Luis Rubiales is gone as Spanish FA president. Five days on from the women's World Cup final. Decision came after immense political pressure within Spain. Pedro Rocha is the new president of the Federation. Also multiple reports in Spain that women's coach Jorge Vilda may resign. @LUISENRIQUE21 As Spain managers past and present continue to praise Luis Rubiales, the Spanish Prosecutor's Office have begun their investigation on Rubiales for sexual assault.

https://twitter.com/elconfidencial/status/1695025018814489060

To put Saudi Arabia spending into perspective: European football's highest ever contract was Lionel Messi at Barcelona: €75m per annum. (This was significantly reduced at PSG).

In 🇸🇦, Ronaldo reportedly earns €200m per annum. Benzema €200m. Kante €100m. Messi offered €400m.

https://twitter.com/JacobsBen/status/1666181437672783873

Footballers wages have always been incomprehensible high. At elite level, it is enough to sustain a high-end lifetime for them and several generations of their families. Now it's being multiplied several times over. Numbers which simply no longer have meaning.

Big update incoming on Manuel Ugarte. Transfer meetings ongoing tonight with PSG and Chelsea locked in battle to sign in-demand midfielder from Sporting CP. Up soon on @MirrorFootball @MirrorFootball 🚨EXCL
Chelsea's bid to sign Manuel Ugarte includes buying a stake in Sporting CP. Player told by Sporting he can only join Chelsea, who have offered another 8-year contract. Ugarte had already agreed terms with PSG after £52m clause met. Details -mirror.co.uk/sport/football…

Arsenal had 50 points at halfway stage of Premier League and Manchester City win the league with three games to spare. On course to finish with 10+ points lead at the top. Man City now won 5 of last 6 Premier League titles. All will be won by 90+ points. Serie A has had 4 different winners in a row. La Liga has had 3. Premier League reaching levels of Ligue 1/Bundesliga hegemony.

Bombshell report reveals Barcelona paid a company owned by José María Enríquez Negreira €1.4m from 2016-2018.

At the time, he was a La Liga referee and vice president of Spain's Technical Committee of Referees.

None of the payments were invoiced.

https://twitter.com/La_SER/status/1625812195408846851

Barcelona statement does not deny report and insists such payments, described as "advisory", are normal. They suggest the report is designed to destabilise their season and threaten legal action against those suggesting anything untoward with the payment.
fcbarcelona.cat/ca/club/notici…

Sheriff Tiraspol vs Partizan Belgrade in the Europa Conference League will be played behind closed doors.

Partizan's fans were prevented from entering Moldova amid fears that they could be involved in a pro-Russian coup to overthrow the pro-EU goverment.

replicamedia.md/ro/article/L1n… 12 Partizan Belgrade fans were prevented from entering Moldova last night as "they did not fulfil all the conditions for entry."

It comes after Ukraine intelligence "managed to intercept a detailed Russian plan to destabilize the political situation in Moldova."

Unbelievable. No action to be taken over monkey noises and "Vinicius you're a monkey" chants by Madrid prosecutor. They acknowledge that such actions were "unpleasant and disrespectful" but reminds us "they only lasted a few seconds" and were "in the context of football rivalry."

https://twitter.com/partidazocope/status/1598610337363787776

The judgement reads as 'racism is bad, but if you do it in a football stadium to an opposition player that is understandable'.

Apropos of nothing. Allegra Stratton is married to Spectator editor James Forsyth - the best man at Rishi Sunak's wedding. She worked on Robert Peston's ITV show alongside Cassian Horowitz, who is now special advisor to Sunak. This footage has now been leaked to ITV. A cosy club.

https://twitter.com/PaulBrandITV/status/1468285179919749120

Senior UK political journalists/editors are connected directly and personally to government. Deeply unhealthy for any sort of democratic system and proper scrutiny. This story was not leaked for a year because of ulterior motives. Now it is being leaked for ulterior motives.

Shambles in Portugal. 🇵🇹

Belenenses can only name 9 players in a matchday squad to face Benfica because of a Covid outbreak.

So they play with just 9 starters, two goalkeepers on the pitch and no substitutions available.

