Rapid covid spike forces Belgians to close doors on fans at top tier matches
October 23 – Belgium has become the latest country to ban fans from attending live football matches after a huge spike in coronavirus infections.
Draw for European qualifying for Qatar 2022 set for December 7 live stream
October 23 – The draw for the European section of 2022 World Cup qualifying will take place in Zurich on December 7.
Covid crush: African Champions League semi-final postponed to just four days before final
October 23 – The second leg of the African Champions League semi-final between Egypt’s Zamalek and Raja Casablanca has been postponed for a week after eight players in the Moroccan club’s squad tested positive for Covid-19.
Nigeria’s Ogu calls for player boycott and for ‘police brutality to stop’
October 23 – Nigeria midfielder John Ogu is the latest footballer to denounce the police brutality going on in his country and has called for a boycott of all upcoming games.
Aussies and Kiwis pull out of European trips in November match window
October 23 – Australia have joined New Zealand in pulling out of planned national team events in Europe due to the Europe-wide spike in coronavirus cases and increasing international travel restrictions.
UEFA connects with smartphone maker vivo for Euro 2020 and 2024
October 23 – Chinese smartphone manufacturer vivo has committed to a four-year official partnership for Euro 2020 and Euro 2024.
Arsenal and KSE get environmentally friendly with Ball Corporation deal
October 23 – Arsenal have agreed an official partnership with global aluminium packaging company Ball Corporation in a co-operation designed to help the club and its fans reduce their impact on the environment.
Infantino defends Lauber meetings as he waits to learn, officially, what he is accused of
By Andrew Warshaw
October 22 – Three months after criminal proceedings were opened against Gianni Infantino, the FIFA president has broken his silence by declaring he still doesn’t know what he is accused of and defending his conduct throughout his dealings with Switzerland’s disgraced former attorney general Michael Lauber.
Mediapro seeks rights fee rebate on €172m demanded by LFP
October 22 – Spanish media rights agency Mediapro is seeking a negotiated solution with the LFP after the French league issued a €172 million demand for unpaid rights fees.
Report finds 43% of players in EPL racially abused on social media
By Andrew Warshaw
October 22 – A new report into the extent to which professional footballers are attacked online has thrown up damning and disturbing findings, with 43% of English Premier League players surveyed having experienced “targeted racist abuse”.
Swiss cut stadium attendances to 1,000 as FC Sion puts whole squad into quarantine
October 22 – Top-flight Swiss side FC Sion have put their entire squad and medical staff into quarantine and have asked for their next two games to be postponed following the club’s latest coronavirus tests, though results were not revealed.
Belgium keep top ranking in an international month that saw 120 matches played
October 22 – The international window at last saw a return to a significant numbers of national team matches with FIFA reporting 120 games played in October, the bulk of them in the UEFA and Conmebol region. The top five nations in FIFA’s men’s national team ranking all remained the same.
Infantino dismisses any interest in Euro Super League, his focus is on Club World Cup
October 22 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino has said he is not interested in the plotting behind the scenes in European football and the creation of a Super League, but he remains committed to the world federation’s revamped but delayed Club World Cup.
IFAB prepares way for ‘concussion sub’ trials
October 22 – Trials of permanent concussion substitutes could begin in January, the game’s law-makers have announced.
UEFA halts play in Armenia and Azerbaijan as military dispute intensifies
October 22 – UEFA have put a stop to all club and national team competitions in Armenia and Azerbaijan until further notice because of the continuing military conflict in the disputed Nagorno-Karabakh region.