First black Premier League referee, Uriah Rennie, has reportedly passed away at the age of 65.
Naija News reports that Rennie, a former FIFA and Premier League referee, officiated over 300 top-tier matches from 1997 to 2008, with his inaugural game being a confrontation between Derby and Wimbledon.
His death occurred just weeks after he was appointed Chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University, where he had publicly discussed his struggle with a rare condition that resulted in paralysis from the waist down.
Uriah’s death was confirmed in a statement released by the Football Association (FA) on Sunday, June 9.
It read: “The FA Refereeing Department is saddened to hear of the passing of former FIFA and Premier League referee, Uriah Rennie.
“Uriah will forever be remembered as a true trailblazer of the game.
“Our thoughts are with Uriah’s family and friends at this time.”
In other news, Brazilian football star Neymar Jr. has tested positive for COVID-19 for the second time, according to a statement released by his club, Santos FC.
The club confirmed that Neymar, 33, began experiencing symptoms on Thursday, June 5, 2025, and subsequent laboratory tests verified the presence of the virus.
“With a viral condition that started on Thursday, Neymar Jr. underwent laboratory tests, after evaluation by the Medical Department of Santos FC, which confirmed infection by COVID-19,” the statement read.
Santos added that the player has since been absent from all club activities and is receiving symptomatic treatment.
This marks the second time Neymar has contracted the virus, the first being in 2021 during his stint with French club Paris Saint-Germain.
Neymar, Brazil’s all-time leading goalscorer with 79 international goals, has been largely absent from the national team in recent years.
His last appearance for Brazil came in October 2023 during a World Cup qualifying match against Uruguay, where he sustained a serious injury and was stretchered off the pitch. He consequently missed the 2024 Copa America tournament.
Now, the forward has been left out of manager Carlo Ancelotti’s squad for Brazil’s ongoing World Cup qualifiers against Ecuador and Paraguay, raising further concerns about his future with the national team.
