July 25 – Spain’s national federation (RFEF) has created a new second tier league for its women’s clubs with the aim of promoting and strengthening the women’s game in the country.
July 25 – FIFA has named its 10 shortlisted nominees for Best Men’s and Women’s players for the year. The men’s award – usually a run-off between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo – for the first time in many years looks wide open.
July 25 – China’s Suning Sports, part of the Suning group of companies that owns Italy’s Internazionale, is moving more aggressively into the sports business with a find raising reported to have raised $600 million.
July 24 – After months of political in-fighting and with the threat of a FIFA ban hanging over the country, Nigeria has spectacularly restored Amaju Pinnick as its federation president.
July 24 – United Nations Geneva director-general Michael Møller has emphaasised the importance of the role sport has to play in breaking down boundaries between nations and cultures. He also talked of the importance of integrity in enabling sport to achieve it potential in this regard.
July 24 – Italy’s Parma, promoted back into Serie A at the end of last season, will keep their place in the top tier but will start the season five points behind their rivals after striker Emanuele Calaiò was ruled guilty of attempting to fix Parma’s final match of the season against Spezia.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 24 – The German Football Association (DFB) has hit back strongly over Mesut Ozil’s claims over racism and disrespect but conceded they could have done more to protect him.
July 24 – Ethiopia and Eritrea, at war for 20 years until a recent peace accord and rapprochement, have agreed to stage an historic friendly in August.
July 24 – Hyundai have added their first club sponsorship in Italy becoming AS Roma’s new Global Automotive Partner in a three-year deral that will see the Hyundai logo on the back of AS Roma shirts.
July 24 – Amazon Prime Video has released a trailer for its Manchester City docu-series that will launch on the streaming service August 17.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – In a remarkable move that has spilled over into the political arena, Arsenal’s German international midfielder Mesut Ozil has quit international football at the age of just 29 claiming he can no longer take the “racism and disrespect” he says he has faced over his Turkish roots.
July 23 – The political in-fighting plaguing Nigerian football has taken another twist with the man ousted as head of the national federation (NFF) being personally endorsed by his confederation.
July 23 – In a rare ruling against football’s authorities, AC Milan have been reinstated into the Europa League next season after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) overturned UEFA’s decision to exclude them for infringing financial fair play (FFP) rules.
July 23 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s €117 million transfer from Real Madrid to Juventus has polarised opinion with car union protests over the ‘immoral’ size of his transfer and wages, and fan excitement at what he will bring to the Italian champions.
July 23 – Aston Villa is under new majority control after billionaire businessmen Naseef Sawiris and Wes Edens bought a reported 55% controlling stake in the club for £30 million from Chinese owner Tony Xia.