Card Rule Changes

Good morning football fans. It’s Wednesday, April. 29 - FIFA is considering introducing a second yellow card amnesty at the World Cup, the Vancouver Whitecaps could relocate to Las Vegas, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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Champions League semi-finals leg 1 (April 29): Atletico Madrid vs. Arsenal, 20:00 BST / 15:00 ET. When these sides met in the league phase in October, Arsenal won 4-0 at home, which was Atletico’s joint-heaviest defeat in the tournament. Atletico have recorded their highest-ever goal tally (34) in the Champions League this season, and have scored in each of their last 12 matches across all competitions. Meanwhile, Arsenal, who have reached a consecutive Champions League semi-final for the first time in the club’s history, remain the only unbeaten team in this season’s tournament. They travel to Madrid having lost just one of their last 11 Champions League away games.

Results…

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FIFA is set to change the rules around yellow cards at the 2026 World Cup, including resetting all yellow cards at the end of the group stage and after the quarter-finals. In previous editions, a player would be suspended from the knock-out rounds if they were awarded two yellow cards across the matches leading up to the quarter-finals. With the expanded tournament and the addition of a round of 32 match, Fifa reportedly felt the jeopardy of a ban was too high.

Two bookings will still lead to a suspension, but the proposed rule change means that there will be a smaller window for players to pick up a suspension, requiring cautions in two of the three group games or in two of the round of 32, last 16, and quarter-finals. The new regulation should result in fewer teams missing key players for World Cup knockout matches. It’s thought this was a better compromise than increasing the number of cards required for a ban to three.

In related news, Fifa is also expected to impose red cards for players who cover their mouths when confronting an opponent at the World Cup, and for players who leave the pitch in protest at a referee’s decision. The rule is not expected to be enforced in other competitions, at least for the time being.

The rule changes were considered during Tuesday’s Fifa Council meeting in Vancouver, with an announcement from Fifa president Gianni Infantino expected on Thursday.

Real Madrid’s president Florentino Perez favours Jose Mourinho as the club’s next permanent manager to replace Alvaro Arbeloa, according to reports from The Athletic. Perez is reportedly looking to lead the hiring process, which was previously led by Real’s general manager Jose Angel Sanchez, who was responsible for appointing Xabi Alonso, a tenure which lasted just 233 days. Some reports also claim Mourinho’s agent Jorge Mendes and Perez have been in direct talks over the move, with the Portuguese coach interested in leading the team again.

Mourinho won three trophies in charge of Real between 2010 and 2013, and set the La Liga points record in their 2011-12 title-winning season. The 63-year-old joined Benfica in September and is under contract until June 2027. However, that agreement includes a clause in the region of €3m, allowing either party to break the deal up to 10 days after the final match of this season.

Several other candidates are being considered for the role, including former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp. The German manager, who is currently Red Bull’s global head of soccer, said in March that rumours of his links to Real were not true. Two current World Cup managers — United States’ Mauricio Pochettino and France’s Didier Deschamps — have also been linked, with the latter confirming he will leave his post after this summer’s tournament.

Major League Soccer side Vancouver Whitecaps have urged local ownership groups to invest in the club to prevent it from relocating to the United States. The statement followed reports that the MLS owners met last month to discuss the club’s future, with Las Vegas and Phoenix considered as relocation options for the Canadian club. Read the club’s statement in full here.

MLS said that it would evaluate “all options” for the Whitecaps, which was put on sale 16 months ago due to limited revenue options and a short-term lease at B.C. Place Stadium. The club has faced issues with the stadium, which is not purpose-built for football, and its plans to relocate have stalled. While the Whitecaps are still working to find a new stadium in Vancouver, MLS has already spoken with a group in Las Vegas interested in bringing the club to the city. One investor has proposed a $10bn development on the Strip that includes plans for a 50,000-seat football stadium.

Responding to the potential relocation, Fifa vice president Victor Montagliani, who is from Vancouver, said last year losing an MLS club “on the back of the World Cup would be a capital crime, in my opinion.” MLS owners would have to ​approve any relocation, which would include a purchase price and relocation fee, and the cost could exceed the $500m expansion fee most recently paid by San Diego FC.

Dive deeper into the scheduling and financial struggles facing the Whitecaps here.

> Brighton has confirmed plans to build the UK and Europe’s first purpose-built women’s football stadium (More)

> The Premier League has rejected Man City’s request to reschedule Crystal Palace and Bournemouth fixtures (More) | Man City have confirmed that John Stones will leave the club in the summer (More)

> Croatia coach Zlatko Dalic is certain that Luka Modric will be available for the World Cup despite the 40-year-old undergoing surgery for a broken cheekbone (More)

> Germany has delayed the announcement of its World Cup squad by nine days to give injured players more time to show their fitness (More)

> Former Arsenal defender Rob Holding has been granted a U.S. Green Card and will be classified as a domestic player on the Colorado Rapids’ roster (More)

> Tailgating will be allowed at this year’s World Cup in Boston, the organising committee has confirmed (More)

> An NWSL vote on a calendar change to align with European leagues is unlikely to go ahead this week (More); see why the NWSL calendar change may do more harm than good (More)

> FIFA reportedly asked for a level 4 motorcade escort in Vancouver for president Gianni Infantino, just one level below the pope, but the request was denied (More)

> Mexico revealed its 12-man roster of Liga MX-only players for early World Cup camp (More)

> Al Nassr can extend their Saudi Pro League lead by eight points in its match against third-placed Al Ahli (More); see the Saudi Pro League table (More)

Yesterday’s Poll: Which side will advance to the final over the two legs in the Champions League?

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🇫🇷 PSG (21%)

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🇩🇪 Bayern Munich (79%)

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Question: Which La Liga manager has become the first in history to reach 1,000 points in the Spanish top flight?

Scroll below for the answer.

Daily Wordle: Guess the football-related word, from player names to classic phrases, in six tries or fewer. Play it here.

Answer

Diego Simeone.