February 18 – La Liga can return to packed stadiums after Spain’s health minister said that health authorities have decided to allow football stadiums and other sports venues to operate at full capacity again.
February 17 – The professional leagues of Northern and Western Europe see teams playing more ‘openly’ that the leagues in South and East of the continent, according to data from the CIES Football Observatory.
February 17 – Italian authorities have issued an international arrest warrant for Robinho, the former Brazil star who was convicted of rape in Italy.
February 16 – A former Portuguese referee is under investigation for allegedly receiving up to €1.9 million from Benfica which could, if proven, reportedly lead to the Lisbon club being sensationally relegated.
February 16 – UEFA’s partnership with blockchain-based Fan Token platform Socios, announced yesterday, has quickly drawn criticism from fan groups who accuse the European governing body of leaving fans in the hands of “crypto-mercenaries”.
February 16 – A UEFA delegation has arrived in Albania to evaluate the electoral process of the national federation before clubs vote on a new FA president next month amid concerns about political interference.
February 15 – Italian football’s appeals court has overturned a Serie A decision to penalise Salernitana for failing to travel to Udinese for a league fixture on December 21.
February 15 – Paris St Germain coach Mauricio Pochettino has backed Lionel Messi to come good against Real Madrid in tonight’s mouth-watering Champions League last-16 first leg despite an underwhelming domestic campaign.
February 15 – Danish midfielder Christian Eriksen marked his 30th birthday with a first appearance since his cardiac arrest at last summer’s Euros, playing 60 minutes for his new club Brentford in behind-closed-doors friendly against fifth-tier club Southend United.
February 14 – With the Super Bowl’s cheapest tickets priced at an eye-watering $7,500 for last night’s NFL showpiece, UEFA has moved in the opposite ticket price direction, announcing it will be making available a chunk of free tickets to club fans in its finals this season.
February 14 – UEFA has issued a strong message to its referees to clamp down on simulation ahead of the Champions League knockout stages which start this week.
February 14 – The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) have vowed to rebrand and lift the image of the debt-ridden organisation with a new logo and identity as part of a new strategic plan.
February 14 – Gus Poyet has become the new manager of Greece’s national team after the country’s failure to qualify for the World Cup in Qatar.
By Paul Nicholson
February 10 – European Club Association (ECA) chair Nasser Al-Khelaifi (pictured) has written to the 240+ members saying that the new three-year commercial deal agreed with TEAM Marketing and Relevent Sports Group is a watershed moment for the association.
February 10 – Belgium’s 26 professional clubs registered total record losses of €139 million last year (2020-21 season), the bulk of it a result of the coronavirus crisis.