Liverpool headline draw as Qatar readies for Club World Cup
September 17 – The 2019 Club World Cup is taking shape with Liverpool as red-hot favourites in a tournament that will mark Qatar’s first major test run ahead of the 2022 World Cup.
News
New ball, new tournament, old rivalries. UEFA’s Champions League kicks off tonight
September 17 – The new Champions League season kicks off tonight, with a new Adidas ball and defending champions Liverpool taking on Napoli and FC Barcelona traveling to Dortmund.
Galatasaray joins the Socios.com ‘fan bit-token’ platform
September 17 – Galatasaray have become the latest club to partner with Socios.com for a step into the brave new world of cryptocurrency fan tokens. They are the first Turkish club to do so.
FIFA bosses allegedly block CAF whistleblower El-Sherei’s return after Egyptian FA offer job
By Osasu Obayiuwana
September 16 – Mohamed El-Sherei, recently sacked as CAF’s Finance Director, following allegations of impropriety and incompetence, received another setback, after a subsequent job offer to him from the Normalisation Committee (NC) of the Egyptian Football Association (EFA) was withdrawn.
FIFA bans former Russian FA official Shprygin for discrimination
By Andrew Warshaw
September 16 – FIFA has banned a former leading Russian football administrator and fan club founder for two years for discrimination.
Esperance finally win CAF Champions League. But will Wydad play CAS leg?
By Osasu Obayiuwana
September 14 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has made its final conclusion – political and judicial – on the 2019 Champions League – and it is that Esperance Sportive de Tunis remains the Cup holder.
Liverpool vs Spurs CL final is world’s leading event in 2019 with 1bn+ interactions
September 16 – With the Champions League group stages kicking off this week, UEFA has released a 1 billion interaction social media stat that makes shows the European club showpiece outperformed all other major events in 2019 by more than 30%.
Leicester City add Asian gamer Yabo Sports as club partner
September 16 – Premier League Leicester City have confirmed Asian gaming business Yabo Sports as an official club partner.
USL game abandoned after missiles thrown but Phoenix keep rising
September 16 – Unusually for the United States, a second-tier game between Phoenix Rising and LA Galaxy II had to be abandoned at the weekend after objects were thrown on the pitch.
55 teams and 32 countries later, coaching legend Rudi Gutendorf passes, aged 93
September 16 – Rudi Gutendorf, the globetrotting German who is in the Guinness Book of Records for having coached 55 teams in 32 countries across five continents from Antigua to Zimbabwe, has died aged 93.
The never-ending final: CAF set to hear ‘walk-out’ Wydad’s Champions League appeal
By Osasu Obayiuwana
September 13 – The African Champions League drama takes a further twist on Sunday 15 September, as the Appeals Committee of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) sits to consider the fate of Moroccan Club Wydad Casablanca.
Jailbird Napout banned for life by FIFA
By Andrew Warshaw
September 13 – Thirteen months after being sentenced to nine years in jail for his role in the FifaGate corruption scandal, former South American strongman Juan Angel Napout (pictured) has finally been banned for life.
AS Monaco signs BetCity as first Russian sponsor partner
September 13 – Bookmaker BetCity has become AS Monaco’s official regional betting partner for Russia in a two-season deal.
Sierra Leone fans run riot after Bangura misses penalty
September 13 – Sierra Leone football, for months embroiled in an internal power struggle, has been further rocked by two off-the-field incidents that have caused widespread embarrassment within the federation’s leadership.
Police across Europe swoop on Belgian agents in Mitrovic transfer fraud probe
By Samindra Kunti
September 12 – Player agent Christophe Henrotay (pictured) and his brother-in-law and business associate Christophe Cheniaux have been detained by police over alleged transfer fraud. Former Anderlecht manager Herman Van Holsbeek was also held in custody on Wednesday.