Nigerian Dangote says he has his sights set on Gunners, but not until 2021
January 14 – The richest man in Africa has made the sensational claim that he plans to buy Arsenal some time next year.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Top of LaLiga Barca lose faith in Valverde and turn to Setien to deliver silverware
January 14 – Heightened speculation that former Tottenham Hotspur manager Mauricio Pochettino could take over at Barcelona have been well and truly quashed with the appointment of Quique Setien to replace the sacked Ernesto Valverde.
Bundesliga teams with Amazon to game-change fan experiences, starting this weekend
January 14 – Amazon is developing in the football space as more than just a rights buyer for big league football. Germany’s Bundesliga has announced Amazon Web Services (AWS), as its official technology provider.
Kick It Out steps into fray as McClean receives more sectarian abuse at Millwall
January 14 – Anti-discrimination body Kick It Out has leaped to the defence of an English second tier player who continues to receive abuse based on sectarianism rather than outright racism.
Clermont Foot 63 take a knee as French ramp up anti-racism messaging
January 13 – On a weekend when France’s top two divisions staged a collective protest to mobilise the fight against racism in football stadiums, a second division club went one step further.
Club Brugge to build new €100m, 40,000-seat new stadium
January 13 – Club Brugge have said they will build a new 40,000-seater stadium on the site of their current ground, the Jan Breydelstadion, at a cost of €100 million. Stadium construction is to be completed by the 2022-23 season.
Saudi’s Spanish Super Cup ends with Madrid penalty shoot-out and €120m for RFEF
January 13 – Real Madrid beat Atletico Madrid 4-1 on penalties to win the Spanish Super Cup after the money-driven revamped tournament, exported to Saudi Arabia, ended in a less than thrilling goalless draw.
Xavi prefers heat of Qatar to hotseat of Barca
January 13 – FC Barcelona’s search for a new manager to succeed Ernesto Valverde continues after Xavi turned down his former club.
Greeks condemn Larissa fans who racially abused French youth star Abou Ba
February 13 – The Greek football union have joined a chorus of condemnation over the racist abuse of Aris Thessaloniki’s young French midfielder Abou Ba during a top-flight fixture at Larissa on Saturday.
Spanish fans set record attendance levels acoss LaLiga’s top two divisions
January 13 – LaLiga is reporting more than 7.6 million fans attended matches in the first half of the 2019/20 season in Spain’s top two divisions, up by 85,727 on last season (a rise of 1.53%).
eMLS kicks off with win for Cincinnati’s Fiddle
January 13 – While the MLS season doesn’t kick off until the end of February, its eSports equivalent has already kicked off with the first stage of 2020 eMLS competition played this weekend in Philadelphia.
‘Very happy’ Infantino kicks off new decade by joining IOC
By David Owen
January 10 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has officially joined world sport’s most prestigious club. The 49-year-old was one of three new International Olympic Committee (IOC) members inducted at the 135th IOC Session in Lausanne on Friday.
Spurs hunt for striker as Kane goes under the knife
January 10 – England captain Harry Kane’s perennial injury jinx has struck again, this time for far longer, leaving his club Tottenham Hotspur reportedly scouring the transfer market for cover.
Nigeria steps up with offer to host WAFCON 2020, Equatorial Guinea also interested
January 10 – The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) has expressed interest in hosting this year’s Women’s Africa Cup of Nations after Congo-Brazaville withdrew from staging the tournament.
Barrett takes over crisis hit FAI with mandate to overhaul finances and governance
January 10 – The embattled Football Association of Ireland (FAI), desperately looking for a financial bailout by the Irish government, has appointed Roy Barrett (pictured), managing director at Goodbody Stockbrokers, as the board’s new independent chairperson.