Musonye steps down from Cecafa role
July 24 – Kenya’s Nicholas Musonye is standing down secretary-general of the 12-member Council for East and Central Africa Football Associations (Cecafa) after two decades at the helm.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Brazil hunt for new women’s coach as Vadao moves on
July 24 – Brazil have parted ways with their women’s coach Vadao just weeks after the World Cup. In France, the hosts eliminated Vadao’s team in the round of 16.
Conmebol give Messi one-game ban but sidestep action over ‘corrupt’ claim
July 24 – Lionel Messi has been banned from Argentina’s first qualifying match for the 2022 World Cup and fined $1,500 by Conmebol after being sent off against Chile in the Copa America third-place playoff.
I-League clubs appeal to Indian PM and FIFA boss Infantino for protection
By Samindra Kunti
July 23 – Six I-League clubs have written to FIFA president Gianni Infantino with a request for help to safeguard the league which they believe is under threat from the Indian Super League.
Man City’s cultural revolution crashes with Chinese state media taking aim
July 23 – English champions Manchester City have been branded “disrespectful” and “arrogant” by China’s state media following their pre-season visit to the country for the Premier League Asia Trophy.
Match-fixing Botswana ref Kgotlele banned for life
July 23 – Former Botswana Football Association (BFA) general secretary Mooketsi Kgotlele has been banned for life by FIFA for accepting bribes in the latest serious misdemeanour to rock the image of African football.
Bale-ing out. Zidane says Real are working on his exit with China mooted
July 23 – Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane has denied showing disrespect to Gareth Bale, who commanded a world record fee when he joined Real Madrid in 2013 but who has been out of favour despite winning four Champions Leagues with the club.
Saudi’s Al Hilal part company with UAE star Abdulrahman after wage negotiations fail
July 23 – With the transfer window open in West Asia one of its star players, Omar Abdulrahman, is looking for a new club.
What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas. Ronaldo rape case dropped in US
July 23 – After weeks of speculation over an incident that allegedly occurred a decade ago, US prosecutors have announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will not face criminal charges of sexual assault because the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
Going to Hells: Gunners go local with Camden Town Brewery deal
July 23 – Arsenal have gone local with their latest sponsor partner. Camden Town Brewery, which has become the club’s Official Beer Partner in the UK and Ireland in a three-year deal.
Barcelona launch TikTok channel in time for pre-season in Japan and US
July 23 – Barcelona are the latest European club to launch on the Chinese video-sharing platform TikTok. They join Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Dortmund and Liverpool as the biggest clubs on the social media channel, others are rapidly migrating the same way. LaLiga is also on the platform.
Bility slams FIFA’s ‘hostile takeover’ of CAF saying Africa must manage Africa
By Osasu Obayiuwana in Cairo, Egypt
July 22 – The crisis in African football governance appears to have taken a new turn, as an executive committee member of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) is taking the body, of which he is an important member, to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), in order to stop FIFA’s direct intervention in CAF’s day-to-day affairs.
Clubs push deeper into OTT trials as Pay-TV operators re-prioritise rights buys
July 22 – The changes taking place in the ‘disrupted’ sports TV market are highlighted in a new analysis that finds that 23% of the world’s top leagues and federations now have their own OTT streaming services.
Premier League clubs winning big at the bookies, but ethics issues loom
July 22 – Half of the Premier League’s shirts will display a gambling company’s logo during the 2019-20 season, rekindling the debate about betting in sports.
Premier League ready for VAR, warts and all
July 22 – The English Premier League is expecting the introduction of video assistant referees to cause controversy next season.