By Paul Nicholson
December 30 – China has announced ten cities that will host the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) flagship Asian Cup in 2023. Beijing will be the lead city.
December 30 – Seven players from Eritrea’s national football team disappeared following the end of the Cecafa Cup in Uganda earlier this month, according to tournament spokesman Rogers Mulindwa. Police continue their search for the players.
December 30 – US investors buying European clubs has become commonplace but European investors moving into the US to acquire a stake in club soccer is not.
December 30 – The Chinese Super League has introduced a salary cap of £2 million a year, a move that will redraw clubs’ transfer policies and spending. Domestic players will be allowed to earn a maximum of £1.1 million a year.
December 30 – A Moroccan referee has been banned for life for awarding four highly questionable penalties, three of them for the same team, in a domestic league match.
December 30 – A Spanish second division match abandoned at half-time after Rayo Vallecano fans chanted that Albacete’s Ukrainian forward Roman Zozulya (pictured) was a ‘Nazi’ is to resume behind closed doors.
December 30 – Scottish giants Rangers have announced a new partnership with American USL side Orange County SC involving player exchanges between the pair.
December 29 – Roma, Basel, Man City, Borussia Mönchengladbach and Olympique Lyonais lead the club branded qualifiers for the FIFA eClub World Cup 2020 finals to be be played February 7-9.
By David Owen
December 30 – Brazilian footballers were more likely to be sanctioned for anti-doping rule violations (ADRVs) than those of any other nationality, according to statistics relating to samples collected in 2017 made public this month by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
December 23 – England’s Professional Footballers’ Association has called for a government inquiry into racism in football after a year of shame was marred by yet another disgraceful incident, with Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger allegedly targeted at his club’s 2-0 derby win at Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
By Samindra Kunti
December 23 – Lazio defeated Juventus 3-1 to win the Italian Super Cup, controversially staged in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, its second season in the country.
December 23 – Nigeria have lost their bid to become the first African country to host a global women’s tournament after FIFA chose Costa Rica and Panama as joint hosts for next year’s Under-20 World Cup.
By Osasu Obayiuwana
December 23 – Confederation of African Football (CAF) President Ahmad has told Insideworldfootball in Doha, Qatar, that a firm decision on the timing of the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, to be staged in Cameroon, will be taken during CAF’s next executive committee meeting.
By David Owen
December 22 – If there is a doping crisis in football, it is still not being picked up by the authorities.
By David Owen
December 22 – Martin Peters, who scored England’s second goal in the 4-2 victory over West Germany in the 1966 World Cup final, has died at the age of 76.