By Andrew Warshaw
July 27 – Total elation for some, utter heartbreak for others. The English Premier League season, behind closed doors since lockdown, wound up on Sunday with Manchester United and Chelsea securing places in the Champions League at Leicester’s expense and, at the other end, Watford and Bournemouth being relegated along with already doomed Norwich City.
July 27 – Juventus have confirmed they are Europe’s most dominant team at home with a ninth consecutive Serie A crown after goals from Cristiano Ronaldo and Federico Bernardeschi against Sampdoria clinched the league title.
July 24 – English football’s refereeing boss Mike Riley (pictured) was presenting his eagerly awaited season review of the video assistant referee system today at a Premier League shareholders’ meeting.
July 24 – Liverpool’s Premier League title-winning captain Jordan Henderson has been named England’s footballer of the year in the annual award by the country’s football writers.
July 23 – Liverpool’s players finally got their hands on their first ever Premier League trophy after a thrilling 5-3 victory over Chelsea in their last home game of the season.
July 23 – West Bromwich Albion have won promotion back to the Premier League after a two-year absence, joining Leeds United in the top flight next season in a dramatic, nail-biting finale to the Championship season on Wednesday.
July 22 – The final day of the prolonged English domestic season is set for a dramatic drop zone dogfight with two out of Aston Villa, Watford and Bournemouth exiting the top flight along with already doomed Norwich.
July 20 – It’s taken them 16 years but one of England’s most iconic clubs, Leeds United, are back in the big time after winning promotion from the second-tier Championship, sparking huge celebrations among their legions of fans across the city.
July 20 – Not one, not two, not three – but four. That’s how many managers English Premier League Watford have had this season after they dispensed with services of Nigel Pearson on Sunday.
July 17 – Despite a season when they were often far from their scintillating best, Real Madrid are Spanish champions once again, ending Barcelona’s two-year grip on the title and prompting coach Zinedine Zidane to declare it felt sweeter than any of the three straight Champions League crowns the club has won under his tenure.
July 17 – Inter Milan, who have expanded their academy concept to more than 21 sites worldwide, has launched a series of virtual meetings giving youngsters at Inter Academy and Inter Campus projects the chance to talk to former club stars.
July 10 – With controversy still raging over the interpretation of VAR, even with matches played behind closed doors, FIFA is taking over the responsibility for the system from the game’s lawmakers.
July 6 – Robert Lewandowski passed 50 goals for the season as Bayern Munich beat Bayer Leverkusen to win a record 20th German Cup and 13th domestic double at the weekend.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 3 – The controversial use of VAR, which had taken something of a backseat amid the enthusiasm of matches getting back under way in the wake of Covid-19, burst into the spotlight again Thursday with one of the most farcical, non-sensical interpretations of the rule ever applied.
July 1 – Newly re-crowned Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich also top a table of European clubs ranked by how far they move the ball while in possession.
