South Africa volunteer to take over Club World Cup hosting from Japan
September 14 – South Africa has expressed interest in hosting the Club World Cup after Japan relinquished the hosting rights because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Concacaf says it is time for analysis, not ‘fearmongering’, over biennial WC proposal
September 24 – Concacaf has said that it “recognises the merits” of FIFA’s plan to create a new international match calendar – which would include a biennial World Cup – and that it will look at the proposals with an “open mind” and “positive engagement”.
CFU boss Harris believes biennial WC would help a Caribbean that is failing to compete
September 14 – Caribbean Football Union (CFU) President Randy Harris has backed FIFA’s plans for a biennial World Cup, arguing that it would offer more “high-quality playing opportunities” for his member associations.
AFC ‘welcomes’ international calendar discussion with emphasis on Asian inclusivity
By Paul Nicholson
September 14 – The AFC has made a statement on the International Match Calendar consultations,”welcoming” discussion on the proposed calendar revamp and biennial World Cup, and emphasising that it’s focus in the talks will be on ensuring Asian voices are represented.
WCL group draw: Barca meet Arsenal, Lyon get Bayern, Chelsea face Juve, PSG draw Real Madrid
September 14 – European champions Barcelona were grouped with Arsenal, Hoffenheim and HB Køge from Denmark in the draw for the remodelled 16-team Women’s Champions League.
CFG’s Man City and NYCFC combine for joint WeWork partnership
September 14 – City Football Group (CFG) clubs Manchester City and New York City FC have signed a new partnership with office space provider WeWork.
AFC cruising on sea and in air with Sport 24 syndication
September 14 – Having conquered most of the world’s ground territory in distributing its broadcast right to its major competitions, the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has now taken to the skies and seas.
Conmebol says ‘no sporting justification’ for biennial World Cup
By Samindra Kunti
September 13 – South American confederation Conmebol has come out against plans for a biennial World Cup, joining UEFA as a critic and powerful opponent of FIFA’s dramatic proposal to overhaul the international match calendar.
Saudi Arabia targets top 20 FIFA ranking with launch of new strategy
September 13 – Saudi football is aiming for the sky. On Saturday, the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) launched a new strategic development plan that aims to lift the Kingdom to the elite circle of the game by the time of the 2034 World Cup.
FIFA’s ‘transfer snapshot’ shows $2.08bn drop in total revenue from 2019 high of €5.8bn
September 13 – With transferred players bedding themselves into their new clubs for the coming season, FIFA has published its International Transfer Snapshot (June – August 2021), that looks at player transfer activity during the last transfer window.
Brazil back down over 5-day ban demand for Premier League players
September 13 – On Sunday, Fabinho was among the stars in Liverpool’s impressive 3-0 away victory at Leeds United. The Brazilian, alongside his compatriot Allison and other South American players, was eventually cleared to feature for his club in this weekend’s Premier League matches after football associations from South and Central America dropped their demand that FIFA impose the five-day rule.
Footballers behaving badly: Boateng fined, Mendy court dates set
September 13 – German 2014 World Cup winner Jerome Boateng has been fined for assaulting a former girlfriend, while Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy will go on trial on for rape and sexual assault on January 24 next year.
EA Sports embeds deeper with Serie A with title sponsorship and more teams
September 13 – EA Sports and Italy’s Serie A have announced a new exclusive partnership and licensee agreement giving the video game publisher exclusive license to 14 clubs as well as a series of competition activations.
Alves refuses to return to Sao Paulo over unpaid $3.4m wage bill
September 13 – In a row over unpaid wages, Daniel Alves and Sao Paulo have parted ways. The 38-year-old is owed about $3.4 million in unpaid wages by his club.
Everton Fan Tokens launch Wednesday, Hibs go crypto
September 13 – Everton and Hibernians have become the latest clubs to enter the cryptocurrency world with the launch of fan tokens.