Soccer

10/23/2024 |  Azerbaijan and Spain competing to host Champions League final in 2027 after withdrawal of Milan (Associated Press (AP)) NYON, Switzerland (AP) — Azerbaijan and Spain have declared an interest in hosting the men’s Champions League final in 2027 after bidding for European soccer’s biggest club match was reopened by UEFA.
The game is set to be staged at Baku’s Olympic Stadium or the Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid after they were named by UEFA on Wednesday as the two interested bidders.

10/23/2024 |  U.S. "has led the way" in women's soccer growth, Washington Spirit owner says (AXIOS Sports) When it comes to women's soccer, the U.S. is ahead of its European counterparts, Washington Spirit owner Michelle Kang said at Axios' BFD event in New York on Tuesday.
Why it matters: Women's sports, especially soccer, has been one of the biggest growth areas in the U.S. sports economy over the last year.
What they're saying: "Women's soccer has been under-resourced," Kang told Axios's Sara Fischer, but added that it's the U.S. that is leading the charge on that front.

• "More than half of our NWSL teams are independent, not affiliated with men's teams," Kang said, contrasting that with Europe, where more than 90% of women's teams are affiliated with a men's team. 

10/23/2024 |  MLS attendance and sponsorship revenue hit regular season records (CNBC Sports)

• Major League Soccer said it set a fresh regular season record with nearly 11.5 million fans attending games.
• The growth comes a year after the league implemented a new club performance unit, led by Chris McGowan, which advises clubs on business strategies.
• The league, which saw its regular season end this past weekend, also experienced more fan engagement on social media and notches record sponsorship revenue.

10/23/2024 |  Spurs fined for players' misconduct in win over West Ham (Reuters Sports) Oct 23 (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur have been fined 20,000 pounds ($25,934) for their players' conduct during Saturday's 4-1 Premier League win over West Ham United, the Football Association said on Wednesday.

10/23/2024 |  Man Utd and Spurs are favourites for Europa League, says Fenerbahce's Mourinho (Reuters Sports) Oct 23 (Reuters) - Fenerbahce boss Jose Mourinho said his former clubs Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur are the favourites to win the Europa League as Premier League sides are on a "different level" compared to teams from other European leagues.