Dutch plan roll out of video refs in Eredvisie within 3 years
By Samindra Kunti
February 10 – The Dutch FA KNVB has targeted the introduction of video referee assistance in the Dutch top-flight the Eredivisie within the next three years.
Europe
Dortmund fans serve tennis ball protest over ticket prices
February 10 – The Bundesliga is often held up as a paragon of fairness when it comes to ticket prices. But it’s all relative and fans of Borussia Dortmund fans boycotted the first 20 minutes of their 3-1 quarter-final win over Stuttgart on Tuesday, then threw tennis balls on to the pitch, causing an unusual first-half interruption.
Clubs discuss Champions League change with Super League spectre lurking
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – Europe’s top clubs are playing down renewed talk of a breakaway super league but are discussing how the Champions League might be tweaked in the future.
German FA launches legal action against Beckenbauer and FIFA over dubious payment
By Mark Baber
February 9 – The German Football Federation (DFB) has confirmed that it has launched legal proceedings against the 2006 World Cup Organizing Committee, which includes Franz Beckenbauer and former DFB presidents Theo Zwanziger and Wolfgang Niersbach, as well as Horst R. Schmidt and Fedor Radmann in order to protect itself from potential damages of up to €25 million.
Panic buyers: 5 PL clubs ‘overpay’ for players in January window
February 8 – The Jonjo Shelvey transfer showed €14.9 million of value to Newcastle, but they overpaid by €7 million for Andros Townsend, according to the latest report from the CIES Football Observatory.
Lazio escape with fine after racist chanting returns to Stadio Olimpico
By Mark Baber
February 5 – Racist chants by Lazio supporters, which led to the referee halting their Wednesday game against Napoli temporarily, have resulted in Lazio being fined €50,000 (£38,250) and being forced to close three sections of their Stadio Olimpico ground for their next two Serie A home games.
Rangers: King battles to rebuild the walls of his Scottish castle
By Paul Nicholson
February 5 – Glasgow Rangers, the fallen giants that had to start life again in the fourth tier of Scottish football, have taken a step closer to cleaning up their financial position with hostile shareholder and business partner Mike Ashley by confirming they have repaid a £5 million from Ashley while at the same time serving notice on the retail deal with Ashley’s Sports Direct.
French League loses court battle with FFF over relegation places
By Mark Baber
February 4 – France’s highest administrative court – the Conseil d’Etat – has ruled against the French Football League’s legal bid to reduce the number of teams relegated from the top flight from three to two.
FIFPro slams FIFA reforms as useless for its player members
February 4 – Proposed reforms to clean up football’s scandal-plagued world governing body will not in any way benefit the players, according to their union FIFPro.
A message from Germany to Qatar: We like your money but we don’t like you
By Mark Baber
February 3 – A German court has ruled former president of the German soccer federation Theo Zwanziger was exercising his right to free speech in referring to Qatar as a “cancerous growth of world football” just as Germany’s most successful club, Bayern Munich, signed a partnership with Qatar’s Hamad International Airport.
Zero tolerance? UEFA halves Dynamo Kiev’s racism sanctions in time for Man City visit
February 3 – Dynamo Kiev will no longer have to face Manchester City in the Champions League behind closed doors after UEFA’s appeals committee controversially reduced a sanction imposed for racist behaviour and crowd disturbances.
Brussels’ €432m new stadium plan hits environmental and cost roadblocks
By Samindra Kunti
February 2 – Brussels’s EURO2020 stadium may face delays in construction after an environmental report cast doubt over the viability of the venue. The projected public funding of €432 million is also raising eyebrows.
Mancini’s Milan derby rant results in one-game ban
January 2 – Under-fire Inter Milan boss Roberto Mancini has been given a one-game ban for his antics during Sunday’s derby defeat.
Premier League transfer spend tops £1bn as Dele Alli factor becomes apparent
By David Owen
February 2 – Next season’s new surge of broadcast income for Premier League clubs appeared to exert a heavy influence on another lacklustre January transfer window, with clubs in the relegation or promotion scraps in the top two tiers of English football accounting for a high proportion of expenditure.
Man Utd, Bournemouth and Newcastle have used most players, Arsenal the least
February 2 – Latest CIES Football Observatory figures show that in the Premier League Manchester United, Newcastle and Bournemouth have each used 28 players so far this season, while Arsenal have used just 21. Across Europe’s other Big 5 leagues Nice in France’s Ligue 1 have used more players that any other club with 33.