Super League talk benched as UEFA and ECA sign MoU to 2024
February 7 – UEFA and European Club Association have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding until 2024 in a move that kills off talk of a European Super League.
Europe
German leagues report record attendances of over 9.4m for first half of season
February 7 – Germany’s Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 have notched up record attendance levels for the first half of the season, beating their 2017/18 record.
UEFA to hand Ceferin new term at tomorrow’s congress
By Andrew Warshaw
February 6 – Gianni Infantino isn’t the only leading football administrator standing unchallenged for re-election. On Thursday in Rome, two and half years after becoming UEFA president in the wake of the scandal that brought down Michel Platini, Aleksander Ceferin will be voted in for new four-year term at UEFA’s annual Congress.
Atalanta drop Iraqi star Ali Adnan on return from Asian Cup
February 5 – Fans of high-flying Italian club Atalanta have expressed their frustration and anger after it was revealed the club had terminated Iraq defender Ali Adnan’s contract following the Asian Cup.
Search for Sala: Rescuers see body in underwater plane wreckage
February 5 – A body has been seen in the underwater wreckage of the light aircraft which was carrying former Nantes forward Emiliano Sala and his pilot to his new club Cardiff City and which tragically disappeared over the English Channel, according to air accident investigators.
Whistleblower Rui Pinto says he acted in ‘public interest’ and fears a Portuguese trial
February 4 – The man behind a string of incriminating leaks that shook the footballing world over the past few weeks claims he would not get a fair trial if he is returned to his native Portugal because “the mafia is everywhere”.
Underwater searchers find Sala’s aircraft wreckage
February 4 – Air accident investigators have discovered the wreckage of the light aircraft carrying Argentine-born Emiliano Sala and his pilot which disappeared over the English Channel last month en route to Cardiff where Sala was due to make his debut for the Premier league club.
Tebas says goods governance cannot allow PSG’s Al Khelaifi on to UEFA’s exco
By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – UEFA has been urged to block the appointment of Paris Saint Germain supremo Nasser Al Khelaifi to its executive committee by outspoken La Liga president Javier Tebas.
Qatar’s Al-Khelaifi poised to take seat on UEFA’s exco via PSG and ECA
By Andrew Warshaw
January 31 – A highly sensitive spanner has been tossed into the workings of UEFA’s annual congress next week with Paris St-Germain supremo Nasser Al-Khelaifi set to join the organisation’s executive committee despite his club being under financial investigation and he himself being embroiled in a criminal case.
Spain reopen case into Abidal’s alleged trafficked organ liver transplant
January 31 – Spanish authorities have reopened proceedings into the bizarre and still seemingly murky case of the liver transplant undergone seven years ago by former French international defender Eric Abidal, saying new evidence has come to light suggesting a trafficked organ was used.
Sala’s family raise cash to keep up search for missing plane
January 30 – The family of missing Cardiff City forward Emiliano Sala have hired a private company, paid for by fundraisers, to carry on looking for the 28-year-old after rescue workers finally called off the official search last week for the light aircraft that was carrying him to his new club but disappeared off the English Channel Island of Guernsey.
LFP orders Marseilles to play behind closed door after firecracker incident
January 29 – Marseille have been ordered to play home fixtures behind closed doors until officials have finished investigations into a firecracker that was thrown on to the pitch during their last league game against Lille.
Search continues but hopes fade for Sala’s missing plane
January 23 – Hopes are tragically fading fast for Argentine-born star Emiliano Sala 36 hours after the light aircraft in which he was the sole passenger disappeared in the English Channel en route to Cardiff where he had signed for the Premier League club.
Cardiff’s new striker Sala on missing plane over the English Channel
January 22 – Argentinian forward Emiliano Sala was on a plane that went missing over the English Channel on Monday evening while he was en route to Cardiff City after being signed by the Premier League club, French aviation officials have confirmed.
Workers rights: French players union accuses PSG of abuse in Rabiot dispute
January 22 – A French player power dispute has intensified with the country’s National Professional Footballers’ Union saying Paris Saint-Germain have “no right” to exclude Adrien Rabiot from their first-team setup simply for refusing to sign a new contract.