August 9 – Chinese money doesn’t always get what it wants. The sale of Premier League club Hull City by Assem Allam (pictured) and his son Ehab to a consortium lead by multi-millionaire siblings Dai Yongge and Dai Xiu Li looks to have collapsed after it appears members of the consortium failed to pass the Premier League Owners’ and Directors test.
September 9 – Educating the educators has become a key initiative of the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) drive to improve the levels of play across the region. This week the confederation hosted its third Coach Education Panel in Kuala Lumpur since its formation last year.
By Paul Nicholson
September 8 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has launched a new national team competition, the AFC Solidarity Cup, today in Kuala Lumpur. The first edition of the planned nine-team competition will be played this year in Malaysia, November 2-15.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 8 – In a move that could have wide-ranging repercussions and cause a potentially hugely damaging split, the umbrella organisation that represents the Continent’s top leagues has angrily rejected UEFA’s reforms of the Champions League and Europa League.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 8 – The deepening probe into Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid has taken yet another twist with the news that FIFA’s ethics watchdog is opening formal proceedings against former DFB secretary general Helmut Sandrock (pictured).
September 8 – Manchester United have upgraded regional partner Apollo Tyres into their ‘Global Tyre Partner’ in a new three-year deal.
September 8 – The English Football Association fears that Britain’s exit from the European Union may hinder efforts to stage major tournaments in future and wants to find out whether Brexit had damaged relations within FIFA and UEFA.
By Paul Nicholson
September 8 – The Washington Spirit took the unusual step of playing the US national anthem before the players had entered the playing arena last night at the National Women’s Soccer League play-off match against the Seattle Reign.
September 8 – Premier League Stoke City has signed sports digital agency Rippleffect to rework its digital platform including the club’s main website (stokecityfc.com) and online retail store (scfcdirect.com).
September 7 – Guatemala’s Carlos Ruiz has become the highest scorer in World Cup qualifying history after bagging five goals in his final international appearance against St Vincent and the Grenadines.
September 8 – US women’s national team head coach Jill Ellis has spoken for the first time about the full reasons behind the decision to ban Hope Solo, the best-known goalkeeper in women’s football, for six months and terminate her contract.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 7 – With the UEFA presidential election a week away amid signs that the two remaining candidates are feeling the heat, Michael van Praag has received a boost after the English Football Association, now under new leadership, has decided to throw its heavyweight support behind the Dutch football chief.
By Matt Scott
August 7 – Only a week before UEFA’s most senior officials decamp to Athens for their presidential elections, the owner of Greece’s most successful club reportedly faces a battle to avoid custody over match fixing allegations.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 7 – And then there were two. Angel Maria Villar, whose UEFA presidential candidacy always seemed destined to fail, has pulled out of the election next week to save face, leaving Michael van Praag and Alexander Ceferin to battle it out to fill the vacancy left by Michel Platini.
By Paul Nicholson
August 7- Yesterday the European Club Association (ECA) triumphantly claimed the new UEFA Champions League qualification format a big success for the future of (big) club football in Europe, today the first voices of dissent declare the decision to automatically qualify the top four clubs from the top four European leagues a “detrimental” decision for European football.