By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
June 20 – Will the real Super Mario please stand up. That is the clarion cry among German fans ahead of the misfiring world champions’ final Euro 2016 group game against Michael O’Neill’s Northern Ireland here Tuesday.
June 20 – The Welsh dragon will need to be at its fiery best to beat the Russians to a qualifying spot, and it hopefully will not ignite Russian fans. England can afford to be a little more sedate against Slovakia but that might not be a smart move.
June 18 – Belgium vs Republic of Ireland – Eden Hazard and Kevin de Bruyne both missed training earlier this week but are expected to play. Romelu Lukaku’s place as Belgium’s lone forward is most under threat should coach Marc Wilmots decide to make changes from the side beaten by Italy.
June 17 – When Turkey take on Spain today looking for salvation in their attempt to remain at Euro 2016, arguably the country’s biggest ever footballing star was on trial in absentia in an Istanbul court on charges of insulting President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on social media.
By Paul Nicholson
June 14 – The dispute in Spain over how much tax was payable on the transfer of Neymar from Santos in Brazil to FC Barcelona in 2013 appears to have been resolved with the club agreeing to pay a €5.5 million fine.
June 10 – Kosovo and Gibraltar, both accepted into the FIFA fold last month, have as expected been fast-tracked into the 2018 World Cup qualifying programme that kicks off in September.
June 9 – Momentum is gathering behind Slovenian FA president Aleksander Čeferin in his bid to become president of UEFA. The Estonian FA have announced that they would support his candidacy. Čeferin has still to admit his official nomination but that now only looks to be a formality.
By Paul Nicholson
June 8 – The race for the UEFA presidency looks certain to have a new candidate with Slovenian FA president Aleksander Čeferin expected to submit his nomination within the next 48 hours.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 7 – As tension mounts ahead of Euro 2016, both on and off the pitch, Paris’ police chief promised he would be receiving thousands of reinforcements and that his force was as prepared as it could be to face the threat of terrorist activity.
By Paul Nicholson
June 7 – Brazil and Barcelona striker Neymar faces his second prosecution this year for tax evasion. Having been convicted of tax fraud and ordered to pay €45.9 million in fines and back-taxes in March in Brazil, now Spanish prosecutors want him to go trial in their country.
By Paul Nicholson
June 6 – Serie A giants Inter Milan have completed the sale of a 69% stake in the club to Chinese retail giants Suning Holdings Group, one of the three largest Chinese non-state owned enterprises with close to $50 billion in annual sales.
By Samindra Kunti
June 3 – Belgium may be one of the favorites to win Euro2016, but the Belgian FA, the KBVB, has been suffering from a €4.5 million loss since the 2014 World Cup.
By Paul Nicholson
June 2 – Angel Maria Villar Llona, the controversial president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and current interim president at UEFA, has been summoned to appear in court in Spain in July charged with deliberately delaying presidential elections at the RFEF.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 2 – France’s attempt at a harmonious build-up to the start of Euro 2016 has been rocked after star striker Karim Benzema lashed out at coach Didier Deschamps for “bowing to the pressure of a racist part of France” when omitting him from the hosts’ squad.
June 2 – Chinese retailer Suning Commerce is reportedly close to buying a 60% stake in Inter Milan, the latest foray into European football by Chinese investors.