December 15 – The CIES Football Observatory has launched its latest top 10 rankings of the best performing players in Europe born in the 2000s and playing for clubs outside Europe’s Big 5 leagues.
December 10 – Belgium have topped the world ranking for a third consecutive year to become the FIFA team of the year, the world governing body said on Thursday.
December 10 – Inter Milan were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage for the third consecutive season on Wednesday night following a goalless draw with Shakthar Donetsk, who were also eliminated, allowing Real Madrid to squeeze into the knockout phase.
December 12 – Argentinean giants Boca Juniors triumphed on penalties against Internacional of Brazil to set up a Copa Libertadores quarter-final against Racing Club as the competition moves into the business end of the season.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 9 – Manchester United became the first high-profile victims of Champions League elimination on Tuesday as they failed to make the knockout stages, heaping even more pressure under-fire manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
December 8 – Real Madrid head a ranking of big-5 league clubs who recruit the youngest players to their squads, with an average age of 22.2 years.
December 4 – Chinese Super League side Guangzhou R&F have parted company after just one season with head coach Giovanni van Bronckhorst.
December 1 – Joachim Low will coach Germany at Euro 2020. The longstanding coach had come under severe pressure in recent months, but the German FA (DFB), have kept their faith in him.
November 27 – After a dark summer with almost no international football played, Autumn has brought some light with 160 full internationals played in November that in turn have impacted FIFA’s rankings.
November 27 – Globetrotting Brazilian footballers make up the highest numbers of players from one nation outside their country, playing in 23 different national leagues worldwide. But it is the French expat players who are the most prevalent in Europe’s big five leagues.
November 25 – FIFA has revealed the candidates shortlisted for seven of the individual trophies that will be presented at its Best Football Awards ceremony on December 17. Two expert panels – one for men and one for women’s football, have selected the candidates for each category.
November 25 – South American champions Flamengo secured a valuable 1-1 draw on the road against Argentina’s Racing Club in the last 16 of the Copa Libertadores on a good first night for Brazilian clubs in the competition’s knockout phase.
November 24 – As footballing miracles go, not many can match the romantic achievement of new Norwegian champions Bodø/Glimt who, as some reports put it, have “done a Leicester”.
November 24 – German football is still reeling from their 6-0 defeat by Spain, with the German Football Association (DFB) announcing it will review the national team with team manager Oliver Bierhoff at the start of December.
November 23 – The longest unbeaten run in any of Europe’s top leagues was broken at the weekend when Olympique Lyon women suffered their first league loss in four years. Paris Saint-Germain inflicted a 1-0 defeat on the serial French champions.
