Tackling Matchfixing: Just 10 days left to register for conference
February 27 – There are just 10 days left to register for the Tackling Matchfixing conference, March 9/10, at the Chelsea Harbour Hotel, London.
UEFA boost Euro 2020 prize money to €371m, winner will take €34m
By Andrew Warshaw
The 24 qualifiers for the one-off pan-Continental European Championship in 2020 will share record total prize money of €371 million, €70 million up on last time, with each of the finalists receiving a minimum of €9.25 million.
Forget Neymar and Messi, Eden Hazard tops European club dribblers
February 27 – Chelsea’s Eden Hazard is the world’s leading dribbler of the ball so far this season, topping Neymar and Lionel Messi in an analysis of Europe’s Big 5 league players.
Infantino sticks by VAR decision and maintains pressure for 2018 World Cup debut
By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 – Gianni Infantino says he has had no second thoughts about using video assistant referees (VAR) at the World Cup despite a string of controversial incidents that have called into question how effective the system is.
Spurs seek away games start to 2018/19 season as stadium debut pushed back to September
February 27 – Tottenham Hotspur’s eagerly awaited 61,000-capacity, state-of-the-art new stadium may not quite be ready in time for the start of next season according to English media reports.
UEFA charge Atalanta for fans’ racist chants at Batshuayi
February 27 – Atalanta have officially been charged by UEFA after their fans aimed monkey chants at Borussia Dortmund’s on-loan forward Michy Batshuayi during their recent Europa League clash.
They don’t like Mondays. Dortmund’s yellow wall cracks over TV match scheduling
February 27 – German fans have staged more protests about top-flight matches being staged on Monday nights when some 25,000 Borussia Dortmund supporters stayed away from this week’s fixture against Augsburg.
Gold Cup to expand to 16 teams as CONCACAF opens up hosting to member nations
February 27 – The next edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the confederation’s blue riband national team tournament held every two years, will be expanded from 12 to 16 teams in 2019.
FIFA backs out of €26m Neymar bonus row with Barca, as dispute goes to court
February 27 – FIFA have decided to take no action in a dispute between Paris St Germain’s Brazilian star Neymar and his previous club Barcelona over an alleged unpaid €26 million loyalty bonus.
Man Utd comms chief flies south to take up UEFA role
February 27 – After 14 years at Manchester United, Phil Townsend is joining UEFA as its new managing director of communications in succession to Pedro Pinto.
Calm after the storm. LaLiga reports quiet betting markets after 32 matchfixing arrests
By Paul Nicholson
February 26 – The first weekend of football in Spain’s leagues after the dramatic arrests of 32 suspected matchfixers last week has seen a welcome return to normality in the Spanish football betting markets. LaLiga head of integrity Alfredo Lorenzo, said that the “from the intelligence we have on Segunda B and the Third Division, it is completely flat.”
VAR is not ready for Champions League, says Ceferin, even if FIFA puts it in World Cup play
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Video assistant referees (VAR) will not be used in European competition next season even if they are approved for this summer’s World Cup, according to UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin.
Ceferin and UEFA crush Jersey ambition, voting not to recognise the island as a nation
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – Despite a measured and convincing plea to the whole of Europe to “put football first”, Jersey’s application to become the 56th member of UEFA was crushed at the organisation’s annual congress today when not a single federation supported its bid for inclusion.
Political football. Saudi Arabia gives the Qatar 2022 World Cup another kick
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – The increasingly hostile Saudi-led diplomatic spat with Qatar, which recently spilled over into football, has taken an unsavoury new twist with the Saudis apparently briefing some German media that the Gulf state could be stripped of hosting the 2022 World Cup.
Guardiola calls for humanity with yellow ribbon, as Man City brutally dismantle Arsenal
February 26 – In picking up his first trophy as manager of Manchester City, Pep Guardiola was conspicuous for defiantly continuing to wear a yellow ribbon in support of imprisoned Catalan politicians despite being previously charged by English football authorities for what is regarded as a rule-breaking political statement.