January 19 – Football’s lawmaking body, the International FA Board, has confirmed that video assistant refereeing will be the main focus of attention at Monday’s interim business meeting in Zurich.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 18 – Just a few days before the video assistant referee system is expected to be given a provisional thumbs-up by football’s lawmakers, debate is raging yet again about when and how it should be used – this time in England where VARs have only just started to be trialled in certain cup games.
By Samindra Kunti
January 18 – Ronaldinho has at last called time on his professional playing career. The 37-year-old has not played at club level since leaving Brazilian side Fluminense in July 2015 and on Wednesday his agent and brother Roberto Assis announced Ronaldinho he has officially retired.
January 16 – A French referee who aimed a kick at a Nantes player before sending him off in a high-profile top-flight fixture against Paris St-Germain has been suspended “until further notice” by the French Football Association.
January 15 – Former Manchester United and Wales star Ryan Giggs has been appointed manager of his national team on a four-year contract in succession to Chris Coleman.
January 12 – The French football league (LFP) has suspended the use of goal-line technology due to a series of errors.
January 11 – Forget the often over-contrived confederation year end awards, surely a real vote is one cast by the people? If so, then the UEFA.com Fans’ Team of the Year 2017 is what really counts with a record (and remarkable) 8.77 million votes cast, an increase of 1.6 million over 2016.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 8 – When the draw is made for the last 32 of the world’s oldest and most revered domestic cup competition this evening, the name of one club will be conspicuous by its absence in the famous velvet bag.
January 8 – Video Assistant Referee (VAR) technology makes its long-awaited debut in English football tonight when Brighton face Crystal Palace in the last of the FA Cup third-round fixtures.
January 5 – Former England manager Roy Hodgson has warned that the introduction of video technology in English football will not necessarily be a positive move judging by recent instances of controversy elsewhere.
January 4 – In what they describe as a “unique partnership”, Leeds United, one of English football’s most iconic clubs striving to return to the top flight from the second-tier Championship, have joined forces with Qatar’s famed Aspire Academy in order to bring about “long term benefits to the club’s on the field performance.”
January 4 – Here we go again. Juventus reached the Coppa Italia semi-finals on Wednesday with a 2-0 win over neighbours Torino who were incensed at yet another example of video technology seemingly going wrong.
December 20 – Tottenham Hotspur have signed a deal North East health and wellbeing company Mammoth Mattresses, who will become the Official Mattress and Pillow Supplier of the Premier League Club.
December 19 – Barcelona players are more likely to be key players for their countries than those at Manchester United, Spurs, Bayern Munich or Juventus. A survey of minutes played by national A team players in 2017 saw Barca players rack up 139 matches and 10, 846 minutes.
December 19 – Sports supplement supplier Healthspan has added Tottenham Hotspur to their roster of Premier League clubs alongside Southampton. The also supply Nottingham Forest in the Championship.