December 19 – Chuck Blazer, the chairman of the organising committee for the FIFA Club World Cup in Abu Dhabi, has defended the format of this year’s competition, which was won today by European champions Barcelona.
By Duncan Mackay
December 19 – The experiment of having an additional assistant referee (AAR) in top international matches has been only a partial success, a review published by the League Managers Association (LMA) has concluded.
By Duncan Mackay
December 19 – Tottenham Hotspur have promised to support manager Harry Redknapp (pictured) after it was revealed that the taxman is to start proceedings against him next month.
Australia have emerged as serious contenders to host the World Cup, particularly the 2022 tournament, with its high-profile supporters including Franz Beckenbauer, who has spoken on several occasions about how he believes it would be an ideal location to stage the world’s biggest sporting festival.
By Duncan Mackay
December 19 – A major doubt has been cast over Bristol City’s planned new £92 million 44,000 stadium at Ashton Vale only two days after it was chosen to be part of England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup.
December 18 - Sheffield United and Everton, overlooked to be part of England’s 2018 World Cup bid, have complained about being snubbed.
December 18 – Following months of data crunching, football boffins have created the first ever fan equation – developing a formula which calculates which team a football fan should support and why.
By Duncan Mackay
December 18 – Hollywood actor Anthony LaPaglia (pictured right), a former goalkeeper with Adelaide City, has urged the Australian Football League (AFL) and National Rugby League (NRL) not to act like “twits” and scupper Australia’s bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
December 17 – Hull City’s future as a Premier League club could be threatened by the decision not to include the KC Stadium in England’s bid to host the 2018 World Cup, the club’s chairman has claimed.
By Duncan Mackay
December 18 – Europe’s top football clubs have each earned an average of €50 million (£44.37 million) for reaching the knock-out stage of the UEFA Champions League, according to new research commissioned and released today by official sponsor, MasterCard.
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December 18 – New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix could be facing extinction in 2012 after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) demanded they be axed from the A-League.
December 18 – New Zealand’s Wellington Phoenix could be facing extinction in 2012 after the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) demanded they be axed from the A-League.
December 17 – Former England and Watford manager Graham Taylor (pictured) has been appointed interim chairman at Vicarage Road as the Coca-Club Championship club battles for its survival.
By Duncan Mackay
December 17 – Rio de Janeiro’s Maracana Stadium, which is due to stage the 2014 World Cup final, is to get a $300 million (£175 million) face-lift, the city’s Secretary of Sports and Tourism announced today.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – England 2018 bid chief Andy Anson insists the stadiums selected to host the World Cup in nine years’ time will not suffer the same fate as the ill-fated 2006 campaign.