Remarkable that this game has not been cancelled. Benfica took the lead in the first minute, thanks to an own goal from one of the seven outfield players that Belenenses can field. A suitable start to the most farcical match of the season in any league.

The framing of Manchester United fan protests is depressing, but entirely predictable. The Glazers are toxic for #MUFC and football. Tribalism on this issue is entirely misplaced. Protestors aren't the problem, they're the solution. The “this isn’t the way to protest” mob are also entirely misplaced. Fans have tried every other way but were failed by government. Failed by the Premier League. Failed by the club. They set up their own club. They are neither acknowledged nor respected. This was their only vent.

Valencia players have walked off the pitch against Cádiz due to what appears to be an alleged racist comment against defender Mouctar Diakhaby. The comment and argument was sparked by a comment from Cádiz's Juan Cala. Cádiz players have now also exited the pitch. Game postponed in the 36th minute.

Real Sociedad win the all-Basque Copa del Rey final! Their first trophy since 1987. Fully deserved victors on the night against an anaemic Athletic Club Bilbao. Zorionak! The quirk of this final means Real Sociedad will be holders of the Copa del Rey for only 14 days. Athletic Club Bilbao can become champions on 17 April v Barcelona. Yet this result means everything for La Real. Waiting 34 years to win a trophy. They absolutely deserve this.

Athletic Club Bilbao v Real Sociedad. The first ever all-Basque Copa del Rey final.

Some incredible stats:
40 players across both squads came through club's youth systems.
21 from La Real's youth system (4 at Athletic)
19 from Athletic's youth system (1 at La Real) Alex Remiro the Real Sociedad player from Athletic's youth system.
Inigo Martinez, Dani Garcia, Yuri Berchiche, Mikel Balenziaga all had a youth spell in La Real's youth system.
Quite a few had a spell at both.

Tomorrow night's all-Basque Copa del Rey final is one of the most iconic matches ever in Spanish football, despite fan absence. That it is not even being broadcast (again) in the UK represents a total failure from Spanish football to market itself to an international audience. Valencia's historic win over Barcelona was not broadcast in the UK either. This is inexplicable negligence from Spanish FA in marketing their product. UK audience's ignorance of Spanish football is due to games either being on a niche channel or, for Copa, impossible to access.

If you're surprised at groups of British football fans booing players taking a knee, or if you're surprised by the multiple comments on this post criticising taking a knee, I'd suggest you haven't been paying attention to British politics for the last decade.

https://twitter.com/talkSPORT/status/1335251779408322560

Every fanbase in English football will have sections of incredibly angry individuals who will boo their own players making peaceful protests. They're "fed up" of black people talking about racism and "Marxism" in society. Football fans will reflect British society.

This is a disgusting piece written by a charlatan whose prominence and following is disturbing.

The Lockerbie bomber was released from prison following Sikora's '3 months to live' diagnosis. After release, he lived for 3 years 'and could have lived for 20'.

https://twitter.com/Telegraph/status/1270998047892307968

Imperial College London brought legal action against Sikora after he wrongly claimed he was a Professor there:

"This individual has been warned before by the college for making claims that he is employed by us, or associated with us."

theguardian.com/science/2009/m…

There is a possibility Jeremy Corbyn will be Prime Minister of the UK by the end of next week. There is no better time to highlight how, no matter what Corbyn does or whatever position he takes, his critics will attack him - even if they totally contradict themselves (thread). Corbyn opposes the exploitation of foreign sweatshop-workers - Labour MPs compare him to Nigel Farage: independent.co.uk/news/uk/politi…

Corbyn defends migrants. Labour MPs criticise him for not listening to public's immigration concerns: theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/s…

A short thread on Manchester United's transfer window. It has been highlighted multiple times but it is particularly relevant today. The feelings of disappointment and disillusionment were entirely predictable for anyone who has analysed the workings of the club since 2013. That was the year Ed Woodward was appointed club CEO. The summer was disastrous. The wrong managerial appointment tied to a long-term contract and signing one player, paying more than his contract release clause that summer. Those trends have continued every season since.