December 22 – French superstar Karim Benzema could reverse his decision to retire from international football if Zinedine Zidane takes over from Didier Deschamps as manager of the national team, according to French reports.
December 21 – Ukrainian club FC Shakhtar has said the suspension of international player contracts when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine has cost the club about €40 million, and was an “inappropriate and over-reaching measure” applied by FIFA.
December 21 – French football authorities have condemned online racist abuse directed towards some of the country’s players after they were targeted in the wake of the penalty shootout loss to Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final.
December 20 – In a joint letter to the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF), FIFA and UEFA have warned that they could face an international suspension if they do not follow the statutes of the two governing bodies.
December 20 – US businessman John Textor and his Eagle Football group have completed the long running takeover of Olympique Lyonnais. on Monday.
December 20 – French football authorities have sanctioned 76 players, coaches and managers for failing to respect the ban on sports betting during the 2020-2021 season.
December 19 – Gareth Southgate will remain as England manager despite the disappointment of their quarter-final exit at the World Cup, the English Football Association confirmed on Sunday.
December 18 – Portugal have parted company with coach Fernando Santos following their shock 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Those still backing the seemingly doomed European Super League have been dealt a hammer blow after the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) key adviser today ruled against them – a landmark decision for the future of European football.
December 13 – A Spanish court has acquitted Brazilian superstar Neymar and other defendants in a fraud and corruption case relating to his 2013 transfer to Barcelona from Santos after prosecutors had dropped all charges in the high-profile trial.
December 13 – LaLiga Tech, the digital development and commercial partnership arm of the Spanish league, is partnering with Sevilla FC to make its ‘Transfer Tracker’ technology available to clubs worldwide.
December 12 – As England lick their wounds after falling just short for the third tournament in a row, manager Gareth Southgate is pondering whether to stay on in the role.
December 9 – Donata Hopfen, CEO of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, will quit her role at the end of the year, being replaced on an interim basis by two Bundesliga club execs, Axel Hellmann and Oliver Leki.
December 8 – Nasser Al-Khelaifi, one of the most powerful officials in European football, says fans will never let a breakaway Super League happen even if the courts decide in its favour.
December 8 – UEFA has fined the Football Association of Ireland €20,000 for its women’s teams post match celebration and the singing of a song with a pro-IRA chorus after they beat Scotland 1-0 and qualified for the women’s World Cup finals for the first time.