September 28 – The Chinese Football Association (CFA) are looking to Belgium’s Chris Van Puyvelde to help rejuvenate their international ambitions. The technical director of the Belgian Football Association (KBVB) has signed a four-year deal with the CFA joining former players Zhao Junzhe (pictured), Yang Che and Shao Jiayi among others in a bid to professionalise operations.
September 26 – Manchester City are the most exciting team in Europe if goal mouth activity is the measure. City have had a shot on goal every 4’02” so far this season. They are followed by Ronaldo-rejuvenated Juventus who have a shot every 4’33”.
September 26 – Watch out the likes of Chelsea, Manchester City and Juventus because FIFA have announced ground-breaking plans to limit the number of players a club can loan out each season to prevent top talent being hoarded.
September 25 – The UEFA Champions League returned to fashion after four months of furtiveness, and with a total of 44 goals in 16 matches guaranteed a spectacle to all football fans around the globe, the betting markets have awakened too.
September 21 – In the lead up to their fixtures in European Championship B against Serbia and Russia, which double as qualifiers for the 2021 Rugby League World Cup in England, the Spanish rugby league federation is further fostering a close relationship with soccer in the Valencia region.
September 21 – Of all the results in the first week of the Champions league and Europa League, arguably the most notable achievement was from a club that actually lost.
September 20 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur has added an Australian leg to its global football development partnership programme with a hook-up with the University of Wollongong.
September 18 – Bundesliga club Borussia Dortmund has continued its push into Asia, singing a strategic partnership with Xi’an Physical Education University that will see the club collaborate with the Chinese in football coaching and exchanges.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – FIFA are to put a stop to elite clubs sending unlimited numbers of players out on loan, according to reports from Germany.
September 7 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has gathered together many of its top club coaches from across the region for its Third Elite Club Coaches Forum in Shanghai.
September 6 – Denmark’s bits-and-pieces team of lower-league players, drafted in because of a bitter pay dispute, went down fighting when they beaten 3-0 by Slovakia in a friendly on Wednesday.
September 5 – Yaya Touré is a football ‘legend’ but for the fans of Olympiacos he is now elevated to the ranks of the Immortals.
August 29 – Still banned over that infamous ‘disloyal payment’ from Sepp Blatter, former UEFA boss Michel Platini has entered the debate over video assistant referees saying the system has done next to nothing to help the game.
August 28 – Retired sprint legend Usain Bolt is set to make his footballing debut for Australian club side Central Coast Mariners saying he will be more nervous than during his illustrious track career when he won eight Olympic gold medals.
August 22 – UEFA, whose president Aleksander Ceferin has resisted video assistant referees in his club competitions, are considering a partial about-turn and could introduce VARs in the Champions League from the quarterfinal onwards, according to The Times newspaper.