July 17 – The 12-team Gold Cup tournament has reached the quarter final stage with three power nations of the CONCACAF region – Costa Rica, Mexico and the US – all avoiding each other in the first round of knock-out games.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – Reports that FIFA has received a collective request from Arab nations to strip Qatar as 2022 World Cup hosts have emerged as fake.
July 17 – In a commendable show of support, hundreds of Ajax fans staged an emotional rally at the weekend outside the family home of Abdelhak Nouri, the midfielder who tragically suffered brain damage after collapsing in a friendly match.
July 17 – Online bookmaker Tempobet has signed a second shirt sponsorship deal in the English Football League, becoming principal partner at one of the Football League’s founding clubs Preston North End.
July 17 – African football has fallen victim to yet another stadium disaster after a wall collapsed in Senegal on Saturday, killing eight people and injuring between 60-90 according to conflicting news reports.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 14 – Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the FIFA-appointed official who led the inspection team that evaluated the credentials of all 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding candidates, is free to resume his career in football after the Court of Arbitration for Sport cut his ban for seeking unpaid intern work in Qatar for relatives to two years.
By Paul Nicholson
July 13 – FIFA has wriggled out of responsibility to enable it to continue to support an unelected president of a national federation, claiming it is not the “competent” authority to enforce the decision of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) that Tombi A Roko Sidiki is unlawfully holding the position of Cameroon FA (Fecafoot) president.
By Mark Baber
July 14 – The German football association (DFB) is trading in its Mercedes-Benz deal for a shiny new model from disgraced carmaker VW, reportedly worth €25-20 million per year. Mercedes have been the DFB’s main automotive sponsor since 1972.
July 14 – Monaco’s much-vaunted Colombian striker Radamel Falcao, suspected of tax evasion in Spain, has paid back €8.2 million to Spanish tax authorities, according to agencies and the Spanish media.
July 14 – A lighthearted example of sport and politics mixing saw Britain’s opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn bringing an unusual gift to the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier when the pair met for talks this week.
By Paul Nicholson
July 14 – Controversial Liberian FA president Musa Bility (pictured), a member of the Confederation of African Football executive committee, is under renewed allegations from stakeholders in his own federation who claim that he is “embezzling” funds from the federation and FIFA grant money.
July 14 – North, Central America and Caribbean confederation has opened a second regional office in Guatemala City, Guatemala. This follows the opening of a regional office in Kingston, Jamaica in May.
July 14 – Having initially rejected a move to China because of the terms of the deal, French striker Anthony Modeste has become the first big name European signing of the Chinese Super League’s close season transfer window after Bundesliga side Cologne announced his departure to Tianjin Quanjian for a reported €35 million.
By Paul Nicholson
July 14 – French Guiana has been ruled to forfeit its last Gold Cup group game to Honduras for playing former French international Florent Malouda. The 3-0 forfeit (the match itself was a 0-0 draw) puts Honduras firmly back into contention for qualification to the next round of the competition.
July 14 – The Ajax midfielder Abdelhak Nouri, who collapsed during a recent pre-season friendly, has suffered serious and permanent brain damage, the club have announced.