Argentina’s Tapia takes seat at FIFA’s top table
October 23 – Four years after the death of Julio Grondona, once the second-most powerful man in world football, Argentina has temporarily regained a place at the top table of FIFA.
DFL launches Virtual Bundesliga with call for club entries for Jan 2019 kick off
October 23 – Germany’s DFL will kick off its first esports league, the VBL Club Championship (Virtual Bundesliga), on the EA Sports FIFA 19 platform in January next year. Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 teams have until December 21 to register teams.
UK tax collectors target player image rights deals
October 23 – The UK tax authorities are following the Spanish lead and focussing on payments to players for their image rights that have not been declared for tax. The payments are made separate to the player’s salary and are often taken outside the UK by companies holding the rights, rather than directly to the players or managers.
End of era for host broadcasting as Tellier steps down at HBS
By David Owen
October 23 – Next month will bring the end of a football broadcasting era, with Francis Tellier set to step down as chief executive of Host Broadcast Services (HBS) after almost two decades.
Boost for SPFL as Betfred extends Scottish League Cup title sponsorship
October 22 – Bookmaker Betfred has agreed a one-year extension to its title sponsorship of the Scottish League Cup taking the company through to the end of the 2019/20 season.
AFC leaders pay tribute to passing of Peter Velappen, 83
October 22 – Asian football is mourning the death of former Asian Football Confederation general secretary Peter Velappen, for years the public face of Asian football, with the tributes led by AFC president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa.
Media attacker Rummenigge bites the hand that feeds him
October 22 – Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge has launched an unprecedented attack on the media for their criticism of the German giants, even citing the country’s constitution.
European Leagues call on UEFA to cut CL places for Big 4 leagues and redistribute wealth
By Andrew Warshaw
October 22 – Bemoaning the fact that Europe’s top 14 clubs pocket around half the revenue on offer from the Champions league, the umbrella organisation for Europe’s major leagues have renewed their call to UEFA to impose greater competitive balance between the haves and have-nots.
PSG esports builds in China with joint LGD Gaming team to play FIFA Online
October 22 – Paris Saint-Germain has expanded its esports division partnership with Chinese esports organisation LGD Gaming to form a FIFA Online team as it builds its brand presence on the continent.
US Club Soccer launches Players First grassroots licensing system
October 22 – Amateur club organisation US Club Soccer, which has more than 4,000 members across the US, has launched a club certification system based on its Players First philosophy.
China looks overseas for 100 coaches to work in grassroots with youth and local trainers
October 22 – The Chinese Football Association (CFA) has launched a project to recruit 100 foreign football coaches to work at grassroots centres across the country.
NISA announces Philadelphia as second team location as it prepares for 2019 debut
October 22 – The National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) has announced Philadelphia as the second city to have a team in the third tier league when it kicks off play in 2019. While the location in the City of Brotherly Love has been announced, the club’s home venue, ownership and team name is still to be released.
Blast from the past: Dyke lambasts FA over Wembley sale
October 22 – The proposed £600 million sale of Wembley stadium that would have helped fund the development of grass-roots football in England collapsed because of “old men” who are “living in the past” according to former Football Association chairman Greg Dyke.
Prince Ali dumps football politics to focus on AFDP social development initiative
By Andrew Warshaw
October 19 – Having failed with two attempts to land the FIFA presidency, Jordan’s Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein had decided he has had enough of being involved at the top end of football’s often bitter and divisive political bureaucracy in order to concentrate on trying to use the game as a tool for social development to help deprived communities.
France 2019 Women’s World Cup tickets go on-sale starting at €25
October 19 – Tickets for the 2019 Women’s World Cup in France go on sale this afternoon on FIFA’s website.