Spanish police arrest Dani Alves over sexual harassment allegation
January 20 – Spanish police have arrested Brazil defender Dani Alves after questioning him in a police station in Barcelona over a sexual assault allegation.
Europe
Eva Kaili denied bail and ‘tortured’ in Brussels jail as deals done in Qatargate bribery case
January 20 – The former vice-president of the European Parliament Eva Kaili (pictured) will remain in prison for at least another month after a court rejected her plea to be released with an electronic tag.
James Dostoyevsky: So tired of it
So, there’s yet another new category to be added to the ‘white trash’ species. A guy called John Yems, is to be let off with a slap on the wrist, despite being a rotten racist. But hey, he was “not a conscious racist”.
Agnelli heads towards Juve exit with pro-Super League parting shot
January 19 – Former Juventus chairman Andrea Agnelli, one of the chief architects of the doomed European Super League, has reiterated his belief in the project in a farewell speech at the Italian giants.
French boss Le Graet under investigation for alleged sexual harassment
January 18 – Having stepped down from the French Football Federation (FFF), veteran football official Noel Le Graet is now the subject of an investigation over alleged moral and sexual harassment, the office of the Paris prosecutor said.
Clubs line up for ‘Green Football Weekend’ of action on climate change
January 18 – More than 80 of the UK’s professional clubs have committed to take part in a ‘Green Football Weekend’ February 3-5 to highlight issues of climate change. Fans and clubs are being encouraged to get involved with initiatives that will make a positive impact.
English FA revamps learning portal to deliver enhanced resources
January 18 – The English FA’s education arm, England Football Learning, has boosted its learning resources and courses via its learn.englandfootball.com website.
Shaktar owner gives $25m of Mudryk cash to Ukrainian families of Mariupol fighters
January 17 – Shakhtar Donetsk owner Rinat Akhmetov (pictured) has pledged to give $25 million to help the families of Ukrainian fighters who tried to defend the city of Mariupol when it was attacked by Russian forces in the spring of last year.
Nordic hosting bid harnesses player power for Women’s Euro 2025 pitch
January 17 – The Nordic hosting bid for the UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 is gathering pace with some of the biggest names in football from Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden giving it their backing.
PSG play hard ball over Parc des Princes buy
January 17 – Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain are playing hard ball over their Parc des Princes ground, threatening to leave the venue that has been their home for 50 years after city officials refused to sell them the club.
Big picture: EFL clubs create £875m of value in the community, finds report
January 17 – The English Football League (EFL) clubs and their community schemes created more than £875 million of social value across England and Wales in the 2020/21 season, according to a new report.
Shakhtar Donetsk and Russian clubs lose appeal to CAS over loss of transfer business
January 16 – In a blow to Ukraine’s top club Shakhtar Donetsk, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has upheld FIFA’s decision to allow foreign players and coaches to leave Russian and Ukrainian clubs due to the ongoing war.
Vandenhaute steps back as struggling Anderlecht reshuffle again
January 16 – In a latest boardroom shuffle, Wouter Vandenhaute has taken a step back at Anderlecht, downgrading his role as chairman to non-executive chairman following weeks of turbulence and fan pressure at the Brussels-based club.
English leagues battle with increase in ‘football disorder’
January 13 – The number of arrests at English football matches in the first half of the season is up by 10% on the last campaign, including 28 assaults.
Eleven Sports boss says a Super League would not generate the big TV cash promised
By Samindra Kunti in Brussels
January 13 – Eleven Sports Group CEO Marc Watson has said that the creation of a European Super League would not bring more commercial money from broadcasters into the football market.