Savvidis feels the heat as UEFA and FIFA prepare new delegation to enter the Greek fray
February 12 – FIFA and UEFA will be making what has become a regular trip to Athens to attempt to progress solutions to yet another Greek football crisis.
Europe
Headbutting Italian ref given year ban
February 12 – An Italian referee has been banned for a year for losing his cool and headbutting a goalkeeper he had sent off during a minor league game.
Belgium’s top tier leagues report combined clubs losses of €87m
February 11 – Belgium’s professional clubs suffered a combined record loss of €87 million in the 2018-19 season, the Belgian FA (KBVB) has revealed. Anderlecht incurred the lion’s share with €25 million.
Portuguese police probe Mendes for tax fraud, say reports
February 10 – Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes (pictured), who represents some of football’s biggest names, is among a number high-profile figures being investigated in his homeland for alleged tax fraud and money laundering according to Portuguese publication Sabado.
World’s oldest boys plot a new beginning and a match before Austria vs England Euro warm-up
February 7 – English and Austrian fans will be able to warm-up for the 2020 Euros warm-up game on June 1 by watching two of the oldest clubs in the world – they have 287 years of history between them.
Quinn turns Irish eyes back to football and focus on Euro 2020 qualification
February 7 – Former Irish international Niall Quinn (pictured) has welcomed the end of the crisis afflicting the Irish Football Association (FAI) following a torrid financial period that threatened to plunge the federation into liquidation.
French police hold Ligue 1 Angers president Chabane after sexual assault allegations
February 6 – The president of French Ligue 1 club Angers, Said Chabane (pictured), was detained and questioned by French police on Wednesday after allegations of sexual assault by an employee at the club. Chabane denies the accusations, but is under formal investigation and is police custody.
Premier League realigns Summer transfer window closing with European markets
February 6 – Premier League clubs have voted to change the summer transfer window to bring it in line with the rest of Europe.
FIFPro names and shames non-paying Turkish clubs
February 5 – The international players’ union FIFPro has issued a warning to its members about joining Turkish teams because of an increasing number of cases in which clubs are defaulting on salary payments.
NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars commit to back-to-back home games at Wembley in 2020
February 5 –The Jacksonville Jaguars NFL team will play two of their home games at London’s Wembley Stadium over consecutive Sundays in 2020.
Bundesliga sanctions one-off fan firework test in Hamburg’s Volksparkstadion
February 5 – For years fans all over Europe have fallen foul of UEFA rules banning letting off flares, with clubs sanctioned accordingly. But now, for the first time, the German FA has granted permission for ‘legal’ pyrotechnics in a domestic fixture.
Neymar birthday celebration leaves superstar with an unwanted present
February 4 – Neymar is out injured again. So what, you might ask. Except that a rib injury which will keep out of action against Nantes in the French league tonight was made worse by partying at a nightclub to celebrate his 28th birthday.
Irish government bails out FAI with promise of annual €2.5m loan, interest free
January 31 – The future of the embattled Irish Football Association (FAI) has been saved after the Irish Government agreed to double its funding and give the federation an interest free loan of €2.5 million annually for the next three years as part of a refinancing arrangement.
Platini is ‘happy’ but he still doesn’t like Blatter or VAR
January 31 – Free to work in football again now that his ban from the game is over, Michel Platini says he is a happy man despite never realising his ambition of running FIFA and instead seeing his reputation shattered.
Manchester City fans fly into trouble with Munich air crash taunt
January 30 – Manchester’s two rival clubs face being sanctioned after tensions ran high between both sets of supporters during their League semi-final second leg tie on Wednesday.