Football is the most popular sport worldwide because people like watching their favorite teams and players in action. Even though the sport isn’t as big in the US as in Europe, it gains new fans daily.
Speaking of football, we have to mention that people interested in the sport can access free daily betting tips and use them to wager on their favorite club. As the leading sport for online gambling, football is the go-to option for every operator. What’s more, betting sites have a key role in many leagues worldwide.
Even though the biggest football competitions from all over the world aren’t over yet, we’ve learned a lot of interesting things about some players and clubs in 2023 so far. People who follow this sport up close are probably familiar with them, but others aren’t, so let’s go over some of the top football news stories you should know.
The Top 3 Football News Stories so Far in 2023
Barcelona is charged with corruption following the payments to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira
There is no arguing that Barcelona is one of the most popular football clubs in the world. With millions of fans from all over the globe, Barcelona is among the most successful football teams in Spain and Europe. However, it seems like 2023 will be hard for Blaugrana because the team was charged with corruption.
According to the most recent news, the LaLiga squad has paid around 7.3M EUR to different firms that belonged to Jose Maria Enriquez Negreira. The latter is the ex-vise-president of the referees’ committee in Spain. In other words, Barcelona has been accused of “bribing” the referees to help them when playing.
The official information from the prosecutors in Spain reveals that Barcelona has paid this amount over the course of 17 years (from 2001 to 2018). Unsurprisingly, this investigation has had a very bad impact on the club’s reputation. Moreover, it triggered other inspections, such as the one related to Barcelona’s taxes.
It will be interesting to see what will happen with Barca in the future.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Al Nassr
Although Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to Al Nassr technically took place in the last 2 days of 2022, the Portuguese superstar didn’t play his first match until early 2023. Considering many people regard him as the GOAT, it shouldn’t be surprising his transfer to Saudi Arabia is one of the most important news stories.
Cristiano Ronaldo decided to make this drastic move in his career after a series of disappointing results with Manchester United. He and The Red Devils’ manager, Erik ten Hag, didn’t get along at all, reflecting the team’s poor results. Ronaldo wasn’t happy about a lot of things, and after months of tension, he gave his infamous interview with Pierce Morgan, where he said he had no respect for the manager.
Unsurprisingly, United had to respond to the accusations, so the team agreed to part ways with Cristiano. The five times Ballon d’Or winner eventually decided to join the Saudi Arabian team Al Nassr.
Juventus was dragged into another scandal
Every football fan remembers the so-called “Calciopoli” from almost 20 years ago when Juventus was involved in match-fixing scandals. After receiving harsh punishment, the team eventually bounced back and returned to Serie A where it continued to dominate. With that said, Juventus is involved in yet another scandal that resulted in points dedication.
Allegedly, Juventus was a part of financial wrongdoings, which is why the authorities decided to deduct 15 points in Serie A. In other words, this penalty ended the club’s ambitions of winning the trophy.
According to the data from the Italian Football Federation, Juventus took part in financial irregularities and false accounting regarding transfers.
