Fans return to live sport with Premier League on course to set new attendance records, finds report
January 27 – Live sport attendances are leading the UK’s bounce back from Covid, according to analysis by Two Circles.
News
Salah’s penalty puts Egypt into last eight; Equatorial Guinea win shoot-out
January 27 – Equatorial Guinea upset Mali 6-5 on penalties after a goalless draw to complete the last-eight field at the Africa Cup of Nations along with Egypt, who also needed a shoot-out to defeat Ivory Coast.
Premier League and UEFA look into IP issues around John Terry’s NFT promotion
January 27 – The Premier League and European governing body UEFA are taking legal advice as Chelsea look into NFTs promoted by John Terry.
Man City builds sponsor portfolio with Aldar deal
January 27 – UAE real estate developer Aldar Properties has become Manchester City’s Official Real Estate Partner.
Infantino tells EU politicos that solution to African migrant crisis is a biennial World Cup
By Samindra Kunti
January 26 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has taken his sales pitch for a biennial World Cup to new, unprecedented and questionable levels when he seemed to link a World Cup every two years to a better future for refugees crossing the Mediterranean.
AFCON headaches: Mane plays on to set Senegal on quarter final path but is later hospitalised
January 26 – Liverpool’s Sadio Mane suffered a head injury during Senegal’s last-16 match with Cape Verde in the Africa Cup of Nations but still scored in a 2-0 victory before he was taken off.
Match-fixing: FC Floresti sanctioned with automatic relegation from Moldovan top tier
By Paul Nicholson
January 26 – Moldova top tier club FC Floresti has been sanctioned with relegation from the National Division for betting related match-fixing.
Concacaf recruits Rizzoli to boost refereeing output and raise levels
January 26 – Concacaf has pulled off a referring coup with the announcement that Serie A Head of Refereeing and FIFA World Cup and Serie A referee Nicola Rizzoli will join the confederation as Technical Refereeing Advisor.
Hodgson returns to Premier League with Watford mission
January 26 – Roy Hodgson has come out of retirement to lead Premier League club Watford. He will be tasked to steer the Hornets, 19th in the Premier League table, to safety.
AFCON tragedy: Motsepe says tournament will continue but opens investigation
By Samindra Kunti
January 26 – African football boss Patrice Motsepe has said that the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and local organisers bear “collective responsibility” for the deaths of eight supporters in a crush outside Yaounde’s Olembe Stadium at the last-16 match between Cameroon and Comoros.
River Plate switch on Amazon Prime for shirt sponsorship
January 26 – Amazon Prime Video has become a shirt sponsor of Argentina’s River Plate in a one-year deal.
Tragedy at AFCON as 8 killed in crowd crush at Cameroon’s last 16 match in Yaoundé
January 25 – At least eight people died and another 38 were injured in a crush outside the Olembe Stadium in Yaoundé at the Africa Cup of Nations last-16 match between hosts Cameroon and Comoros.
Blatter lets loose on Infantino, his move to Qatar and the ‘imbecility’ of a biennial World Cup
August 25 – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter has criticised his successor Gianni Infantino for relinquishing his responsibilities by moving his personal base to Qatar and away from FIFA’s Zurich headquarters and for dividing global football at a time when the world needed its leading sport to bring unity.
Belgians keep Van Holsbeeck jailed over Anderlecht transfer fraud case
January 25 – Former Anderlecht manager Herman Van Holsbeeck will remain in prison for another month in an investigation into fraud and corruption centring on agent Christophe Henrotay.
Argentine FA backed by new W88 regional sponsorship for World Cup year
January 25 – The Argentine Football Association (AFA) has signed a new regional sponsorship with online bookmaker W88 who will become the official AFA sportsbook in the Asian market.