GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, Dec. 3 - a major report into the Hillsborough stadium crush has been released, Fifa is likely to extend VAR at the World Cup under the guise of a trial, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.
KEY FIXTURES
Premier League MD14 (Dec 3): Arsenal vs. Brentford, 19:30 GMT / 14:30 ET. Arsenal have won six of their last seven home Premier League matches (D1), including the last three. They’ll have to be aware of Brentford’s Igor Thiago, who’s scored 11 goals this term. Leeds vs. Chelsea, 20:15 GMT / 15:15 ET. Leeds have won just one of their last nine Premier League games against the Blues (D2 L6), though that triumph came in their most recent meeting at Elland Road in August 2022 (3-0). Liverpool vs. Sunderland, 20:15 GMT / 15:15 ET. Liverpool are unbeaten in their last 10 Premier League games against Sunderland, and the visiting side have lost 13 of their last 16 games on the road against reigning champions. See every Premier League MD14 fixture here.
Results…
TOP TALKING POINTS
Damning Hillsborough Report
A major investigation into the 1989 Hillsborough stadium crush, which led to the death of 97 Liverpool fans, has found that 12 police officers would’ve faced gross misconduct proceedings. A 366-page report published on Tuesday by the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) also upheld or found cases to answer for misconduct in 92 complaints about police actions. While the law was changed in 2017 to mean retired officers would now face misconduct charges, it cannot be applied retrospectively – all the officers had retired before investigations began in 2012.
Police at first blamed the incident on drunken fans, an explanation that survivors and relatives of the victims have long rejected. The latest report, which spanned 13 years of investigation, echoes previous findings that fans had not caused the disaster and found that 327 officer statements had been amended in the aftermath as police tried to deflect blame. Match Commander David Duckenfield would have faced gross misconduct for his "notorious lie" that fans forced an exit gate open when he had actually ordered it opened. Other officers were criticised for poor decision-making, failed crowd control, and contributing to a biased investigation designed to deflect responsibility.
The report explicitly supports the proposed "Hillsborough Law," which would create a legal "duty of candour" for public officials to prevent future cover-ups. In simple terms, it creates a legal requirement for police and public officials to be forthcoming with the truth and transparent during investigations, rather than protecting their reputation.
Read more on the timeline of events during the disaster here.
VAR’s Trial Loophole
FIFA could extend the use of VAR to corner kicks and second yellow cards at the 2026 World Cup, but only under the guise of a trial. At a meeting in October, football’s lawmakers Ifab rejected Fifa’s proposal for VAR’s extension, meaning that the governing body would have to label it as a ‘trial’, acting as a bureaucratic workaround to implement the rule they support.
Some major football associations oppose the extension of VAR, citing further potential delays and a lack of resources in lower leagues. Fifa, though, can ensure enough camera angles and will use the connected technology inside the new Adidas ball, which can instantly detect the last touch in tight situations, something not yet available for domestic leagues.
Fifa is likely to run its own trial next year, with senior figures like Pierluigi Collina, its head of refereeing, supporting the proposal. Ifab will revisit the topic in January and decide whether VAR’s extension should be implemented more widely.
Euro 2028 Ticketing Overhaul
UEFA has confirmed that Euro 2028 will not have dynamic pricing, distancing itself from Fifa’s pricing model at the 2026 World Cup. The tournament, hosted by England, Scotland, Wales, and the Republic of Ireland, will begin sales of the three million available tickets only after the final draw in December 2027. Uefa says it will be committed to a “fair, transparent, and fan-first ticketing process”.
Uefa also confirmed that each team will receive at least 10,000 tickets per group match, with 40% of all tickets in cheaper categories. Tickets can only be resold at face value, and resale outside official platforms will not be authorised. Fans will have time to apply through a ballot system, avoiding queues and pressure, ensuring the fairest ticket allocation principle.
See when and where the Euro 2028 fixtures are taking place here.
POLL
Do you enjoy mid-week Premier League matches?
ON THE BALL
Europe
> Spain women beat Germany 3-0 in the second leg (3-0 agg) to become back-to-back Nations League winners (More)
> Scott McTominay has been named as Serie A Player of the Year after his crucial role in Napoli winning the title in May (More)
> A terminally ill Ajax fan was unable to attend as the game’s only supporter after his health worsened following the rescheduling of the match (More)
> Liverpool manager Arne Slot has confirmed that Mohamed Salah will travel to the Africa Cup of Nations on or before December 15 (More) | West Ham midfielder Lucas Paqueta is still suffering mentally from the investigation into spot-fixing charges brought against him, says manager Nuno Espirito Santo (More)
Americas
> The United States men’s national team will play Belgium, Portugal, and Germany among its final four friendlies ahead of the World Cup (More)
> MLS claimed to average 711,000 views per match, a 23% year-on-year increase, during the 2025 MLS Cup (More); see a preview of the final between Inter Miami and Vancouver Whitecaps (More)
> Suriname coach Stanley Menzo has quit after they failed to secure direct World Cup qualification, but ahead of the March play-offs, where they can claim their first-ever entry (More)
Rest of the World
> The Premier League is considering holding a four-club Summer Series in Asia next year (More)
> Global footballers' union FIFPro says that seven players embroiled in a Malaysian national team eligibility scandal are themselves victims (More)
ROUTERS’ VOICE
Yesterday’s Poll: Should players and fans suffer point deductions for mistakes made by club owners?
🟨 🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 👍 Yes (37%)
🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🙅♂️ Nope (60%)
🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other (3%)
Your punditry takes:
👍 M.C: “A club is a club. You win together, you lose together. Further, the club and players shouldn't gain an advantage if the owner does something against the rules simply because the owner doesn't play on the field.”
🙅♂️ T.B: “Leagues should find another way to penalise the owners specifically or act more swiftly to remove them from the club. It’s not the fault of the players, the fans, or the manager that a rogue owner has chosen to act poorly. A points deduction puts historic clubs at risk of collapse—which is something no one wants to see.”
✍️ Y.M: “It makes sense why this is a form of punishment, as it provides the social/political pressure necessary to induce change. But it takes away the significance from the standings: a team could be outperforming others and yet be at the bottom of the tables due to administrative issues. This now obscures the point of the league.”
EXTRA TIME
Which Premier League teams have the toughest fixture run?
Every Premier League player going to AFCON. (updated)
… and how FPL managers can survive during AFCON.
Haaland joins the 100 EPL goal club.
Is this going to be the best Serie A title race ever?
Copenhagen release a beautiful third kit with Adidas.
Graph showing all the days Neymar was injured in his career.
GAME FACE ON
Question: Which four Spaniards made over 300 Premier League appearances?
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.
If Vinicius is only at 90%, I’ll call up someone else.
Answer
David de Gea (415), Cesc Fabregas (350), Cesar Azpilicueta (349),and David Silva (309).
