From pariah to messiah. Allardyce is forgiven but not forgotten by Crystal Palace
December 28 – He may have only been England manager for 67 days but he was only out of the game thereafter for less than three months.
Infantino’s Christmas address: FIFA has regained ‘credibility’
By Andrew Warshaw
December 23 – Gianni Infantino insists FIFA is a more financially transparent and credible organisation under his leadership despite the ongoing US-led anti-corruption probe and the stream of negative headlines in the early days of his presidency.
Barca discover America and explore launch of a pro-women’s team
December 23 – FC Barcelona, part of a multi-pronged Spanish football assault force on the commercial opportunities provided by the US market, have said they are looking to set up a professional women’s team in the country and are in discussion with the US Soccer Federation (USSF) to do so.
Li says AC Milan deal is still on despite money being stuck behind the Chinese wall
December 23 – The protracted sale of AC Milan to Chinese group Sino-Europe Sports (SES) took another subtle twist yesterday when SES President Yonghong Li assured media that the sale is going ahead and that if they can’t release the money from China they have an alternative plan.
RB Leipzig flaps its wings wider with deal to buy Zentralstadion
December 23 – Bundesliga challengers RB Leipzig have announced they have agreed a deal to buy Leipzig’s Zentralstadion – renamed the Red Bull arena – and that they will expand the capacity from its current 42,558 to 57,000 as well as extend hospitality facilities.
Steaua Bucharest under fire after court rules its name belongs to the army
December 23 – One of European football’s famous names could disappear entirely from the professional game after Romania’s defence ministry won a court case against Steaua Bucharest on Thursday.
Argentina end year without silverware but top of the FIFA Ranking table
December 23 – Argentina, whose national association is under the control of a FIFA normalisation committee, will at least finish the year as the world’s number one nation on the pitch, according to the final FIFA/Coca-Cola World Ranking for 2016.
Grindel promoted as a German voice for FIFA’s top table
December 22 – In danger of losing its clout at the top table of world football administration, the German Football Association has officially put forward its President, Reinhard Grindel, for a seat on the FIFA Council.
Welsh wizards: The New Saints look set to march past Ajax record
December 23 – An unheralded club in Wales is on the verge of making international football history. Welsh Premier League champions The New Saints have already established a Welsh Premier League record of consecutive wins but now they are close to setting a new world record of consecutive victories in all competitions.
Chelsea, Bayern Munich, RB Leipzig and Nice prove that less is more
December 23 – In football quality beats quantity every time, is the conclusion of the latest analysis by the CIES Football Observatory of the number of players used in the season to date in teams in 31 top division of UEFA nations.
Pardew pushed from Crystal Palace throne. Is Big Sam waiting in the wings?
December 23 – Former England manager Sam Allardyce, who lasted only 67 days in charge before being forced to resign following a newspaper sting, could be back in the spotlight before the end of the year.
James Dostoyevsky: ‘Teneo ergo sum’ – Merry Christmas, then
2016 was a remarkable year. In football, it saw an entire generation of administrators dragged before the courts. Sorry: before a US court in Brooklyn. After all, the US is the final authority on matters of the law… The woman who set out to become the “Slayer of FIFA” (her own words), suddenly found herself in a bit of a bind when she met with Bill Clinton on a private jet to discuss grandchildren – absolutely not Bill’s wife’s issues with the DOJ,
Stress test for FIFA eligibility criteria as Mutko bids for FIFA Council seat
By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – UEFA have confirmed that Russia’s deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko is among the declared candidates for five European vacancies on the FIFA Council but must still pass an eligibility check ahead of next April’s election.
Beckenbauer: ‘Germany did not buy the World Cup’
By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – After keeping a low profile for several weeks in the wake of the potentially highly damaging probe into his alleged role in the 2006 World Cup bid scandal, Franz Beckenbauer (pictured with Wolfgang Niersbach), Germany’s most revered footballing figure, has re-iterated that his country did not buy the tournament.
CBF triples Copa do Brasil prize fund as Globo signs new TV deal
By Samindra Kunti
December 22 – The Brazilian FA and TV Globo have extended their broadcast partnership for the Brazilian cup, the Copa do Brazil, from 2018 to 2022, the much of he new deal money being used to reinvigorate the competitiveness of the championship. The winner of the competition will earn €14.35 million in prize money.