By Paul Nicholson
August 17 – The UEFA Champions League and its associated Europa League club competition now looks certain to change its qualification format to head off the threat of a Super League breakaway by leading clubs.
August 17 – Konami Digital Entertainment has signed a deal with Liverpool for the video game maker’s Pro Evolution Soccer 2017 that will see the club’s players digitally reproduced in its newest game to be released September 13/14.
July 17 – Aston Villa supporters paid tribute to the club’s former striker Dalian Atkinson who died after being shot by a taser by police. The circumstances of his death are being investigated by the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), but once again raise questions about the duty of care for professional players once their careers end.
August 16 – Former FIFA president Joao Havelange has passed away, aged 100. In hospital since July with respiratory problems, he died this morning of pneumonia in a Rio de Janeiro hospital.
August 16 – The Premier league season opened with London clubs Arsenal and Chelsea packing their stadiums with barely a seat in the stadium free. But the league as a whole was on average was down on opening day last season.
By Paul Nicholson
August 16 – The Malaysian football federation has pulled out of hosting the 67th Annual FIFA Congress in Kuala Lumpur in May next year, citing security issues and on the advice of their government. The key issue appears to be the refusal of the Malaysian government to provide visas for Israeli delegates.
August 16 – Manchester City is continuing to set the pace in the digital media space, with its latest move being a content deal with India’s VEQTA to broadcast content on its sports platform.
August 16 – MLS team LA Galaxy has signed a multi-year partnership with Virtual Reality firm Laduma to create original 360-degree 3D VR content experiences around the club and its star players.
August 16 – City Football Group (CFG), owner of Manchester City, has committed to funding a Special Olympics project in Beijing, China, for the next three years.
August 16 – William Hill has agreed a three-year title sponsorship of The Football Writers’ Association (FWA), taking over from Barclays Bank after 15 years as the organisation’s principal supporter.
By Samindra Kunti
August 15 – The delirious scenes over the weekend as the Brazilian national women’s and men’s teams progressed to the semi-final brackets of their Olympic football tournaments revealed a nation desperate for success in their chosen sport, one that they know has been their national showcase to the rest of world. Olympic football in South America is important, in Brazil, at these games, it has almost reached defining importance.
August 15 – Last to turn up at the men’s Olympic football party in Brazil, could the Nigerians also be the last to leave? From being stranded in the US where plane tickets for the next leg of their journey to the tournament had not been paid, the African nation have fought their way through to the semi-finals and a match-up against Germany.
August 15 – The hate-hate relationship between Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley and and Rangers FC’s board is heading back to the Scottish courtrooms with Rangers claiming Sports Direct paid itself illegal dividends from Rangers Retail and suing former directors of the club for £4 million.
August 15 – The long march of Chinese money into Europe’s big leagues took a significant step into France’s Ligue 1 this weekend with Olympique Lyonnais owner OL Groupe announcing that Chinese investment fund IDG Capital Partners has agreed to take a 20% stake in the club.
August 15 – Roma’s proposed Stadio della Roma may not have started its build yet but it does have management consultants contracted, emphasising AS Roma’s American president Jim Pallota’s ambition for the club to build a new home in what is a challenging local construction environment.