GM football fans. It’s Wednesday, June. 04 - The controversial double-touch penalty law has been amended, Chicago plans to build a $650m stadium, and everything else you need to know. Forwarded this email? Sign up here.

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KEY FIXTURE

UEFA Nations League, Semi-Final: Germany vs. Portugal, 20:00 / 15:00. Germany have been in good form, having scored 23 goals in their last eight Nations League games and are currently on an unbeaten run in as many matches. Plus, the last time the Portuguese won this match-up was in 2000, and they’ve never beaten the Germans in Germany. Nevertheless, Portugal will be motivated to become the first nation to win the tournament twice. See the possible line-ups here.

TV Channels: Amazon Prime Video (UK) | FuboTV (US) | DAZN (Canada)

Results…

• Women’s Nations League: Spain 2-1 England (Full Results)

TOP TALKING POINTS

Double-Touch Law Amended

Football lawmakers have officially amended the rule on double-touch penalties: if a penalty taker accidentally makes contact with the ball with both feet and the kick is successful, the penalty must now be retaken. Previously, a double touch would count as a miss for the taker.

The law was reviewed after controversy in Atletico Madrid’s Champions League last-16 second-leg tie against Real Madrid in March. Atletico forward Julian Alvarez slipped and converted a penalty, but a VAR review deemed he touched the ball with both feet, so the goal was disallowed. It remains unclear whether Alvarez did touch the ball with his standing leg–watch here.

Uefa had asked the International Football Association Board (Ifab), which sets the sport’s law, to review Law 14 following the incident. Ifab’s board agreed that the law is intended to prevent intentional double touches, not penalise accidents. However, a retake is necessary because goalkeepers could be disadvantaged by an altered trajectory.

Chicago’s $650M Stadium

Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire have announced plans to self-finance a new $650m football stadium. It will be the anchor project for a new Chicago neighbourhood called ‘The 78’. Owner and billionaire Joe Mansueto has written an open letter to fans outlining the vision, which includes a concept image of the development (read here).

The stadium will have a capacity of around 22,000 to help ensure a consistently full venue. Last season, the Fire averaged 21,327 fans per game at Soldier Field, home to NFL’s Chicago Bears, leaving the 61,500-seat stadium two-thirds empty for most matches. The average MLS attendance is 25,000 to 30,000.

The Fire say their value has been held back by not owning a stadium. Among MLS teams, they rank 24th in valuation at $530m, near the bottom of the league.

Gov Threatens Legal Action

The UK government says it’s prepared to take legal action against former Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich to ensure the £2.5bn sale of the club goes to humanitarian activity in Ukraine. The proceeds have been frozen in a UK bank account since the sale in 2022. 

When Abramovich sold the club, he said that the proceeds would be donated via a foundation "for the benefit of all victims of the war in Ukraine", which would include those in Russia. However, the current Labour government insist that any money should only be used for humanitarian purposes in Ukraine.

Although Abramovich is under UK sanctions and cannot access the money, the funds still legally belong to him, complicating efforts to reallocate them. The delay in releasing the funds is due to a disagreement between the UK government and Abramovich’s lawyers.

POLL

ON THE BALL

Europe

> Chelsea will pay a £5m penalty clause to return Jadon Sancho to Manchester United after an agreement couldn’t be reached over personal terms (More) | Brentford have signed goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher from Liverpool to replace Mark Flekken, who has joined Bayer Leverkusen (More)

> Luka Modric has reportedly accepted AC Milan’s offer, and reports in Italy suggest the Croatian midfielder will sign this week (More)

> Borussia Dortmund are in advanced talks with Sunderland to sign Jobe Bellingham, with reports suggesting a fee around £25m (More)

> Sheffield Wednesday have been charged with multiple breaches of EFL regulations relating to payment obligations (More)

Americas

> Thomas Tuchel’s England squad will train in tents to replicate the World Cup heat they could experience in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year (More)

> Lionel Messi has returned to Argentina’s squad after seven months to prepare for their World Cup qualifiers against Chile and Colombia (More)

> The USMNT have made changes to their pre-Gold Cup training camp squad, adding Walker Zimmerman, Paxten Aaronson, and Nathan Harriel to the squad (More)

Rest of the World

> Two A-League players have been charged as part of a probe into alleged gambling cheating in the Australian top flight–police say they deliberately received a red or yellow to manipulate betting outcomes (More)

> Simeone Inzaghi has left Inter to become Al Hilal’s new head coach and will earn €26m net per season on a three-year deal (More) | Bruno Fernandes has rejected a move to Al Hilal, with some unverified sources claiming they were offering a €200m contract over three years (More)

ROUTERS’ VOICE

Yesterday’s Poll: Do you think playing the second leg at home gives teams an advantage in the Champions League or Europa League? 

🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🟩 🏠 Yes... (79%)

🟨 🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ 🙅‍♂️ Nope... (19%)

🟨 ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ⬜️ ✍️ Other... (2% )

Your punditry takes:

• 🏠 J.L: “Certainly, going into injury time and often penalties at home gives that team an absolute advantage. Even if the fixture is settled in regulation time, the added boost from the home crowd on the do-or-die day is an advantage.”

• 🏠 S.G: “Absolutely. Whether ahead or behind, playing the second leg at home gives you the energy of familiar surroundings, your locker room, and especially your fans. Just look at Arsenal Women vs. Real Madrid, Inter vs. Bayern and Barca, or how Dortmund and Villa nearly pulled off upsets—home second legs made the difference.”

• ✍️ D.L: “I trust the numbers which tell us there is no advantage to being at home in the second leg. But, given that everyone in the football community believes otherwise, the home team in the second leg will likely get a psychological advantage at least (even if it is just by way of placebo).”

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GAME FACE ON

Who Am I…

• I began my senior career at Bundesliga side Schalke 04.

• I’ve also played in La Liga and the Premier League.

• I’ve won the World Cup, four FA Cups, and a La Liga title.

Scroll below for the answer.

ON TODAY

Uefa Nations League, SF

• Germany vs Portugal (20:00)

*All times in UK. ET -5. CDT -6. PDT -8. MDT -7. CET +1.

Answer

Mesut Ozil.

Want more? Try our daily football Wordle – guess the name of a current or former player in six tries. Play it here.