By Andrew Warshaw in Geneva
September 10 – Europe’s leading clubs are expected today (Tuesday) to back FIFA president Sepp Blatter’s call for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar to be switched to winter as a one-off. The formal part of the European Club Association’s annual general assembly in Geneva will focus on the election of a number of new executive board members but behind the scenes the discussions will be all about 2022.
By Mark Baber
September 9 – Barcelona announced on Sunday a three year deal with UAE’s United Arab Bank (UAB) – its first partnership with a financial institution outside of Spain and Andorra.
By Mark Baber
September 6 – English Football Conference South club Farnborough FC, who recently emerged from administration with support from bookmaker Paddy Power, have been given permission by the Football Conference Board to compete in the Conference from tomorrow, albeit the players will have to compete under their real names.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 6 – Coaches of many of Europe’s leading clubs have backed UEFA President Michel Platini’s suggestion to shorten the summer transfer window in order to allow for greater stability and planning.
By Mark Baber
September 5 – Lionel Messi and his father Jorge have paid €5 million (£4.2 million) over to the Spanish tax authorities, leading a Catalan court to deny a request from the State Agency for Tax Administration to set bail for the accused pair in the legal process of their pending tax fraud trial.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 5 – Whilst the speech of new FA chairman Greg Dyke highlighted the dearth of English players in the Premier league eligible for the national team, buried in the text was evidence of a lack of highly skilled English coaches.
By Mark Baber
September 5 – Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has been cleared by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) of breaking advertising rules banning subliminal promotional messages and no further action will be taken after it was decided a tweet he had posted plugging Nike was “obviously identifiable as a marketing communication.”
By Andrew Warshaw
September 5 – The new head of English football has targeted winning the 2022 World Cup as a genuine goal but has painted a bleak picture of the current state of the national team which is still without a major trophy for almost half a century.
September 4 – A Mass will be held to remember Stefano Borgonovo tomorrow, September 5 at 18:30 in the Basilica of Santa Maria Novella in Florence.
By Mark Baber
September 4 – The Czech FA (FAČR) has approved a plan to bid to be one of the 13 tournament hosts of the 2020 European Championships and will be submitting an application to UEFA prior to the September 12 deadline.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – A Saudi prince is taking a 50% stake in ailing English third-tier club Sheffield United, the latest incursion into English football by Middle East investors but the first by a Saudi benefactor.
By Paul Nicholson
September 3 – Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has reacted swiftly to accusations from Brazil that he has benefitted illegally from friendly matches involving the Brazilian national team. He has also confirmed that he “consulted” his friend Ricardo Teixeira on his move to Andorra, where Rosell has an agency.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 3 – Kosovan football authorities have written to FIFA president Sepp Blatter condemning Russia’s refusal to grant a visa to a Swiss-based Kosovan player for a recent Europa League fixture.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 3 – Despite UEFA’s financial fair play regulations, English Premier League clubs spent a record £630 million in the summer transfer window that slammed shut on Monday, according to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. The new tally easily beat the previous record of £500 million set back in 2008, with clubs able to take advantage of the Premier League’s massive television deal without which spending would have been far lower.
By Mark Baber
September 3 – There have been calls for UEFA to intervene as the ticket office of FCK København has been cancelling ticket purchases for its forthcoming Champions League games against Juventus, Real Madrid and Galatasaray made by people with ‘foreign-sounding’ names. The clubs it is acting on “security grounds”.