March 7 – Two Manchester City players – Kevin de Bruyne and Nicolas Otamendi – lead the way in an analysis of Europe’s top players so far this season across six technical performance categories.
January 17 – Neymar and not Leonel Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo is the most valuable player in Europe, at €246.8 million, according to a new study which values 10 players at more than €100 million.
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
January 9 – As widely anticipated, Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo was duly crowned FIFA’s World Best player at a no-expense-spared gala in Zurich on Monday but the glittering awards ceremony – rival to the Ballon d’Or from which FIFA recently disassociated itself – was marred by a fierce attack on Barcelona for snubbing the world governing body’s inaugural showpiece event.
December 30 – World Player of the Year Cristiano Ronaldo turned down the chance to leave Real Madrid for a staggering 300m Euros to join the flow of expensive talent towards China according to his agent.
By Paul Nicholson
December 16 – It took a hat-trick from Cristiano Ronaldo to wake up the European football ‘world’ to FIFA’s often unloved Club World Cup in that region. The significant story of this competition, however, is perhaps not Real Madrid’s extra time win but that the European Champions were pushed by another team from Asia making a mark in world football.
December 13 – Their rivalry off the field remains just as intense as on it as Real Madrid forward Cristiano Ronaldo beat rival Lionel Messi to win the prestigious Ballon d’Or for a fourth time.
December 7 – A Spanish judge is seeking to impose a gagging order on 12 European media outlets known as the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) from reporting leaked documents alleging the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Jose Mourinho could have been involved in a multimillion-euro tax evasion system.
By Andrew Warshaw
As if he didn’t have enough problems trying to defend the inconsistent displays of his Manchester United team, Jose Mourinho is now facing calls for an investigation into his tax affairs after leaked documents to a group of European media outlets suggested that he and other leading figures – most notably Christiano Ronaldo –made transactions that could be construed as tax avoidance.
August 5 – UEFA have unveiled their final three nominations for the Gareth Bale, Antoine Griezmann and Cristiano Ronaldo – all three play for Madrid clubs and had outstanding European Championship performances for their countries this summer.
July 18 – UEFA has announced the ten-player shortlists for the 2015/16 UEFA Best Women’s and Men’s Player in Europe Awards.
July 11 – In the battle of the appareil brands US firm Nike is claiming major summer success over its European rival adidas at both the Copa America Centenario and the European Championships.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – They only won one game in regulation time and didn’t have shot on target in the final until the 80th minute. Yet what Greece did to them 12 years ago in Lisbon, Portugal have now done to France: upsetting the host nation to become European champions and wrecking a nationwide party in the process.
June 22 – Ronaldo returns to action searching for that exclusive goal on a night that could see the Portuguese burst back in to Euro contention…or fizzle out. Ibrahimovic is also on show, his final show, and will want to leave his final mark as Sweden cling on to qualification hopes.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
January 15 – When UEFA decided to expand the 2016 European Championship finals to 24 teams, there were those who sneered scornfully and said another eight teams would diminish the tournament. Too many minnows, not enough quality, a purely money-exercise, were the three of many criticisms.
May 27 – UEFA Champions League sponsor Nissan have again delved into their ‘Excitement Index’ data to come up with a list of the most exciting moments and players so far this campaign.