UEFA accused of rigging Ronaldo vote
January 20 – UEFA stand accused of deliberately manipulating their team of the year award to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo.
Globo refuse to meet Flamengo terms leaving Carioca kick off without broadcast coverage
January 20 – Flamengo’s curtain raiser in the Rio state championship, a 0-0 draw with Macae on Saturday, was not broadcast after the club and TV Globo failed to reach a rights agreement.
New stadium thinking could offer Europe’s clubs a revenue lifeline
January 20 – With all indicators pointing to a significant slowdown – and for many leagues a decline – in broadcast revenues, a section of the just published UEFA Benchmark report points to a clear area of growth opportunity.
Barca, Premier League and Ronaldo dominate Chinese social media rankings
January 20 – Barcelona are the most popular club online in China, the Premier League is most influential competition and Cristiano Ronaldo is still the player that excites Chinese more than any other, according to the latest Red Card Report from Mailman, published last week, which ranks online performance in the country.
Lagardere Sport push for $90m compensation as CAF/FIFA struggles to table new deals
By Osasu Obayiuwana
January 17 – A leading figure at Lagardere Sport, the French sports marketing company, has told Insideworldfootball that his company is seeking up to $90 million in compensation from the Confederation of African Football (CAF), for breaking their 12-year marketing contract.
UEFA and ECA rumoured to be close to deal on expanded Champions League
By Andrew Warshaw
January 17 – In a hugely significant move that will have major repercussions for domestic leagues, UEFA and the European Clubs’ Association (ECA) are apparently “close to an agreement” to add four more rounds of fixtures to the Champions League each season.
Thai hosts qualify for AFC U23 quarters as fancied Vietnam crash out
January 17 – Hosts Thailand and defending champions Uzbekistan are among the teams that progressed to the last eight of the AFC U-23 Championship. Japan, Qatar and Iran were eliminated in the first round.
Spurs and England face 6 months without talisman Kane
January 17 – England and Tottenham Hotspur have been dealt a potentially massive blow after a leading orthopaedic surgeon predicted Harry Kane will miss not just the rest of the season but also Euro 2020 in the summer.
Rooney-inspired Derby face points deduction after falling foul of finance rules
January 17 – English Championship club Derby County have been charged by the English Football League (EFL) for a breach of spending rules and face a possible points deduction.
Indian powerhouse Mohun Bagan saved by merger with ATK and head for ISL
January 17 – In India, a new club has been born, ATK Mohun Bagan, following the merger of ATK and Kolkata giants and traditional powerhouse Mohun Bagan, integrating Bagan into the Indian Super League.
Barcelona add online financial trader FBS in 4-year global deal
January 17 – Barcelona have signed a four year global partnership with online trading platform FBS that will run through to end June 2024.
Europe’s leagues generate record €21bn but obesity warnings issued on Big 5 clubs
January 17 – The 712 top-flight clubs in Europe’s 55 leagues earned a record €21 billion in the 2018 financial year, up by 20% according to the latest “benchmarking” report from UEFA.
Africa’s convenient climate change. AFCON 2021 switches back to January play
By Andrew Warshaw
January 16 – A host of European-based African stars look set to miss a crucial part of next season after it was announced that the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations is reverting back to the competition’s traditional January slot.
South Africa pull out of CAF Futsal finals over politically disputed ‘Moroccan’ venue
January 16 – The disharmony within African football’s top brass has suffered another telling blow with South Africa boycotting this year’s Africa Futsal Cup of Nations to be hosted by Morocco.
FFA boss prioritises domestic league revamp and bid for 2023 Women’s World Cup
January 16 – The new boss of Australian football James Johnson wants to introduce a second-tier league to the domestic pyramid. He also singled out the bid for the 2023 Women’s World Cup and A-League independence as his priorities.