Uganda break back with return to Africa Cup of Nations finals
September 5 – Uganda have ended almost four decades in the wilderness by qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.
Kosovo set for World Cup debut tonight but still wait for six player clearances
September 5 – With only hours to go before their historic first ever World Cup qualifying game, Kosovo were still waiting to discover whether six of their squad could switch nationality and play for them against Finland tonight.
Rummenigge endorses Champions League changes and European unity
September 5 – UEFA’s decision to amend the Champions League format from the 2018/19 season in favour of the most powerful clubs has, not surprisingly, been widely welcomed by Europe’s leading clubs.
Will Lallana’s last gasp lucky goal thaw the Iceland horror gripping the English
By Andrew Warshaw
September 5 – New manager, same old England – with one sharp difference. A last-gasp stroke of good fortune which perhaps augurs well for the future in terms of team building and confidence.
AFC’s top coaches back video tech as forum gathers elite in Shanghai
September 5 – Asia’s top coaches have endorsed the use of video replays in matches at the inaugural Elite Club Coaches’ Forum in Shanghai, China. The coaches felt that the use of technology should be expanded and that video replays in particular protected the referees by being able to check decisions, as well as ensuring wrong decisions were corrected.
David Owen: why Newcastle are laughing in the ‘Looney Toon’ transfer market
September 4 – Say what you like about the way newly-relegated Newcastle United have handled footballing affairs in recent seasons, but it is hard not to admire their business acumen.
Exclusive (2): van Praag warns Brexit issues need addressing immediately
By Andrew Warshaw
September 2 – Michael van Praag says European football’s landscape has changed significantly as a result of Brexit and that he is the only candidate for UEFA president with the knowledge and contacts to tackle the problems that lie ahead.
China’s Everbright poised to up Liverpool bid to £1 billion
By Paul Nicholson
September 2 – While Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) remain tight-lipped about the possible sale of the club, the Chinese consortium that has made an offer for the club of £800 million is rumoured to be prepared to raise that amount to £1 billion, despite the club’s poor performance last season.
Dutch lose again as van Oostveen is latest to quit the coaching set up
September 2 – The crisis at the Dutch FA, the KNVB, has been exacerbated following the Netherlands’s 1-2 home defeat to Greece and the resignation of director of football Bert Van Oostveen. The KNVB was already struggling to complete its coaching staff.
Messi puts Argentina back on track. Now it is the turn of the AFA to follow
September 2 – Argentine football is back: the domestic league has resumed and the national team defeated Uruguay 1-0 in World Cup qualifying; but the state of the Argentine FA, the AFA, remains precarious.
UAE stun Japan in World Cup qualifying, China rattle Korea
September 2 – Asian qualifying for the Russia 2018 World Cup opened with all 12 teams in action and a shock 2-1 for the UAE over Japan. Australia and Saudi Arabia also had campaign opening wins in the group.
‘Football history’: Video ref rules out penalty in Italy vs France friendly
September 2 – Video replays, for years rejected by FIFA as too great a step to take in modernising the game, were used for the first time in an international fixture on Thursday and hailed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino as “football history”.
Women’s UCL draw pits Chelsea against Wolfsburg, Bayern face Hibs
September 2 – With the focus of UEFA’s men Champions League turning to clubs naming their squads for the last group qualifying stages, the Women’s Champions league round of 32 draw was held throwing up a rematch of Wolfsburg vs Chelsea clash from last season.
US coaches body revamps education courses to fit new national thinking
September 2 – The US overhaul of its youth training and playing structures have continued with the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the world’s largest coaches organisation, unveiling a suite of new coaching education programmes and qualifications that focus on small-sided games.
Swiss open criminal probe into Beckenbauer and 2006 World Cup bid deals
By Andrew Warshaw
September 1 – Despite continually protesting his innocence over any involvement in manipulating the vote that handed Germany the 2006 World Cup, Franz Beckenbauer, his country’s most revered footballing figurehead who led the bid process, is being investigated by Swiss prosecutors as part of a corruption probe.