Čeferin wants the letters withdrawn: Infantino is alone in the middle of his own crisis

FIFA's plan to sell part of the commercial rights to the World Cup collapsed, but the consequences are only starting. UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin is now openly calling on European federations to withdraw the letters of support they gave Gianni Infantino ahead of the next FIFA presidential election. More than 200 members have already backed him for a new term, including over 40 European federations, the English Football Association among them - and it is precisely those signatures Čeferin wants pulled out of the drawer. UEFA was the loudest opponent of the plan, threatened a World Cup boycott, and then won backing from CONCACAF and the Asian confederation. Infantino eventually backed down and admitted the idea had created unnecessary divisions. The admission came; the trust did not come back.

Who comes after Infantino: Montagliani, Al-Khelaifi and the bills paid later

When a president starts defending a mandate instead of running things, the conversation about a successor is unavoidable. The leading candidate mentioned is CONCACAF president Victor Montagliani - a man until recently considered a close ally of Infantino, which says plenty about how these loyalties work. The second name is PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi, though Qatari support for Infantino could still reshuffle things. The list of grievances is not only the failed sale: there is also the way FIFA handled Folarin Balogun's suspension, the mid-match hydration breaks and the plan for a 30-minute entertainment show at half-time of the World Cup final. Football wants to watch football. Did anyone at FIFA actually ask?

Guimarães to Arsenal for 80 million pounds, while Newcastle sells off its own core

Newcastle and Arsenal have agreed the transfer of Bruno Guimarães in a deal worth up to 80 million pounds - 70 million up front, plus ten tied to performance bonuses. The Brazilian, who arrived from Lyon in 2022 for around 40 million, was the team's main pillar and the club's top Premier League scorer last season with nine goals, and that after missing two months through injury. The problem for Newcastle is not the price but the list: Anthony Gordon went to Barcelona, Sandro Tonali to Tottenham, and manager Eddie Howe abruptly walked away. A club that let the Champions League slip is now selling its own midfield. Guimarães will be Arsenal's third signing after Christos Tzolis from Club Brugge and goalkeeper Illan Meslier, who arrived on a free. One side is building, the other is liquidating.

Shkendija has Europe in its hands: Göteborg or Gent if it gets past Hibernian

Tetovo's Shkendija remains the last Macedonian representative in Europe this season, and UEFA has already drawn its potential Conference League play-off opponents. If the runners-up beat Scotland's Hibernian in the third qualifying round, the final hurdle before the group stage will be the winner of the tie between Sweden's IFK Göteborg and Belgium's Gent. The first leg would be away, the decider at home, with dates set for 20 and 27 August. So: four matches separate Shkendija from repeating last year's group-stage run. First Scotland, then Scandinavia or Belgium - none of them easy, none of them out of reach.

García and Palacios from Real to Fulham: 50 million euros for two talents Madrid would not wait for

England's Fulham announced the signing of 22-year-old Spanish forward Gonzalo García, until now at Real Madrid. The contract runs until June 2031, and the Londoners paid 40 million euros for a player who made 39 appearances last season. César Palacios came from Madrid alongside him, taking the total bill for the double signing to around 50 million euros. This is the pattern that repeats every summer: a mid-table Premier League club pays what a European semi-finalist paid ten years ago, while Real cashes in on players it did not want to wait for. The question is not whether Fulham overpaid, but how long Madrid can keep this factory running.