Title-chasing Liverpool confirm £125m world record profit
By David Owen
February 8 – Liverpool have confirmed that they have become the first football club in history to report an annual pre-tax profit of more than £100 million.
Brazil’s video-linked Del Nero pleads innocence to FIFA’s appeals committee
February 8 – In a seven-hour testimony former CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero has pleaded his innocence to FIFA’s Appeals Committee in a bid to avoid an enforced exit from Brazil’s supreme football body. Del Nero was banned for life from football by FIFA in April 2017 for taking bribes.
FifaGate: Booze-battling Guatemalan FA boss Jimenez set free with $350K fine
February 8 – Former Guatemalan FA chief Brayan Jimenez has been sentenced to time served and ordered to forfeit $350,000 after pleading guilty for his role in the FIFA corruption scandal.
FIFA activate legends for media campaign leading into France 2019 Women’s World Cup
February 8 – FIFA have launched a social media campaign featuring 23 legends of the women’s and men’s game ahead of the Women’s World Cup with the aim of increasing global support for women’s football.
Football Benchmark report suggests transfer trend towards younger players and loanees
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – The spectacular drop in spending in the January transfer window of $325 million ($979 million in 2018 vs $654 million in 2019) is examined in the latest report from the KPMG Football Benchmark team.
Somalia to host Eritrea U-20s in first home international since 1988
February 8 – International football will return to Somalia for the first time in 30 years when the country stages an U-20 game against Eritrea later this month.
UEFA will have its OTT broadcast platform ready for 2019/20 season, says Ceferin
February 8 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin confirmed that the governing body’s over-the-top streaming service should be complete in the next six months in time for the the 2019/2020 season.
Deloitte agrees USSF deal with focus on SheBelieves programme
February 8 – The U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF) has signed Deloitte as its Official Professional Services Provider and Foundational Sponsor of SheBelieves.
Sala’s body is recovered from seabed wreckage
February 8 – The body recovered from the wreckage of the light aircraft carrying Emiliano Sala to his new club Cardiff City, which tragically plunged into the English Channel, is that of the Argentine-born footballer, police have confirmed.
Man Utd, a cut above the rest with new Remington global deal
February 8 – With Manchester United having spectacularly put the dark and brooding days of Jose Mourinho’s team management behind them with an unbeaten run since Ole Gunnar Solsjaer took over, so they continue to dominate in the marketing and sponsorship race.
UEFA Congress: Al-Khelaifi and Clarke take seats at Europe’s top table
By Andrew Warshaw
February 7 – Calls for UEFA to block the election of Paris Saint Germain supremo Nasser Al Khelaifi to its executive committee fell on deaf ears today when he was duly added to the organisation’s inner sanctum.
Ceferin tells FIFA it must respect UEFA’s views and warns of ‘delusional’ leadership
By Andrew Warshaw
February 7 – On the day he was re-elected as UEFA president for four more years, Aleksander Ceferin pulled no punches in his opposition to FIFA’s controversial proposals to change the landscape of world football, declaring he would not be a “yes man” over the highly divisive $25 billion project
Asian teams surge up the FIFA rankings with Qatar jumping 38 places
February 7 – The Asian Cup win for Qatar last Friday in the UAE has pushed the hosts of the 2022 World Cup 38 places up the FIFA Rankings, released today, to 55th position, the highest spot the country has achieved since 1993.
Super League talk benched as UEFA and ECA sign MoU to 2024
February 7 – UEFA and European Club Association have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding until 2024 in a move that kills off talk of a European Super League.
VAR to debut in CL: UEFA’s Rosetti says it must be used sparingly and ‘consistently’
February 7 – With VAR set to make its Champions League debut in next week’s last-16 clashes, UEFA’s refereeing chief Roberto Rosetti (pictured) has stressed it must be used sparingly.