By Mark Baber
August 15 – Widespread reports that Iran had banned two members of the national squad for breaking the sporting boycott of Israel were refuted by the Iranian FA at the weekend in a letter to FIFA, according to the Iranian Student News Agency.
By Paul Nicholson
August 15 – In what looks like a further attempt to clean house of dissenting voices within the federation, the Liberian FA (LFA) has suspended its legal director Benedict Yarsiah “with immediate effect without pay, for time indefinite, pending an investigation.”
August 15 – Paris Saint-Germain have been eyeing Belgian top flight club Mouscron as a potential satellite club with the Parisian club keen on offering its homegrown players more playing opportunity.
By Mark Baber
August 15 – At their upcoming meeting on September 7, Premier League clubs look set vote on whether to part company with other European Leagues and have their transfer window close before the start of the 2018-19 season rather than on August 31 – three weeks into the season.
August 15 – The Premier League’s three-day opening weekend with fixtures across Friday evening, Saturday and Sunday smashed the opening round attendance figures of last season. With 407,000 tickets available to fans across the 10 home fixtures – more than 6,000 tickets over last 2016/17 – just 8,030 were unsold compared to 16,116 last season.
August 15 – Premier League Swansea City is close to taking ownership of its Liberty Stadium from the local council on a 30-year lease.
August 15 – Bayern Munich have agreed a six-year sleeve sponsorship with Qatar’s Hamad International Airport (HIA). It is Bayern’s first sleeve sponsorship under the new advertising rules that have come into the Bundesliga for this season which kicks off Friday.
By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – Southampton owner Katarina Liebherr has finally concluded the sale of control of the club to Chinese investors. In a letter to fans Liebherr said that she has entered into partnership with the Gao family.
By Paul Nicholson
August 14 – FIFA had advance warning of the impeding US Department of Justice assault on corrupt officials within its organisation and had taken steps to defend itself via an agreement with top US law firm Quinn Emmanuel.
August 14 – Probably the worst kept secret of the USL, the second-tier of professional leagues in the US, has become official. Las Vegas will have a team playing in the 2018 competition.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 14 – As widely anticipated, Morocco has formally decided to take on the three-way candidacy of the United States, Mexico and Canada in a bid to stage the 2026 World Cup.
August 14 – At the weekend, Me Augustin Senghor (pictured) was re-elected for a third four-year term as the head of the Senegalese Football Federation (FSF) whilst the Tanzania Football Federation (TFF) elected Wallace Karia, former vice-president as the new president.
August 14 – Manchester City has delivered more than 10,000 sessions to over 352,000 young people, aged 6-19 years old in the past 10 months as part of its football schools programme.
August 14 – Iran is being formally asked by FIFA to provide further information as to why it banned two Iranian internationals for life as punishment for playing for their Greek club against an Israeli side.
August 17 – Premier League Southampton, the subject of a long running but so far uncompleted takeover by Chinese group Lander Sports, has secured a deal closer to home with the singing of local firm Utilita as its Official Energy and Utilities Partner.