By Mike Rowbottom
November 23 – The life of Ivor Powell – footballer, coach and inspirational force – has been celebrated by staff and alumni at the University of Bath in a tribute event at the Sports Training Village that followed his funeral service.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 23 – European champions Chelsea, still reeling from the John Terry racism affair, have been plunged into the spotlight yet again for all the wrong reasons after English football authorities cleared referee Mark Clattenburg of using “inappropriate language” towards the club’s Nigerian midfielder John Obi Mikel.
Here we go again – just like clockwork. Only this was arguably the cruellest cut of all.
Six months after winning the greatest prize in European club football – the one Roman Abramovich craved from the moment he walked through the door – Chelsea have brutally cast aside the manager who brought it about, one who gained legendary status virtually overnight.
Time waits for no man, not least when it comes to football’s mantra of short-termism.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – Ten Tottenham Hotspur fans – nine British and one American – are recovering after being injured in a violent attack by Lazio supporters ahead of the Europa League fixture between the teams in Rome tonight.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – A UEFA disciplinary hearing into the racist chanting and post-match melee that marred last month’s explosive European under-21 fixture between Serbia and England, due to be held today, has been postponed until mid-December.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – European coaches want more clarification over the handball rule – and most would like to see video technology introduced, instead of just for goal-line incidents.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – English football authorities have made final representations to UEFA over the racist chanting that marred the recent European under-21 play-off against Serbia.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – After two previous failed attempts, another professional women’s soccer league will be launched in the United States next spring.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – Chelsea wasted no time appointing a successor to luckless manager Roberto Di Matteo tonight when former Liverpool boss Rafael Benítez was given the job just a few hours after his predecessor was unceremoniously axed.
By Andrew Warshaw at St. George’s Park at Burton-on-Trent
November 21 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter held out a hand of peace to English football today as both sides acclaimed a new spirit of conciliation and cooperation after a fractious period of disharmony and mistrust.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – One of the most bitter and lengthy ownership sagas in European club football is close to being resolved with cash-strapped Portsmouth – FA Cup winners only four years ago – on the verge of being taken over by its own supporters.
By Tom Degun
November 21 – Chelsea have sacked manger Roberto Di Matteo after his side suffered a 3-0 away defeat to Juventus in the UEFA Champions League to put them on the brink of elimination from the competition.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – Former French national coach Raymond Domenech, who had a much-publicised fallout with his squad, has launched a rare and astonishing attack on the players concerned, branding Franck Ribéry a “diva”, Samir Nasri a “symbol of selfishness” and accusing Nicolas Anelka of “killing” team spirit.
Suddenly the 2018 World Cup bidding campaign seems a very long time ago.
At its conclusion in December 2010, relations between the world’s oldest Football Association – whose candidate, England, was among the losers – and FIFA, world football’s governing body, were at a low ebb.
Yet today finds Joseph Blatter, FIFA’s long-serving President, dropping in on St George’s Park, the FA’s new national football centre at Burton on Trent in the English Midlands.
By Duncan Mackay
November 20 – Markiyan Lubkivsky, the man who helped make this year’ UEFA European Championships so successful, has been handed a new role, it has been announced.