Italy’s Serie A to break with Christmas tradition and play football
March 6 – Italian football is breaking with tradition and going down the English road of playing over Christmas and New Year.
Europe
Showing your colours: Guardiola tied up by FA’s yellow ribbon charge
March 6 – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has accepted a Football Association charge over “wearing a political message” during matches, specifically a yellow ribbon in support of jailed pro-independence politicians in his native Catalonia.
UEFA to hold minute’s silence for Fiorentina and Italy defender Astori
March 3 – Tributes will be paid before Champions League and Europa League games this week in honour of Davide Astori, the Fiorentina defender and former Italian international who died tragically at the weekend aged 31.
AFC postpones Iraqi club ACL games as it waits for FIFA ruling on home matches
March 5 – Just days after the head of Asian football, Shaikh Salman bin Ibrahim Al-Khalifa, called on FIFA to lift its ban on Iraq being allowed to host competitive international matches, two Asian Champions League games have been postponed until April in the hope that FIFA heeds the request.
Italian football mourns sudden death of Fiorentina captain Davide Astori
March 5 – The whole of Italy and the footballing world beyond has registered its collective shock and disbelief after the sudden death overnight on Saturday of Fiorentina captain and Italian international defender Davide Astori at just 31 years of age.
‘Members or clients’? Dortmund boss says fans will win on Monday night TV protest
March 1 – German football may consider ditching Monday night league games following a string of protests by fans who have voted with their feet and stayed away, according to Borussia Dortmund’s chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke (pictured).
English edge towards staggered Winter Break, but with FA Cup set to be compromised
February 28 – The prospect of a winter break in top-flight English football, which has been discussed and debated for years with public opinion split, appears to be edging closer.
UEFA boost Euro 2020 prize money to €371m, winner will take €34m
By Andrew Warshaw
The 24 qualifiers for the one-off pan-Continental European Championship in 2020 will share record total prize money of €371 million, €70 million up on last time, with each of the finalists receiving a minimum of €9.25 million.
Man Utd comms chief flies south to take up UEFA role
February 27 – After 14 years at Manchester United, Phil Townsend is joining UEFA as its new managing director of communications in succession to Pedro Pinto.
VAR is not ready for Champions League, says Ceferin, even if FIFA puts it in World Cup play
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Video assistant referees (VAR) will not be used in European competition next season even if they are approved for this summer’s World Cup, according to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Ceferin and UEFA crush Jersey ambition, voting not to recognise the island as a nation
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Despite a measured and convincing plea to the whole of Europe to “put football first”, Jersey’s application to become the 56th member of UEFA was crushed at the organisation’s annual congress today when not a single federation supported its bid for inclusion.
Betting on Football conference warms gambling brands up for Russia 2018 battle
February 28 – More than 200 betting industry experts will be sharing their knowledge and opinions on a wide range of subjects in and around football and betting at next month’s Betting on Football.
Belgian clubs look for consensus on revamping Pro League format
By Samindra Kunti
February 23 – League reform was high on the agenda at a meeting of Belgian’s Pro League following plenty of discontent over the play-offs system, which was introduced in the 2009/10 season. A 14-team league in the current format with play-offs has been mooted as viable future alternative.
EFL clubs vote to close summer transfer window before season start
February 23 – English Football League clubs have voted in favour of falling into line with the Premier League and shutting the summer transfer window closer to the start of the season so that everyone knows their squads before the big kickoff, a move that has long been debated across the professional game.
Police officer dies as Spartak fans run riot in Bilbao at Europa League clash
February 23 – A police officer has died of a heart attack following violent clashes between rival fans before Athletic Bilbao’s home Europa League match against Spartak Moscow on Thursday.