FIFA and Alibaba retake their vows in not-so-new deal for Club World Club
By Paul Nicholson
November 24 – FIFA and Alibaba seem to have re-announced a sponsorship for the Club World Cup that was first unveiled in 2015.
EFL issues tender for new charity partner
November 24 – The English Football League (EFL), has opened a tender process for its official charity partner. It’s current charity partner is Prostate Cancer UK which has raised more than £2 million to support research into finding better ways of diagnosing and treating prostate cancer.
Mopani Copper Mines digs deep for COSAFA U-20 title sponsorship
November 24 – The sub-regional confederation for Southern African FA’s (COSAFA) has signed Mopani Copper Mines as the title sponsor of the 2017 COSAFA U-20 Championships to be played in Zambia from December 6-16.
South Korea challenges China as it names cities for 2023 Asian Cup bid
By Paul Nicholson
November 23 – South Korea has moved along its bid plans for hosting the 2023 Asian Cup by announcing the eight cities that will host matches if it wins the bid. South Korea is up against China and potentially India in the race for the hosting rights.
Thai police warn of more arrests in escalating match-fixing probe
November 23 – Thai police are preparing for a second round of arrests after 12 people were taken into custody and charged with match-fixing earlier this week.
Going Dutch? Sports minister says KNVB must end women’s pay exploitation
By Samindra Kunti
November 23 – Dutch Minister for Sport Bruno Bruins wants the Dutch FA (KNVB) to consider narrowing the salary gap between professional men’s and women’s football in the Netherlands.
Israel declare ‘crisis’ as it falls behind Palestine in FIFA rankings
November 23 – Talk about adding insult to injury. As if Israel’s off-the-field dispute with the Palestinians in the occupied territories wasn’t divisive enough, the Israelis now have to stomach the fact they are behind their “neighbours” in the latest FIFA world rankings.
Niasse’s big dive turns into a bellyflop as PL bans him for ‘deception’
November 23 – Oumar Niasse of Everton has become the first Premier League player to be banned retrospectively for diving since new rules came into effect in May.
ACL final set to smash attendance records in second leg in Japan
By Ian Griffiths
November 23 – Saturday’s Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League title decider between Urawa Red Diamonds and Al Hilal is set to break the competition’s attendance record for a two-legged final.
UEFA could see red over Carvajal’s ‘deliberate’ yellow
November 23 – The phrase “cheats never prosper” doesn’t always apply to footballers but Real Madrid defender Dani Carvajal is facing an additional two-match Champions League ban after appearing to deliberately get himself booked in Wednesday’s 6-0 win at Apoel Nicosia.
Vote opens as CONCACAF unveils nominees for 2017 awards, a mix of old and new
November 12 – CONCACAF has released the nominees for its 2017 awards, the fifth time the confederation has held the awards for performances based in its competitions.
Former Anzhi owner Kerimov questioned in France for tax evasion
November 23 – The former owner of Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala has reportedly been questioned for two days in France following his arrest on suspicion of tax evasion.
Bayern fans protest at €100 tickets for Anderlecht game
November 23 – Germany’s Bundesliga is proud of its reputation for fair play when it comes to ticket prices so it was no surprise when Bayern Munich fans who travelled to Belgium for Wednesday’s Champions League game against Anderlecht vented their fury after being charged €100.
Stoke potter along nicely with doubling of profit to £4.9m
By David Owen
November 23 – Stoke City, the Midlands club enjoying a 10th consecutive season in the Premier League, have revealed an uptick in profits, as a jump in turnover attributable to the league’s latest TV deal was not passed on in higher wage costs.
Hull’s Tigers cash in on brief Premier League cameo with £35m profit
By David Owen
November 23 – Hull City have posted a bumper pre-tax profit of £35.7 million for the year to end-June 2017 – a period coinciding with the club’s brief return to the Premier League.