Turkey join Germany in race to host Euro 2024 finals
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – Two weeks before the deadline for initial expressions of interest, Turkey has announced it is bidding for Euro 2024, hoping to be fourth time lucky.
Facebook Live debuts first major league with 46 Liga MX games on Univision pages
February 15 – Mexico’s Liga MX will hit the Facebook Live platform with Univision this weekend at the start of a new broadcast deal that will see 46 matches, including playoff games, streamed live.
Hayatou under threat as COSAFA mobilise against him for CAF election
By Samindra Kunti and Andrew Warshaw
February 14 – Issa Hayatou’s quest to remain African football’s all-powerful figurehead is heading for open warfare after southern African states announced they were backing his rival for the presidency in defiance of their confederation.
Spurs’ Dele Alli leads the way amongst Europe’s brightest talents
February 14 – Dele Alli (Spurs), Renato Sanches (Bayern Munich), Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund) and Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan) top the rankings of the most experienced players in their year groups, according to a ranking drawn from the top 31 top division leagues in Europe.
29-year veteran Villar faces Spanish vote in May
By Andrew Warshaw
February 14 – The domestic future of long-time FIFA powerbroker Angel Maria Villar will finally be decided on May 22 – meaning he will not have to suffer any embarrassment before the FIFA Congress a few days earlier.
Europe’s leagues maintain push for place at UEFA’s top decision-making table
By Andrew Warshaw
February 14 – European leagues have again urged UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin not to marginalise them as part of his wide-ranging reform process.
Hammers pound out lead, Burnley find their mojo, Sunderland go dark
February 14 – West Ham lead the Premier League weekly attendance chart for Round 25 of the season – just 17 seats were reportedly unfilled at the London Stadium. Sunderland came bottom of the table with 9,069 unfilled seats at the Stadium of Light.
Messi earns his stripes to win ‘lifetime’ deal with Adidas
February 14 – Lionel Messi has been handed a ‘lifetime contract’ by Adidas that will tie him to the company until the end of his career. No figure was announced for the deal.
Doping: England tests 61% of EFL players, Scots test…none
February 14 – Following revelations about lack of drug testing in Spanish football, attention has now turned to the British domestic game with news that at least 39% of players who played in the English Football League last season – the three divisions below the premier League – were not tested by UK Anti-Doping (UKAD) authorities.
Pressure builds for West Bank solution as Sexwale still to report
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – Concern is intensifying amongst campaign groups and human rights organisations over FIFA’s failure to resolve the ongoing dispute over Israeli lower-league clubs playing official games on settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Leicester’s latest loss leaves them lurching on the edge of the abyss
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – It surely won’t happen – or might it? This time last year Leicester City were on their way to becoming the most unlikely champions in English Premier league history, a remarkable feat that reverberated around the globe.
Brazil miss out on U20 World Cup as seniors head for Aussie for Argentina fixture
By Samindra Kunti
February 13 – For the second time in three competitions, Brazil have failed to qualify for the FIFA U20 World Cup to be played in Korea later this year. Meanwhile, the senior team have announced a friendly against Argentina in Melbourne in June.
Angola crowd tragedy leaves 17 dead and more than 75 injured
February 13 – At least 17 people were killed in a stampede at a football stadium in the northern Angolan city of Uige after crowds blocked the entrances to the stadium for a league match between Santa Rita de Cassia and Recreativo do Libolo.
WADA raises alarm bells over lack of Spanish doping controls
February 13 – World anti-doping officials have expressed their alarm at the lack of drug testing in Spanish football, saying there have been no tests carried out for the last 11 months.
Man Utd Class of ’92 go back to school with University proposal
February 13 – Manchester United’s famed Class of ’92 players that included Gary and Phil Neville, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes are being linked with the opening of a new university in the Greater Manchester area.