Video refs coming to Europe: Bundesliga to lead way with trials this season
January 2 – Germany’s Bundesliga will become the first major league to use video assistant referees next season for game-changing decisions.
Al Hawasi rejects second US offer for Nottingham Forest, but says he is putting club first
January 20 – An American consortium looking to secure a deal to takeover former European champions Nottingham Forest say a revised bid has been rejected.
Wenger warns against player exodus to China
January 20 – Long-time Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger, one of the most knowledgeable coaches of global footballing trends, says top-flight players should opt for playing a better standard rather than automatically take the money by moving to China.
Ceferin backs Russia for 2018, Mutko to stand for Council and UEFA tests for football doping
By Andrew Warshaw
January 19 – UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin sees no “rational or legal grounds” to strip Russia of the 2018 World Cup despite the recent doping scandal combined with persistent instances of racism and the ongoing probe by Swiss authorities into the bid process.
Van Basten puts forward radical plan for sin bins and an end to offside rule
By Andrew Warshaw
January 19 – Not to be outdone by the innovations of his boss Gianni Infantino, FIFA’s new technical director Marco van Basten has come up with arguably the most ground-breaking blueprint ever for the future of football including scrapping offside and introducing sin-bins in place of yellow cards.
Man Utd top Barca and Real in money league. West Ham and Leicester enter Top 20
By Paul Nicholson
January 19 – Manchester United have emphatically beaten Barcelona and Real Madrid to the top of the Deloitte Football Money League, beating second place Barca by almost €69 million. Eight Premier League clubs were in the top 20 that collectively generated a record €7.4 billion in the 2015/16 period – more than FIFA generates in its four-year cycle.
Morgan and Ruiz voted as CONCACAF’s top players for 2016
January 19 – Third time lucky. After twice being voted second in the CONCACAF Player of the Year, Bryan Ruiz has at last take the top honour of 2016. In the women’s vote Alex Morgan claimed her second title having won in 2014 and coming second in 2015.
Brussels Eurostadion hits more blocks as Green Party sees red over public funding levels
By Samindra Kunti
January 19 – Brussels MP Arnaud Verstraete from the Green party has subpoenaed the region of Brussels over Belgium’s proposed stadium for EURO2020. The process is the latest hitch in the construction of the venue.
Egypt star Aboutrika labelled terrorist as government keeps pressure on Muslim Brotherhood
January 19 – One of the most revered footballers in Egypt’s history has been placed on the country’s terrorism list over claims that he was directly involved in funding the banned Muslim Brotherhood.
Police drafted in to protect Sporting Lisbon as fans vent fury over Cup loss
January 19 – Sporting Lisbon players were confronted by angry fans and had to be protected twice by riot police after the club’s Portuguese Cup defeat by Chaves.
UK child sex abuse cases leap to over 500 victim reports and 248 clubs ‘impacted’
January 19 – More than 1,000 cases relating to child sexual abuse within football in the United Kingdom have now been reported to police with 248 clubs caught up in the scandal according to latest figures.
Toure turns down yen from China as CSL clubs count cost of new rules
By Andrew Warshaw
January 18 – Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has resisted the temptation to become the latest big-name international to be lured by China’s riches amid a mixed response to the country’s decision to tighten the rules over the number of overseas players permitted per club.
Club vs country: Matip waits in Liverpool’s wings as eligibility fog set to clear Friday
January 18 – Liverpool expect to discover on Friday whether Joel Matip is eligible to play for them as confusion continues over the defender’s availability.
Juve break from tradition with radical logo redesign
January 18 – Italian giants Juventus have taken a huge branding step with the unveiling of a radical new logo and a club ‘philosophy’ based around expanding the club’s fanbase, commercial opportunities and deepening fans’ emotional involvement with the club.
How legends are made: You can keep the €4m payoff, says Fernandez
January 18 – Money can’t buy you love, sang the Beatles, but turning it down might do just that. Yaya Toure will have endeared himself even more to Manchester City fans for turning down a reported $430,000 a week salary offer from China. Sporting Gijon coach Abelardo Fernandez has taken gone a step further.