English FA target £260m into grassroots facilities build
October 27 – The English Football Association is planning to invest £260 million as part of a scheme to improve grassroots football throughout the country.
Gold Cup 2025
El Salvador self destruct in Houston as Canada Marsch on
Canada 2-0 El Salvador
June 24 – Fresh from emerging from a Concacaf-imposed timeout, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch returned to the technical area at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, knowing any more misbehaviour would send him back to the naughty room. He needn’t have worried as their opponents El Salvador simply imploded in a red mist.
Argentina and Uruguay continue play for hosting 2030 World Cup
October 27 – Argentina and Uruguay have reaffirmed their interest in co-hosting the 2030 FIFA World Cup, which will mark the tournament’s 100-year anniversary.
Schmidt watches Leverkusen lose on his tablet after ‘nutcase’ jibe triggers ban
October 27 – Bayer Leverkusen head coach Roger Schmidt has been banned and fined for calling an opposing manager “a nutcase” during a Bundesliga game.
Man City add Valvoline as ninth global sponsor
October 27 – Manchester City have announced Valvoline as a new global partner in a “multi-year” agreement that will see Valvoline designated as the club’s ‘Official Automotive Lubricants Partner’.
South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns qualify for Club World Cup in Japan
October 27 – South Africa’s Mamelodi Sundowns were crowned the African champions after overcoming Egypt’s Zamalek to win the 2016 CAF Champions League. In December they will represent Africa at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan, the first South African side to do so.
Brazilian legend Carlos Alberto Torres dies, aged 72
October 27 – The football world is paying tribute to Carlos Alberto Torres, captain of Brazil’s 1970 World Cup-winning team – regarded as possibly the greatest national side of all time – and scorer of one of the sport’s most memorable goals who has died aged 72 at his home in Rio de Janeiro.
Man Utd tops three key social media platforms with Arsenal or Chelsea second
October 25 – A comparison of Twitter Followers, Facebook Likes and Instagram Followers across the Premier League shows that Manchester United dominates on all three social media platforms.
Fox sued in US for allegedly bribing CONMEBOL bosses for TV rights
By Andrew Warshaw
October 25 – The US-led probe into football corruption took another significant twist on Thursday when a Florida-based sports channel, GoITV Inc, sued Fox Sports Latin America alleging that Fox executives had paid tens of millions of dollars in bribes to CONMEBOL officials in exchange for lucrative television rights to tournaments, according to the Washington Post.
Messi vs Ronaldo as Ballon d’Or top 30 nominees includes Vardy
October 25 – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will once again go head to head to win the Ballon d’Or after both were named in the list of 30 nominees for the 2016 award.
Stop playing World Cup politics and focus on FIFA clean-up, warns Prince Ali
By Andrew Warshaw
October 25 – Former FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan says football’s world governing body has got its priorities wrong under Gianni Infantino, the man who beat him to the sport’s most powerful position.
Watford owner Pozzo in fraud probe after allegedly buying club with forged bank letter
October 25 – An English Premier league club is under investigation over allegations of supplying false financial documentation.
FA Cup fills up with cash in £820m international broadcast deal for six seasons
October 25 – The English FA has confirmed an £820 million six-season international broadcast rights deal for its FA Cup domestic competition, the oldest club competition in world football.
Spanish FA fined for letting Real and Atletico sign underage players
October 25 – Six weeks after European powerhouses Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid lost their respective appeals against a FIFA-imposed transfer ban for breaching regulations on the acquisition of non-Spanish minors under the age of 18, FIFA have fined the Spanish FA (RFEF) CHF 220,000 for allowing the pair of them to sign and register underage foreign players.
Real Madrid, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Spurs bank on buying young
October 26 – Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said at the weekend that his club would not “want to bring some 10- or 11-year-old to Munich like the English do…You could almost speak of kidnapping with them and I would have moral reservations about that.” For Bayern it seems that recruitment begins at 24.8 years old.
Marginalised Euro leagues make power play for voice at UEFA’s top table
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – European leagues are seeking membership of UEFA’s executive committee as part of negotiations to stave off a potential fixture free-for-all next season.