By Paul Nicholson
July 21 – English Premier League fans are getting ripped off when it comes to buying tickets, compared to their continental neighbours. The findings come via an analysis by KPMG’s Football Benchmark team which show Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Real Madrid give the best value for money in Europe’s football elite.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 20 – Spanish football boss Angel Maria Villar Llona has finally confirmed he will run for the presidency of UEFA as the deadline for nominees approaches.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – Will he or won’t he? With 24 hours to go until the deadline for nominations for UEFA presidential candidates, there has still been no official confirmation that the man who has been running the show on an interim basis will be putting his name forward to replace Michel Platini in September.
By Paul Nicholson
July 19 – Spanish federation president (RFEF) Angel Maria Villar-Llona has come under renewed attack at home from presidential rival Jorge Pérez who says that he has woven a system of patronage and fear into Spanish football that has kept him in position.
July 18 – UEFA has announced the ten-player shortlists for the 2015/16 UEFA Best Women’s and Men’s Player in Europe Awards.
By Bernd Fisa
July 18 – New Chelsea manager Antonio Conte has lent his support to the Stefano Borgonovo Foundation set up after the former Italian international striker died in June 2013 several years after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal disease which attacks the nervous system.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 15 – Intensive behind-the-scenes discussions are expected to take place this weekend as the July 20 deadline for UEFA presidential nominations to succeed Michel Platini approaches.
July 15 – Vincent Labrune, the controversial Olympique Marseille president, will part ways with the club before the start of the 2016/17 Ligue 1 season on August 14 as new money vies to take the reins at the under-performing French colossus.
July 13 – The English Women’s Super League (WSL) is to switch to a winter season and expand to 21 teams by 2017-18. The new league schedule, unlike the men’s game in England, will have a one-month winter break.
July 13 – A household name in English football but little known overseas, Sam Allardyce is emerging as the frontrunner to take over from Roy Hodgson as England manager.
July 12 – The FA Cup, football’s oldest domestic knockout competition, will take place on the Channel Islands for the first time after Guernsey FC were drawn at home in next month’s preliminary round of the competition.
By James Dostoyevsky
July 8 – Angel Maria Villar Llona is a lot of things to a lot of people. He is President of the Spanish Football Association, RFEF. He is the Acting UEFA President. He is the Senior Vice President of UEFA. He is a Vice President of FIFA. He is the Chairman of FIFA’s Legal Committee. He is the Chairman of the FIFA Referees’ Committee. He is the Chairman of the Organising Committee for the FIFA World Cup.
By Bernd Fisa
July 9 – Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese superstar and captain of his national squad, has invited the widow of the former Italian striker Stefano Borgonovo to attend Sunday’s Final of the European Championship, which will see Portugal go head to head with tournament hosts France.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 7 – Lionel Messi has vowed to appeal and clear his name after being sensationally sentenced to 21 months in prison on three counts of tax fraud. Both Barcelona’s Argentine superstar and his father were handed the same jail term though it is unlikely they will serve time since custodial sentences are regularly suspended in Spain for first offences for non-violent crimes carrying a term of less than two years.
July 7 – Two Russian players have been punished by their clubs after video evidence showed them partying in Monaco following the national team’s humiliating Euro 2016 exit.