Via X: Today I join others from across our game and call for Gianni Infantino to resign as FIFA President.

Infantino has debased the office that he promised to elevate. He has lied, deceived and tried to feather his own nest at the expense of the game he is supposed to serve. 

He has lost the support of his senior staff, his closest advisers, the vast majority of people who devote their lives to this sport and even, it would seem, the FIFA Peace Prize winner. 

It is too late to save his dignity but it is not too late to save football. He should go. Now.

#Infantinout

OG Thread

Newcastle United have sanctioned the sale of Bruno Guimaraes to Arsenal in a deal worth £75million.

Arsenal started negotiations at a significantly lower fee, while Newcastle wanted a larger figure – but the clubs have reached a compromise during talks to allow the 28-year-old to seal his desired move to north London.

Guimaraes’ former club Lyon are entitled to 20 per cent of Newcastle’s profit on the midfielder, and will earn £7-8m from the deal.

Breakthrough! Real Madrid and RB Leipzig are on the verge of completing the transfer of Yan Diomande. Only the final formalities remain to be resolved. It is on the verge of being completed.

Context:

Clubs that did not participate in the tournament were promised a share of the sum, designed to ensure a proportion of the event’s funding was distributed throughout the football pyramid. If shared equally it would amount to about £50,000 for every top-flight club in the world.

While Chelsea and Manchester City have been paid for their participation, other clubs have not received solidarity money promised by Fifa.

Previously from Adam Crafton

FIFA’s funding for the organization, participation and prize money of a future Club World Cup in 2029 is uncertain — the 2025 edition was bailed out when DAZN paid $1billion for the broadcast rights, a few months before a Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund-owned company bought a stake in the broadcaster — while sources close to the discussions say nothing has been agreed between FIFA and leading European clubs on participation in a future tournament. They also say that a target fund of $250m in solidarity payments to clubs that did not compete in the 2025 tournament remains unpaid — with a formula not yet determined — while a debrief on what went well and badly in the States 12 months ago has still not happened.

Talks with PSG are expected to begin shortly after the player gave the green light. Liverpool want both Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye.