UEFA Archives - Afinju FM https://afinjufm.com/tag/uefa/ Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:33:01 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://afinjufm.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/cropped-Afinju_Logo-removebg-preview-32x32.png UEFA Archives - Afinju FM https://afinjufm.com/tag/uefa/ 32 32 233669348 Munich’s Allianz Arena Set to host 2028 Champions League final https://afinjufm.com/munichs-allianz-arena-set-to-host-2028-champions-league-final/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=munichs-allianz-arena-set-to-host-2028-champions-league-final https://afinjufm.com/munichs-allianz-arena-set-to-host-2028-champions-league-final/#respond Fri, 31 Oct 2025 17:33:01 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=15646 Munich was the only city that stepped forward for the 2028 final after hosting it in 2025 when Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0. Munich also hosted the elite European club final in 1979, 1993, and 1997 in the Olympic Stadium and in 2012 and 2025 at the Allianz Arena. Read Also: Commonwealth Sport Selects […]

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Munich was the only city that stepped forward for the 2028 final after hosting it in 2025 when Paris Saint-Germain thrashed Inter Milan 5-0.

Munich also hosted the elite European club final in 1979, 1993, and 1997 in the Olympic Stadium and in 2012 and 2025 at the Allianz Arena.

Read Also: Commonwealth Sport Selects India To Host 2030 Commonwealth Games

This season, the final is scheduled for the Puskas Arena in Budapest, while the Metropolitano in Madrid will host in 2027.

UEFA will decide between London and Barcelona for the 2029 final in September 2026.

Source: Punch

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Nottingham Forest appoint Sean Dyche as new head coach https://afinjufm.com/nottingham-forest-appoint-sean-dyche-as-new-head-coach/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=nottingham-forest-appoint-sean-dyche-as-new-head-coach https://afinjufm.com/nottingham-forest-appoint-sean-dyche-as-new-head-coach/#respond Tue, 21 Oct 2025 09:26:51 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=15292 The announcement was made via the club’s official X account, following a comprehensive recruitment process overseen by Global Head of Football Edu Gaspar and Global Technical Director George Syrianos. A former Forest youth player, Dyche returns to the club with a wealth of Premier League experience, having managed over 330 matches in the top flight. […]

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The announcement was made via the club’s official X account, following a comprehensive recruitment process overseen by Global Head of Football Edu Gaspar and Global Technical Director George Syrianos.

A former Forest youth player, Dyche returns to the club with a wealth of Premier League experience, having managed over 330 matches in the top flight. He will take charge of his first game on Thursday night when Forest face FC Porto in the UEFA Europa League.

Dyche will be joined by his long-time assistants Ian Woan and Steve Stone both of whom are also former Forest players and made over 400 combined appearances for the club during the 1990s.

Read Also: Postecoglou Agrees to Become Head Coach at Nottingham Forest

In their official statement, the club praised Dyche’s “character, tactical acumen, and proven achievement,” describing him as the ideal figure to lead Forest through its next chapter.

“Dyche has built teams defined by defensive organisation, resilience, and strength from set pieces qualities that align closely with the current squad’s attributes and the Club’s footballing identity,” the statement read.

Source: Punch

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Anthony Taylor Reveals Family No Longer Attends Matches Due to Threats and Abuse https://afinjufm.com/anthony-taylor-reveals-family-no-longer-attends-matches-due-to-threats-and-abuse/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=anthony-taylor-reveals-family-no-longer-attends-matches-due-to-threats-and-abuse https://afinjufm.com/anthony-taylor-reveals-family-no-longer-attends-matches-due-to-threats-and-abuse/#respond Fri, 10 Oct 2025 15:55:05 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=14985 While speaking candidly to journalists for the first time about the personal toll of officiating at the highest level, Taylor admitted that growing hostility towards referees has left him questioning whether the job is “all worth it.” Taylor, who has refereed in the Premier League for nearly 15 years, has also officiated major international tournaments, […]

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While speaking candidly to journalists for the first time about the personal toll of officiating at the highest level, Taylor admitted that growing hostility towards referees has left him questioning whether the job is “all worth it.”

Taylor, who has refereed in the Premier League for nearly 15 years, has also officiated major international tournaments, including the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, Euro 2020, and the finals of both the UEFA Super Cup and Nations League.

He believes the increasingly toxic, “win-at-all-costs” culture in football is harming the mental health and performance of referees both current and future.

One of the most distressing incidents in his career, Taylor said, occurred following the 2023 Europa League final between Roma and Sevilla. Taylor issued 13 yellow cards during the match, which featured 25 minutes of added time across regular and extra time. Roma manager José Mourinho, whose side lost in a penalty shootout, publicly called Taylor a “disgrace” twice in his post-match press conference.

The confrontation escalated when Mourinho waited for Taylor in a car park and berated him directly an incident that led to a four-match UEFA ban for the Portuguese coach. Things worsened when Taylor, traveling with his family, was later confronted and shouted at by angry fans in Budapest Airport.

“That’s the worst situation I’ve dealt with in terms of abuse,” Taylor said. “Not only because I was travelling with family members at the time, but it also highlights the impact of people’s behaviour on others. Even in a match like that, where there were actually no major mistakes.”

Taylor said the post-match narrative felt like an attempt to “shift focus on somebody to blame.”

“For me, that’s a great source of disappointment, frustration, and anger,” he added. “Why that’s acceptable, I don’t know because I’m sure those individuals wouldn’t like somebody to turn around and say that to them or their own children.

“It makes you reflect on whether you made a mistake travelling with your family in the first place. They haven’t been to a match since.”

When asked if he believes Mourinho’s actions influenced the fans’ behaviour, Taylor responded: “Yeah. I think if we’re being honest, yeah.”

Source: Punch

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Sapir Berman Becomes First Trans Woman to Officiate UEFA Match https://afinjufm.com/sapir-berman-becomes-first-trans-woman-to-officiate-uefa-match/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=sapir-berman-becomes-first-trans-woman-to-officiate-uefa-match https://afinjufm.com/sapir-berman-becomes-first-trans-woman-to-officiate-uefa-match/#respond Fri, 12 Sep 2025 09:52:39 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=13904 Berman, 31, made history when she officiated the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro in Belfast. While England’s Lucy Clark became the first trans woman to referee a match in 2018, Berman’s appointment marks the first time a transgender woman has taken the whistle on an international stage under UEFA. “I […]

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Berman, 31, made history when she officiated the UEFA Women’s Under-17 Championship qualifier between Northern Ireland and Montenegro in Belfast. While England’s Lucy Clark became the first trans woman to referee a match in 2018, Berman’s appointment marks the first time a transgender woman has taken the whistle on an international stage under UEFA.

“I always wanted to be a woman, and I always wanted to be a football referee,” Berman told AFP in an emotional interview. “And then those two came together and fused into one dream that just exploded with joy.”

“It’s an uplifting, powerful feeling, the feeling that I’m doing the right thing, that I’m choosing myself, that I’m showing the world it’s possible,” she said.

Berman’s connection to football began early. Growing up in a football-loving family, she played as a defender from the age of five for over a decade. But even then, she carried a secret.

“Since I was five, I remember wanting to be a girl. But when I started playing football, I realised that being a woman and playing football didn’t seem to go together,” she said. “So I decided to hide who I was and just keep playing. I hid myself for almost 26 years,” she added.

Read Also: Super Falcons Defender, Tosin Demehin extends stay at Galatasaray

When her professional playing ambitions didn’t pan out, Berman transitioned into refereeing. She steadily rose through the ranks to officiate in Israel’s top-tier men’s league, all while concealing her identity.

Berman is setting her sights higher with aspirations to officiate in the Champions League, European Championship, or even the FIFA World Cup.

Her message to others is simple yet profound: “Choose yourself.”

Source: Punch

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Champions League absence could benefit Man Utd – Amorim https://afinjufm.com/champions-league-absence-could-benefit-man-utd-amorim/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=champions-league-absence-could-benefit-man-utd-amorim https://afinjufm.com/champions-league-absence-could-benefit-man-utd-amorim/#respond Tue, 27 May 2025 14:17:51 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=10478 Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said on Tuesday that missing out on Champions League football could be a blessing in disguise in his attempts to rebuild the fallen giants. The Portuguese coach addressed the media in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur fresh from United’s worst season since 1974, having come 15th in the Premier League. […]

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Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim said on Tuesday that missing out on Champions League football could be a blessing in disguise in his attempts to rebuild the fallen giants.

The Portuguese coach addressed the media in the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur fresh from United’s worst season since 1974, having come 15th in the Premier League.

They missed out on a Champions League lifeline — and with it a financial windfall — by losing to fellow strugglers Spurs 1-0 in the Europa League final last week.

With money tight to get the right players in over the summer for his favoured formation, Amorim faces a stiff task to get United back among the elite next season.

United hope friendlies in Malaysia and against Hong Kong on Friday will bring in some much-needed revenue, with the BBC reporting that the trip will generate about $10 million (£7.8m) for the club.

Midfielder Mason Mount insisted he was delighted to arrive in steamy Kuala Lumpur despite jetting off just hours after the 2-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday.

Fans gathered at Kuala Lumpur’s airport to welcome the team on Monday evening.

Highs of 37 degrees Celsius (99 Fahrenheit) are forecast in Kuala Lumpur this week and thunderstorms predicted on the day of the game at the 84,000-capacity Bukit Jalil national stadium.

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Police Inspector slumps, dies after watching Arsenal win Real Madrid https://afinjufm.com/police-inspector-slumps-dies-after-watching-arsenal-win-real-madrid/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=police-inspector-slumps-dies-after-watching-arsenal-win-real-madrid https://afinjufm.com/police-inspector-slumps-dies-after-watching-arsenal-win-real-madrid/#respond Wed, 09 Apr 2025 11:15:13 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=9866 An Inspector of Police, Stephen Enang, reportedly slumped and died shortly after watching UEFA Champions League Match as Arsenal defeated Spanish giants Real Madrid 3–0.

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The deceased, a native of Ekori in Yakurr LGA of Cross River State, attached to the Akim Police Division, was described as a devoted Arsenal fan.

An Eyewitness who craved anonymity noted that Enang was visibly ecstatic during the match, jumping in celebration after each goal.

The witness added that Enang had slumped in his seat and was unresponsive. He was immediately rushed to the Police Hospital in Akim, where medical personnel made frantic efforts to revive him, but was pronounced dead.

Cross River State Police Command is yet to make an official statement on the incident.

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Europa League quarter-final fixtures confirmed https://afinjufm.com/europa-league-quarter-final-fixtures-confirmed/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=europa-league-quarter-final-fixtures-confirmed https://afinjufm.com/europa-league-quarter-final-fixtures-confirmed/#respond Fri, 14 Mar 2025 07:18:00 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=9457 The quarter-final fixtures for this season’s Europa League have been confirmed. This follows the completion of the Round of 16 games on Thursday night. Manchester United thrashed 10-man Real Sociedad 3-1 at Old Trafford, to win the tie 4-2 on aggregate. The Red Devils will now face Lyon, who recorded a 7-1 aggregate win over […]

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The quarter-final fixtures for this season’s Europa League have been confirmed.

This follows the completion of the Round of 16 games on Thursday night.

Manchester United thrashed 10-man Real Sociedad 3-1 at Old Trafford, to win the tie 4-2 on aggregate.

The Red Devils will now face Lyon, who recorded a 7-1 aggregate win over FCSB.

Tottenham Hotspur bounced back from a 1-0 deficit against AZ Alkmaar, winning 3-1 in North London. Ange Postecoglou’s men will face Frankfurt for a place in the last four.

Rangers needed a penalty shoot-out to eliminate Fenerbahce. The Scottish side had won 3-1 in Turkey, but lost 2-0 in front of their fans.

They will now take on Athletic Bilbao. Nico Williams scored twice as they advanced with a 3-1 second-leg win over 10-man AS Roma.

The final quarter-final tie will see Bodo/Glimt take on Lazio, who progressed after a 1-1 home draw with Viktoria Plzen.

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EPL clubs could be expelled from UCL, England banned from Euros – UEFA https://afinjufm.com/epl-clubs-could-be-expelled-from-ucl-england-banned-from-euros-uefa/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=epl-clubs-could-be-expelled-from-ucl-england-banned-from-euros-uefa https://afinjufm.com/epl-clubs-could-be-expelled-from-ucl-england-banned-from-euros-uefa/#respond Sun, 15 Sep 2024 11:13:45 +0000 https://afinjufm.com/?p=5418 It was learnt that UEFA general secretary, Theodore Theodoris, sent the letter to the UK Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy. Theodoris warned that there should be no government interference in the running of football and made it clear that the ultimate sanction for which would be excluding the federation from UEFA and teams from competition. Theodoridis […]

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It was learnt that UEFA general secretary, Theodore Theodoris, sent the letter to the UK Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy.

Theodoris warned that there should be no government interference in the running of football and made it clear that the ultimate sanction for which would be excluding the federation from UEFA and teams from competition.

Theodoridis further emphasised the need for independence, following proposals for a new regulator, which were included by  Keir Starmer’s new Labour Government in the King’s Speech.

The regulator would be in charge of a licensing system, which will ensure clubs are run sustainably, take over a strengthened owners and directors test, and give fans a greater say in key decisions.

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