By Andrew Warshaw
September 11 – Having won their first English league title for 30 long and painful years, Liverpool kick off the defence of their crown this weekend as they attempt to disprove the old adage that it’s harder to win it second time round.
September 11 – The AFC Cup, Asia’s second-tier club competition, has been cancelled for 2020. The AFC Solidarity Cup and the AFC Futsal Club Championship will also not take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
September 11 – First Bern, now Bellinzona. Following the recent court appearances in Switzerland of Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini over that infamous CHF 2 million “disloyal payment”, it’s the turn of two other high-profile footballing figures on Monday to have their cases heard.
September 11 – Barcelona have become the first football club to break the 10 million YouTube subscriber mark. The NBA (14.7million) is the only sports channel that has more followers.
September 11 – European top-flight clubs have invested €870 million for youth development in 2020, according to a study by UEFA. With an average of €6.1 million per club, the Premier League clubs top the list.
September 11 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has pushed back the final of the African Champions League, the Continent’s showpiece fixture, by three weeks to November 6.
September 11 – A depleted Paris St-Germain, rocked by an outbreak of Covid-19 that ripped through the heart of the squad, kicked off their season in the worst possible fashion on Thursday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at newly-promoted Lens.
September 11 – Referees in South America are more card-happy than anywhere else in the world, handing out on average 5.83 cards per match. In Asia the refs average 4 cards a match, according to a survey of 87 divisions worldwide.
September 11 – US confectionary giant Mondelēz International has continued to spend its European marketing dollars on football with the announcement that it will become an official partner of Germany’s Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.
September 10 – News of tough new coronavirus measures that make it illegal to socialise in groups of more than six in England, have sent financial shockwaves through the country’s professional clubs who fear that the return of fans to stadiums could be delayed beyond the planned October 1 date.
By Paul Nicholson
September 10 – Saudi Arabia officially launched their bid to host the 2027 Asian Cup last night at 20.27 with a digital roll out that saw projections of the bid logo and slogan around the country and in international media.
By Samindra Kunti
September 10 – Flamengo must bear responsibility for the fire that killed ten youth players at their training complex last year, according to Rio de Janeiro’s public prosecutor following the emergence of a series of damning e-mails that showed the club were aware of the safety issues.
September 10 – Newcastle United have accused the Premier League of acting inappropriately after it rejected a takeover by a Saudi Arabian-backed consortium last month.
September 10 – UEFA have shifted the draw for the Champions League and the Europe League away from Athens to Nyon over Covid-19 concerns.
September 10 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur, known for their well-heeled City of London working fans, have a new trading platform for them to play on.