Andy Elliott, Author at Inside World Football - Page 96 of 97

Man City ‘rewarded’ for UEFA Champions League qualification with juggernaut play-off

January 30 – Manchester City’s ‘reward’ for narrowly avoiding an embarrassing UEFA Champions League exit on Wednesday night is a play-off against a European juggernaut. A 3-1 comeback victory over Club Brugge clinched 22nd place in the league phase and a match against either Bayern Munich or Real Madrid, who finished 12th and 11th respectively, just to reach the Round of 16. Celtic, who came 21st, will take on the other giant.

Champions League

Man City, PSG avoid early exits from UEFA Champions League

January 30 – Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain secured vital victories on the final matchday of the 2024-25 UEFA Champions League group phase to ensure qualification to the play-off round.

Africa

CAF publishes new dates for African Nations Championship

January 30 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has released the new dates for this year’s African Nations Championship (CHAN), a tournament promoting home-based talent and featuring only players based in domestic leagues.

Europe

Municipality of Split begins €25million renovation of Poljud Stadium

January 30 – The Municipality of Split is preparing the process to reconstruct and renovate the Poljud Stadium, Croatia’s largest football venue with a capacity of 33,987 seats.

Asia

Saudi Arabia announces first women’s football sponsorship

January 28 – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has unveiled a three-year partnership with Unilever’s Rexona, marking the first-ever official sponsorship of the Kingdom’s women’s national football programme.

Africa

Magwizi elected Zimbabwe FA President in landslide

January 28 – Nqobile Magwizi has been elected as the new Zimbabwe Football Association (ZIFA) President after a landslide victory, and now faces the task of stabilising an association that has been dogged by internal wrangling.

FIFA

Jamal Khashoggi’s widow urges FIFA tribute on husband at Saudi 2034

January 28 – The widow of Saudi Arabian journalist Jamal Khashoggi has urged FIFA to commemorate her late husband at the 2034 World Cup in Saudi Arabia.

FIFA

FIFA refuses to monitor conditions of migrant workers ahead of Saudi 2034

January 28 – In a new low, FIFA has rejected a request by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC) Africa to monitor the conditions of migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, the hosts of the 2034 World Cup.

Europe

DFL to trial referee announcements in an attempt to boost transparency

January 28 – In a move aimed at boosting transparency and fan engagement, the Bundesliga and 2.Bundesliga will trial public referee announcements during Matchday 20.

esports

EA Sports’ stock plummets following FC 2025 video game issues

January 28 – A revised fiscal outlook and a stock market tumble suggest EA Sports might be losing its once-firm grasp on the billion-dollar football gaming industry.

Europe

Euro winner Luis de La Fuente extends Spain contract

January 28 – Spain head coach Luis de la Fuente has extended his contract until 2028 after leading the team to last year’s European Championship title.

Africa

AFCON heavyweights Ivory Coast and Cameroon drawn together in 2025 finals

January 28 – Defending African Cup of Nations (AFCON) champions Ivory Coast have been drawn against fellow tournament heavyweights Cameroon in the group stages of the 2025 iteration of the competition.

News

Former Premier League referee David Coote tells all in heartfelt interview

January 28 – Former English Premier League referee David Coote has come out as gay and revealed that struggling to hide his sexuality contributed to the offensive rant about Jurgen Klopp that led to his dismissal.

CIES

CIES Observatory crowns Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres as world’s top goalscorer

January 23 – Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres has been revealed as the top scorer of 2024 by the CIES Football Observatory after a superb season for Sporting CP, netting 64 goals across the past twelve months, 54 for his club and 10 at national team level.

Women

FA WNL ahead of schedule in empowering third and fourth-tier clubs

January 23 – The FA Women’s National League (FA WNL) has provided a positive update on its ‘Empowering for Success’ strategy as it enters its final year of implementation. Introduced at the start of the 2022/23 season, it aims to help clubs in tiers three and four of the English women’s football pyramid to thrive both on and off the pitch.