“And in the next round, Mark Robins. Football has found itself assailed in recent years by states, oligarchs and private equity, the concentration of resources at a handful of clubs in a tiny number of western European countries destroying the balance that once sustained it, the potential of its soft power meaning that it has […]
“Iturralde was a referee for 31 years, working in La Liga from 1995 until his retirement in 2012. Now a regular on Carrusel Deportivo, Spain’s most popular football radio show, he is an outspoken defender of his former colleagues. Match officials here have a challenging role at present, with faith in Spanish refereeing arguably at […]
“For the second time this Premier League season, a points deduction for breaching its profit and sustainability rules (PSR) has dragged a club down the table and into the relegation zone. First it was Everton, whose initial 10-point penalty last November was recently reduced to six on appeal, and now it is Nottingham Forest. A […]