October 13 – After yet another bitter Scottish disappointment, Gordon Strachan has stepped down as manager of the national team after their failure to qualify for the playoffs of the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – He was the FIFA trouble-shooter who was eventually fired himself and fell spectacularly from grace. But now Jerome Valcke, for eight years Sepp Blatter’s right-hand man, has gone public with a vigorous defence of his reputation.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – Players from Colombia and Peru have denied they deliberately colluded to make sure both had a chance of qualifying for next year’s World Cup in Russia.
October 12 – Portuguese legend Luis Figo, who ran for FIFA president two years ago before pulling out of the race with a stinging attack on the electoral process, has joined UEFA as a football advisor.
By Mark Baber
October 12 – Nike and the Portuguese Football Federation have extended their long-term partnership until 2024. No value was announced for the deal.
October 12 – The United States’ failure to qualify for next year’s World Cup in Russia marks a “sad and dark moment” for the game in the country says former star defender Alexi Lalas.
By Samindra Kunti, New Delhi, India
October 12 – Hosts India must beat Ghana in their final group A game to keep their World Cup dreams alive. Brazil, France and England, all undefeated, have emerged as early favourites.
October 12 – Sports agency IMG has won the international TV sales rights to Italy’s Serie A in a three-year deal reportedly worth €371 million per season. The price marks a doubling of the value of the Italian overseas rights as well as a switch in agency.
October 12 – You can tell that a country is getting serious about football when a beer company launches a special brew for the club’s fans.
October 11 – The pots for the first ever UEFA Nations League have been confirmed, with the Netherlands, who failed to qualify for the World Cup, being handed some consolation by snatching a top spot from Wales following the final round of World Cup qualifying.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 11 – Cometh the hour, cometh Lionel Messi. Just when the odds were stacked in favour of Argentina failing to qualify for the World Cup finals for the first time since 1970, the mercurial maestro struck a superb hat-trick away to Ecuador to haul his country back from the brink of elimination.
The 2014 runners up began the day sixth in their group and needing a top-four place to qualify automatically.
October 11 – The post mortem has just begun and will last all the way to Russia next year. Unthinkably given the weakness of their continental rivals, the United States have failed qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1986 after losing to tiny Trinidad & Tobago, a hugely embarrassing setback that could have ramifications on and off the pitch.
October 11 – Netflix have entered the European football documentary market announcing a fly-on-the-wall series with Italian champions Juventus that will debut on the streaming service in 2018.
October 11 – Pakistan has been kicked out of international football until further notice because of what FIFA described as “undue third-party interference” in the country’s federation (PFF).
October 11 – Arsenal have turned their in-game license agreement with video game PES (Pro Evolution Soccer) into an official partnership with the game’s maker Konami Digital Entertainment.