Mourinho favourites Man Utd and Spurs for Europa League, looks forward to win bonus for 2017/18 EPL win
October 24 – The self-styled Special One appears to have lost none of his mischievous, outspoken impishness.
World Football
Brazil dominate Copa Libertadores with Botafogo and Atletico Mineiro taking big semi-final leads
October 24 – Once again the Copa Libertadores is heading for an all-Brazilian final after Botafogo and Atletico Mineiro won the first legs of their semi-finals convincingly.
Kenyan authorities arrest Francis Gaitho, one of Africa’s bravest football and political commentators
October 24 – Kenyan political and football commentator Francis Gaitho was arrested Tuesday night at the house that he was staying in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.
Motsepe gives Mosengo-Omba vote of confidence as Swiss and FIFA corruption probes continue
October 23 – Confederation of African Football (CAF) boss Patrice Motsepe has defended the organisation’s general secretary Véron Mosengo-Omba, who is under investigation for alleged misconduct.
CAF rethinks rules as Libya denies gamesmanship over abandoned Nigerian tie
October 23 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) is reviewing rules on the treatment of away teams following the suspension of the Africa Cup of Nations qualifier between Libya and Nigeria because of a diverted flight.
PSG fans keep up their homophobic snearing
October 23 – A section of Paris Saint-Germain fans loudly jeered an announcement before Tuesday’s home draw with PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League that reminded supporters that discriminatory chanting is prohibited.
All Messi all the time; MLS and Apple remake a Zidane classic
October 23 – In 2006 a French documentary film, Zidane, A 21st Century Portrait trained 17 synchronized cameras on the French legend during a match between Real Madrid and Villarreal. On October 25 MLS, in collaboration with Apple TV, and TikTok will revisit the groundbreaking piece by putting their entire focus on Argentine, and Inter Miami captain, Lionel Messi.
Pixel FC Academy aims to open the doors for women into football media’s man-cave
October 23 – The blending of technology, media, and football never stops, and neither does the growth of women’s football. Google Pixel and The Powerhouse Project have teamed up with Arsenal, Liverpool and the FA to create and launch the Pixel FC Academy.
Romanian FA blows final whistle on scandal-hit Nordis’ referees sponsorship
October 23 – The Romanian Football Federation has terminated its sponsorship contract with Nordis Group. The real estate company was the main sponsor of the FRF Referees Committee, and its logo was on the shirts of the Romanian referees.
Motsepe confirms $50m Lagardere pay-off, promises $1bn for CAF and awards bumper pay-rises
October 22 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed that the organisation paid $50 million in an out-of-court settlement to former marketing company Lagardere after the 2019 cancelation of a $1 billion contract.
LaLiga seeks greenlight for Barca vs Atletico US smash-and-grab raid in Miami
October 22 – Pressure is building on FIFA and the US Soccer Federation from LaLiga to sanction a regular season game in the United States.
Motsepe rubberstamps pay rises for member association presidents as CAF reports $9m loss
October 22 – Notwithstanding the fragile finances of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), the continent’s top football officials have been granted a pay rise following approval by the organization’s general assembly.
US Soccer threatens its youth soccer eco-system with chaos over age-group date change
October 22 – In 2016 the United States Soccer Federation finally fell in line with the world in regard to youth soccer age classification. The previous system using the school calendar (August 1st cutoff) was consigned to the scrap heap and the birth year January (1st cutoff) became the defining factor.
Serbian police attached by FC Novi Pazar ultras locked out of stadium
October 22 – Six police officers were injured after FC Novi Pazar ultras attacked law enforcement officers before the Serbian league match against Partizan.
Barca agree 5-year deal with Mali’s Africa Foot to develop players
October 21 – FC Barcelona has announced a five-year partnership with Africa Foot, a second-division Malian club, to support the ‘technical and behavioural’ development of its players in a huge leap forward for Malian Football.