Soccerex announces Rio de Janeiro event for March 25-26
January 10 – International tradeshow Soccerex has added a new date and city to its calendar with the announcement of an event in March 2024 in Rio de Janeiro.
Russian rehab still stayed but Dyukov holds UEFA exco seat as they focus on getting friendly
January 9 – Russia’s national teams may still be banned from official competition because of the war in Ukraine but the country retains its place at UEFA’s top table.
World mourns death of Franz Beckenbauer, 78, one of football’s classiest acts
By Andrew Warshaw
January 9 – Tributes are pouring in from across the globe in memory of Germany’s greatest footballing icon, Franz Beckenbauer, one of only three men to lift the World Cup both as a player and manager and known in his playing days as Der Kaiser (‘the Emperor’).
FIFA confirms Brazil will escape sanction after return of Ednaldo to CBF presidency
January 9 – FIFA will not sanction Brazil for political interference in the running of the federation after the return last week of Ednaldo Rodrigues to the CBF presidency, FIFA’s director of legal affairs Emilio Garcia has said.
Spanish Super Cup set for Real-Atletico opener in Saudi
January 9 – Saudi Arabia is gearing up to host the Spanish Super Cup for the fourth time in five years.
Dortmund chief Aki Watzke to hang up his jacket
January 9 – Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim ‘Aki’ Watzke is stepping down in 2025 when his contract ends.
Transfer talk: Everton stars heading for exit, Man Utd hunt for a striker to make a big entrance
January 9 – Real Madrid are reportedly keeping tabs on Everton and England U-21 defender Jarrad Branthwaite after impressing in his debut year in the Premier League. The 21-year-old has seen his Transfermarkt value more than triple since the start of the year and seems destined for an England call up in the near future.
FA Cup draw pitches Man City vs Spurs, giant killers Maidstone drawn away to Ipswich
January 9 – FA Cup holders Manchester City have been drawn against Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the upcoming fourth round of the tournament.
Corinthians signs record £59.8m shirt sponsorship with VaideBet
January 9 – Brazilian giants Corinthians have signed a record R$370m (£59.8 million) shirt sponsorship deal with VaideBet.
Turk Telekom’s GameON picks up naming rights to inaugural eFootball Turkish Cup
January 9 – GameON has picked up the naming rights sponsorship to the eFootball Turkish Cup, which is organised by the Turkish Football Federation (TFF) and will make its debut this season.
CAF relief as Sky agrees last minute broadcast deal for AFCON
January 9 – With just five days to go before the kick off the African Cup of Nations in the Ivory Coast, the UK’s Sky Sports have signed a broadcast agreement.
Big pitches: MetLife and AT&T stadiums toe-to-toe in bid for FIFA’s 2026 final favour
January 8 – The battle for the hosting of the 2026 World Cup final is ongoing with the two favourites – the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey and the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas – both seemingly committing to multi-million dollar projects to woo FIFA’s decision makers.
Brazil mourns passing of one of football’s greatest, Mario Zagallo, 92
January 7 – A four-time world champion and the first person to win the World Cup as both a player and a coach, Mario Zagallo has died at the age of 92.
Three years after his death, Maradona is cleared of tax evasion
January 8 – Italy’s highest court has cleared the late Argentine legend Diego Maradona of tax evasion charges, ending a 30-year-long legal battle.
Qatar ready to host Asian Cup, but are they ready to play? Friendly fixture flurry as favourites fine-tune
January 8 – With just four days left before the kick-off on Friday (Jan 12) of the 2023 Asian Cup in Qatar, there has been a flurry of last-minute fixtures as nations fine tune squads or in some cases desperately seek form and formation ahead of the tournament.