MLS restarts with a powerful show of solidarity
July 9 – Players raised gloved right fists and took a knee before Major League Soccer’s first match in four months on Wednesday in a show of solidarity with the ‘Black Lives Matter’ movement.
Aussie A-League beached by stranded Melbourne teams and poor government advisory
July 9 – Football Federation Australia’s Head of Leagues Greg O’Rourke has admitted responsibility for failed attempts to get A-League teams out of Victoria state amid a COVID-19 outbreak that has placed the July 16 restart of top-flight football in the country into doubt.
Government warns SAFA that safety protocols must be followed for league return
July 9 – South Africa’s FA (SAFA) has confirmed it will oversee all procedures relating to ‘return-to-play’ protocols after the country’s Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa urged the federation and the Premier Soccer League to work together to pave the way for a resumption in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.
FIFA blow Look Loy and United TTFA mediation away. Warner’s alumni head for court
By Paul Nicholson
July 8 – FIFA has blasted the ‘United TTFA’ lobby group and its lawyers who still believe they are running the Trinidad and Tobago FA despite having had their officials removed from office by a FIFA Normalisation Committee.
Coronavirus: Aussie A-League hits roadblock as travel restrictions leave teams grounded
July 8 – Australia’s A-League has been plunged into chaos after several failed attempts to get Melbourne-based clubs out of the city amid tightening Covid-19 travel restrictions in the country.
Match-fixing: Armenia suspends whole second tier, bans 45, disqualifies five clubs
July 8 – Football authorities in Armenia have suspended their entire second tier and handed out 45 lifetime bans after one of the biggest match-fixing episodes of recent years in Europe.
Belgians agree top tier format but TV schedules upset amateur game
July 8 – The Belgian Pro League has confirmed a 16-team top flight format for next season with season-ending playoffs and a broadcast schedule that has incensed amateur clubs further down the pyramid.
Wigan future brightens as 50 suitors express takeover interest
July 8 – There have been over 50 inquiries about buying Wigan Athletic FC – including from the town’s rugby league side Wigan Warriors – after the English Championship club were plunged into administration when its Hong Kong owner pulled the plug on further funding, according to the joint administrators.
Santos lose €61m appeal at CAS over Neymar transfer to Barca
July 8 – After a long-running saga, the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has cleared Barcelona of any wrongdoing when they signed Brazilian star Neymar from Santos back in 2013.
FIFA completes 2026 World Cup workshops on road to picking 10 US host cities from 17 bids
July 8 – FIFA has concluded its candidate host city workshop for the 2026 World Cup. In 2021, the world federation will name the host cities, slimming down the field of 17 contenders to 10 in the US.
Real Madrid rolls out multi-platform retail plans with Santiago Bernabéu centrepiece
July 7 – Spanish giants Real Madrid, who are currently undergoing renovation of their iconic Santiago Bernabéu stadium, have announced a wide ranging multi-channel retail programme.
Hard-resisting Belarus now succumb to Covid crisis with cancellation of first game
July 8 – Belarus, the one country in Europe that insisted on carrying on playing regular football while others shut down earlier in the Covid-19 crisis, has announced the postponement of defending champion Dinamo Brest’s next game scheduled for this Friday.
Colombian court fines FA bosses $4.6m over World Cup ticketing scam
July 7 – The Colombian Football Federation (FCF) and a raft of its most influential officials – including FIFA Council member Ramon Jesurun (pictured) – have been fined $4.6 million over a scam involving selling 2018 World Cup qualifying tickets at inflated prices.
Qatar to trim World Cup workforce as pandemic and economic pressures begin to bite
July 7 – Qatar’s World Cup organisers are set to reduce their workforce as the emirate introduces austerity measures amid the coronavirus crisis, according to reports.
EFL’s fit and proper tested: The miserable financial road for Wigan and its peers
By Andrew Warshaw
July 7 – Wigan Athletic’s official supporters’ club have demanded a “full investigation” into how the second-tier Championship club became the first professional outfit in English football to be plunged into administration during the Covid-19 pandemic.