Abramovich pumps £247m into Chelsea as Conte walks away with £26m
January 8 – Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich poured £247 million into the club last season as the club recorded an overall loss of £96.6 million according to latest accounts.
Mbappé and Sterling top player value ranking at over €220m. Neymar plummets to €100m
January 8 – A player valuation ranking by the CIES Football Observatory makes Kylian Mbappé (France and Paris St-Germain) the world’s most valuable player at €265.2 million, with Man City and England’s Raheem Sterling at €223.7 million.
AFC U23 Championship kicks off in Thailand with Tokyo Olympics slots at stake
January 8 – Iraq and Australia kicked off the AFC U-23 Championship in Thailand with a 1-1 draw today. At press time, hosts Thailand were playing Bahrain. The 16 teams are playing for three slots at this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games.
Sunderland board says owner Donald has ‘no option’ other than sell the club
January 8 – Sunderland owner Stewart Donald (pictured) has confirmed via a statement on the club website that he will sell the League One club after mounting pressure from supporters over the holiday period demanding he leave. Donald has been in ownership charge for 18-months.
From hero to zero. Liberians protest at Weah’s political playbook and missing millions
January 8 – George Weah, Liberia’s most decorated player who now runs the country, is facing the biggest crisis of either his footballing or political career.
OL powers into the esports big leagues with LDLC partnership
By Paul Nicholson
January 8 – Olympique Lyonnais (OL) are the latest European Big 5 league club to formalise and expand its professional e-sports operation to compete under the club’s name on a variety of game platforms as well as the FIFA platform.
Todger-toting Malaga coach Sanchez suspended after video goes viral
January 8 – Second-tier Spanish side Malaga have suspended their coach Victor Sanchez del Amo (pictured) after a sexually explicit video of him appeared on social media.
Man City lands global appliance giant Midea as sponsor partner
January 8 – Premier League Manchester City has unveiled a new global partnership with consumer appliances manufacturer Midea.
Duffy switches NWSL role for Orlando Pride lead
January 8 – Amanda Duffy (pictured) will step down as president of the National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the United States next month to become executive vice president of the Orlando Pride.
Saudi’s controversial €120m Spanish Super Cup ready to kick off but fans stay at home
January 7 – The revamped Spanish Super Cup gets under way in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday but few Spanish fans have made the trip amid heightened political tensions in the region and mounting criticism of the tournament being held in another Continent in a country long condemned for its human rights record.
Liverpool seal £70m+ kit deal with Nike
January 7 – Liverpool have formally announced that Nike will become the club’s official supplier from the start of the next season when the current New Balance deal ends.
Spurs racism case dropped as investigation and CCTV trawl fails to find evidence
January 7 – An alleged case of racist abuse that led to England’s Professional Footballers’ Association calling for a government inquiry into discrimination has not been proven, prompting concerns that players may refrain from reporting such incidents in the future.
Flamengo turmoil as Globo TV deal hits roadblock and board battle for control
January 7 – Flamengo’s new year has began under a storm cloud. The Brazilian giants have not yet reached a rights agreement with TV Globo about the upcoming Rio state championship and, on Monday, Flamengo dismissed their director of football Paulo Pelaipe.
Head injury research project expanded to test for early signs of dementia
January 7 – The University of East Anglia have intensified research into the link between football and dementia with a £1 million study that will test former players for early signs of the disease.
Fiorentina and Genuino innovate with blockchain chipped shirt product
January 7 – Serie A’s Fiorentina have set a blockchain-meets-football first with each of the club’s playing shirts to be inserted with a dedicated chip that can be tracked and will prevent counterfeiting.