament than any other side.Those sides are now facing disrupted pre-season campaigns.At the other end of the scale, the least impacted club was Coventry, who did not have a single player who featured at the World Cup, meaning Frank Lampard effectively has a full squad to work with in pre-season.The other newly-promoted teams, Hull and Ipswich, were lightly affected, while Bournemouth, Nottingham Forest and Brighton also feature at the lower end of the overall impact index.

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Javier Tebas: ‘Fifa are making irresponsible decisions’‘Hydration breaks are a lie … it was a break for advertising’“Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense,” Tebas said in an interview with the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport. “The football industry is not just the World Cup, which is the most important event. But not everything can revolve around the World Cup. It is national competitions that support this sport.“They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a minority of players. We need fewer national teams and more protection for national football, at all levels. They don’t realise, they are making irresponsible decisions.”Asked whether Infantino should leave his position, Tebas said: “In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up. However, he has the support of the system, of the federations, so there’s not much more to add, is there?“There’s no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose. This is the system, and it’s a system rotten at its core. These past few days here in America I’ve heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he does. They say it, but then they do nothing.“I don’t know if silence or complicity is worse, because those who are silent are perfectly aware of the damage that football is suffering.”Infantino has been a controversial figure during his 10 years as Fifa president. The Swiss is poised to be re-elected for a fourth term in Fifa’s March 2027 congress, although Tebas believes Infantino might have been brought down by the Folarin Balogun affair if the USA had beaten Belgium in their World Cup last-16 tie.The USA striker’s one-match ban was suspended by Fifa’s disciplinary committee, allowing him to play against Belgium, after a phone call to Infantino from Donald Trump. Infantino has said the decision to revoke Balogun’s ban was taken independently by the disciplinary committee “based on the applicable regulations and the specific facts”.Tebas said: “The suspension of the American player’s ban was absolutely serious; they were lucky that Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise, a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job. Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg.“Fifa arranges things as it wants, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football. So, if they need a 27-minute half-time break, they’ll have it. Hydration breaks are a lie.“We have them in La Liga, but when it’s genuinely hot. Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie, a break for advertising.”

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Ferguson says Keegan’s Newcastle was their best team‘Kevin carried the love of the game on his sleeve’Sir Alex Ferguson has saluted Kevin Keegan for building Newcastle’s “greatest team”. Keegan, who had cancer, died on Monday at the age of 75 and Ferguson has joined the tributes for one of football’s most endearing characters.Ferguson and Keegan were involved a fierce battle for Premier League supremacy, with Ferguson’s Manchester United pipping Newcastle to the title in 1996. “I had the utmost respect for him,” Ferguson told Track Radio. “We had many duels when he was manager of Newcastle, but the job he did at Newcastle was fantastic. He re-energised that club and he brought that enthusiasm and fanaticism great supporters can give.“And he also brought three great players to the club – [David] Ginola, [Faustino] Asprilla, Philippe Albert – and added a bit of class to the team. The challenges we had with Newcastle at that time were huge.”Keegan, frustrated by Ferguson’s comments in the media towards the end of the tense title fight, memorably ranted at the Scot in a television interview. Despite that, Ferguson remained friendly with the former Liverpool and England striker and admired Keegan’s impressive rebuilding job at Newcastle.The club were in danger of relegation to the third tier when Keegan took over, but he saved them from that fate and then won promotion to the Premier League in 1993. Keegan made Newcastle so dynamic they were referred to as “the entertainers”.Ferguson believes the title runners-up were the best team in the club’s history. “Kevin carried the love of the game on his sleeve, there’s no question about that, and that carried right on to the fans, to the players,” he said. “That period at Newcastle was of emotion, it was excitement. They brought these great players to the club and they added to it, and it gave Newcastle – I think – their best ever team.”Ferguson said he and Keegan had bumped into each other at a pub near Wentworth golf club a few weeks after that season. They spent the night around a piano with all thoughts of the rivalry forgotten. “The great thing about him, he held no grudges,” Ferguson said. “That was a fantastic quality he had and we had a great night.“All aside whatever happened in previous weeks, that was soon forgotten. I really respected him for that.”

