Minutes after chairing his first executive committee meeting as the seventh president in UEFA’s 62-year history, a suitably attired Aleksander Ceferin approached a lift on the lower ground floor at the luxury resort complex where the organisation’s top brass had been staying.
September 16 – Gillette has upgraded its regional sponsorship of FC Barcelona to become a global partner in a new three-year deal.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 16 – The United Nations’ top sports expert believes the controversial treatment of migrant workers in Qatar may never have been highlighted globally had the 2022 World Cup not been handed to the Gulf state but still questions whether the tournament should be staged there.
September 16 – Chinese businessman Guochuan Lai has completed his £175 million acquisition of West Bromwich Albion following the deal being approved by the Premier League this week.
September 16 – German pay-TV sports network Sky Deutschland has announced it will add a new web channel that will focus on video content, skysport.de.
September 16 – With the Rio Paralympic Games in full swing, the Johan Cruyff Foundation has opened a Special Cruyff Court for blind and visually impaired people on the premises of Urece, an organisation that gives blind and partially sighted people the opportunity to play sports.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 15 – He said it would be his first priority as the voice of the disadvantaged. But UEFA’s new president, Alexander Ceferin, will almost certainly be unable to scrap controversial changes to the Champions League that have played into the hands of Europe’s most powerful clubs and infuriated major leagues who say they were not properly consulted.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 15 – The new head of Germany’s football federation says the burgeoning 2006 World Cup scandal that has rocked the country’s image will not stop its pursuit of Euro 2024.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 15 – Europe’s newly elected female representative on FIFA’s ruling council says she hopes to change opinions about women’s football – not least false perceptions about the sexuality of some of the players.
September 14 – This is real but the concept is a little surreal. Chinese firm UBTECH have become the first Official Robot Partner of Manchester City.
September 15 – The latest FIFA national team rankings shows some significant changes after an international fixture schedule that saw 61 qualifiers played for World Cup Russia 2018, and a further 26 matches in continental qualifying competitions.
September 18 – The AFC Under 16 Champions kick off today in Goa, India, with four games including the hosts India against the United Arab Emirates at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, while current champions Australia will face Kyrgystan at the GMC Stadium.
September 15 – Gaming console manufacturer PlayStation has launched its fourth season of sponsorship of the English Schools’ FA and the PlayStation®Schools’ Cup, the biggest grassroots football competition in England.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – Aleksander Ceferin, the left-field candidate who gained pivotal widespread backing in the final weeks of campaigning, was elected UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini today, sweeping into office with a thumping 42-13 ballot victory over his only rival, Dutch football chief Michael van Praag.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 14 – Not many people outside his inner circle had heard of Aleksander Ceferin until the Slovenian launched his candidacy for UEFA president. But everyone knows who he is now and the new kid on the block insists he is well capable of delivering the changes the organisation needs, not least revisiting the hugely divisive Champions League deal that favours a bunch of Europe’s top clubs.