By Samindra Kunti
March 25 – UEFA has said it could fundamentally overhaul the Financial Fair Play (FFP) system, owing to the economic reality of European football during the Covid-19 pandemic and the clubs’ need for liquidity. The governing body has began a consultation process with the industry’s relevant stakeholders.
March 25 – Turkey stunned the Netherlands with a Burak Yilmaz hattrick to win 4-2 in the opening round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers and leave the Dutch campaign in the doldrums.
March 25 – Cameroon have vehemently denied they were responsible for an email blunder which forced their captain, Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, to miss out on selection for the national team against Cape Verde and Rwanda in Group F of African Nations Cup qualifiers.
March 25 – On what was dubbed ‘Equal Pay Day’, members of the US national women’s team met president Joe Biden Wednesday and expressed their ongoing concern over their wage discrimination battle with the US Soccer Federation that has plagued both parties.
March 24 – South American governing body Conmebol incurred a loss of $14.5 million in 2020 due the Covid-19 pandemic, the organisation announced on Tuesday at its annual congress.
March 24 – African teams enter the final stretch of qualifying today (Wednesday) for the 2022 Africa Cup of Nations in Cameroon, with 19 spots still up for grabs. Some matches will be played with fans in the stands.
March 24 – Having had one request turned down, Albania’s FA is having a second crack at trying to persuade the authorities to allow a limited number of fans to attend their World Cup qualifier against England on Sunday – this time suggesting they are first vaccinated against coronavirus.
March 24 – Norway’s threat of a World Cup boycott in protest at Qatar’s human rights record is set to take centre stage in Gibraltar tonight when the visiting Norwegian team uses the 2022 qualifier to express its support for migrant workers helping the host nation prepare for the tournament.
March 24 – Real Madrid have received a boost with the news they will not be forced to play the ‘home’ leg of their upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie against Liverpool on neutral ground.
March 23 – There is a reason why it is forbidden for athletes (in any sport) to wager on events in which they themselves participate – doing so endangers the integrity of the event. But the threat is very real as a current Romanian football case shows.
By Paul Nicholson
March 23 – Allegations of covid test tampering have hit the CAF Champions League group stages, with clubs whose players have tested negative before leaving their country, being told they have tested positive following a second test in the host country.
March 23 – Just days before the start of the country’s World Cup qualifying programme, Serbian football has been plunged into scandal and chaos with the resignation of federation president Slavisa Kokeza after he was linked to an organised crime group accused of murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
March 23 – UEFA is pushing the carbon-neutral message via a public awareness campaign – ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ – during the European Under-21 Championships in take place in Hungary and Slovenia that kicks off its group stages tomorrow.
March 23 – As the coronavirus pandemic deepens in Brazil, the country’s football competitions have been plunged into chaos with pressure mounting for a complete suspension of the national game.