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Newcastle United reporterPublished25 minutes ago32 CommentsNewcastle United supporters are set to vote on a new crest, with the club poised to change their badge for the first time since 1988.The existing emblem is popular with supporters, but Newcastle feel it "struggles to perform in a modern setting"."Its intricacies and irregularities make consistent, high-quality reproduction impossible - from modern digital platforms to broadcast environments and merchandise," the club said.Newcastle's plans to update the crest were first publicly mooted in May 2025.The club have discussed "potential routes forward" with the fan advisory board and surveyed 19,500 members and season ticket holders.Supporters' feedback helped shape the options, which will ultimately be presented on the ballot.A total of 84% of those surveyed made it clear they wanted Newcastle to "honour our heritage" rather than completely overhaul the crest.Supporters also ranked which elements of the current crest they believed were most important, including the castle, seahorses, black and white shield and ribbon.Eligible voters - a group that comprises season ticket holders, members and anyone who purchased tickets for two or more women's home matches last season - will pick their favoured design during a two-week window in August.BBC Sport asked supporters for their views and one respondent, Ian, suggested voters should have a "none of the above option"."It's hard to say supporters are getting their say when the club came out and said this is happening whether anyone likes it or not," added another, Matt."These new crests represent a simplified, homogenised version of everything that has ramped up post-Covid."I can already see the final product; a stripped-down version of a crest that is more caricature than representative of anything meaningful."However, Newcastle supporter Phil highlighted how the club "at least seem to be listening to fans instead of barrelling into some soulless, corporate design".Another supporter, Andy, "loves" the existing badge, but also stressed "we have to understand that things change"."Whatever brand you look at, there has been evolution to meet the demands of the modern world," he added."We should be no different. It seems like they're trying to go about it in the right, respectful way, but we have to let it happen."Gifted, charismatic and passionate amid highs and lows - Keegan obituaryHow have missed targets affected Newcastle's summer rebuild?

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In an interview with Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, external, the head of the Spanish league also criticised World Cup hydration breaks, the final's lengthy half-time interval, the postponement of a suspension for United States striker Folarin Balogun, and the future possibility of a 64-team summer tournament.When asked if Infantino should quit, Tebas said: "In my opinion, yes, I think his time is up."However, he stated that the 56-year-old has the support of national federations, and claimed Fifa's election system is "rotten at its core"."There's no opposition candidate, nobody wants to stand just to lose," Tebas said."He shouldn't stay, but the current state of affairs means he won't leave."The head of Spain's top flight was in the US to see his country win the 2026 World Cup."These past few days here in America, I've heard many people who are against Infantino, who disagree with what he's doing," Tebas said."They say it, but then they do nothing. I don't know what's worse, the silence or the complicity, because those who stay silent are perfectly aware of the damage football is suffering."Infantino is expected to be re-elected for a fourth term at Fifa's March congress, although Tebas believes Infantino could have been brought down as a consequence of his involvement in the case around Balogun.The 25-year-old US player escaped a suspension for his side's last-16 tie with Belgium following an intervention from US President Donald Trump."The suspension of the American player's ban was absolutely serious. They were lucky that Belgium eliminated the USA, because otherwise a case could have arisen that might have cost Infantino his job," Tebas said."Since Belgium won, they managed to bury the matter. But these things are just the tip of the iceberg."European football's governing body Uefa criticised Fifa's decision at the time, calling it "unprecedented, incomprehensible and unjustifiable", and the decision was a factor in the organisation's president Aleksander Ceferin not attending the World Cup final.Infantino opened the door to a 64-team global tournament during this year's event, but Tebas argued that "not everything can revolve around the World Cup"."Increasing the number of national teams makes no sense. The football industry isn't just the World Cup," Tebas said."It's the national competitions that sustain this sport. They are destroying the football industry, which generates tens of thousands of jobs, for an event that lasts 40 days and involves a minority of players."Are the best players there? Clearly, but they are also in our leagues. We need fewer international matches and more protection for national football, at all levels. They don't realise they are making irresponsible decisions."The governing body said they were brought in as a commitment to player welfare, but critics have pointed to broadcasters using the breaks as a way to cash in with commercials.Meanwhile pop music giants Madonna, BTS, Shakira and Justin Bieber were among the acts to perform in the World Cup final half-time show, which extended the usual 15-minute half-time break to 27 minutes 22 seconds."Fifa arranges things as it pleases, for what it wants, for its own interests, certainly not for football," said Tebas. "So, if they need a 27-minute half-time break, they'll have it."Hydration breaks are a lie. We have them in La Liga, but only when it's genuinely hot."Here, the pitches in Dallas, Los Angeles, Atlanta had air conditioning; I had to put on a jumper in the stands. It was a lie, a break for advertising."It's proof that we are governed by an institution that does and decides what it wants, when it wants, following only its own interests without considering the rest of football. And in many cases, it acts to the detriment of football."BBC Sport has contacted Fifa for comment.The financial winners and losers from the World CupListen to the latest Football Daily podcast