By Andrew Warshaw
December 13 – John Delaney, the flamboyant Irishman who strode European football’s corridors of power until being forced to resign as chief executive of his federation (FAI) in March, is still a member of UEFA’s inner circle despite the FAI being in financial meltdown.
December 13 – FIFA has released its final Women’s National Team world rankings for 2019 which show the USA ending the year as they began it at the top, following their impressive all-conquering unbeaten run to the France 2019 World Cup title.
December 13 – The use of video assistant referees for marginal offside decisions, which has caused so much consternation throughout Europe, could be amended next season if a joint bid by UEFA and the British football associations succeeds.
December 13 – Age is just a number but for a football club it can also mark a status that no-one else can achieve.
December 13 – Digital sport consultancy Seven League has released its 2020 Digital Trends for Sport report, and for anyone on the business side of sport grappling with their own digital strategy it is a focussing read.
December 13 – The Premier League’s 18-month search for a new chief executive is finally over with Richard Masters, the man who has filled the role on an interim basis, given the job full-time.
December 13 – Disgraced former president of the Tanzanian Football Federation (TFF) and one-time FIFA standing committee member, Jamal Malinzi (pictured), has been found guilty of document forgery in his homeland .
December 13 – Financially challenged Brazilian top tier club Botafogo, is to transition from an association to a corporate structure to professionalise operations. Debt at the Rio club has risen to more than €200 million.
December 13 – Online retail and delivery business turned entertainment streaming giant Amazon has taken another step into the live football rights market securing the rights to show selected Champions League matches in Germany.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
December 12 – As CAF’s first Vice-President for seven years (2011-2017) and the Chairman of its Finance Committee, Suketu Patel was regarded as the financial brain-box of the African football governing body, during the latter stages of Cameroonian Issa Hayatou’s 29-year presidency.
December 12 – FIFA to launch legal action against former president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA president Michel Platini to recover the CHF 2 million paid to Platini in 2011 on Blatter’s authority, which led to long bans for both of them.
December 12 – South Africa have pulled out of the running to stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup saying they will not be submitting a bid book and other proposed hosting documentation by Friday’s deadlineThe South African FA has been on a collision course with Sports Minister Nathi Mthethwa over the future of football in the country which would need government guarantees to stage the tournament.
December 12 – FIFA and the European Parliament (EP) have not always sat cosily alongside each other with the EP having warned in the past that it would force regulation on football’s governing body across a host of commercial and social policy areas if it didn’t reform.
By Paul Nicholson
December 12 – The five-year deal between Scotland’s SPFL and sports betting content hub IMG Arena will see a big step forward for sports broadcast technology company Pixellot in the European football market.
December 12 – The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in its new budget for 2020 is predicting a 41% growth in revenues to €316 million, primarily fuelled by the new money from the estimated €120 million deal with Saudi Arabia to stage its revamped Super Cup competition.