Breaking barriers: Dutch to trial woman in men’s senior team
August 5 – Dutch football is to pilot a scheme allowing a woman to play competitively in a men’s team, the KNVB has announced.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Fulham sting Bees in extra time to take the £135m Premier League prize
August 5 – Fulham won the richest game in world football after the extra-time brilliance of left-back Joe Byran ensured a 2-1 win against London rivals Brentford and promotion to the Premier League.
Germans set up task force to plot the future for professional game
August 5 – The German FA (DFL) is setting up a task force to examine the future of the professional game in the country in light of the coronavirus pandemic and to make recommendations as to how the game can be strengthened and made more sustainable.
Wigan lose last throw of the dice as appeal loss confirms relegation; Barnsley stay up
August 5 – It’s all over for Wigan Athletic who have been controversially relegated to the third tier of English football as a result of the club’s Hong Kong owner disgracefully pulling the plug on further funding.
Are FIFA Ethics’ teeth in un-repairable decay?
Will FIFA’s so-called independent ethics committee dare show its teeth in arguably its most important test case to date? That is now the all-important question after three days of unprecedented trouble-shooting by the organisation’s administration in defence of its under-fire president, Gianni Infantino.
2019 Asian Cup results stand: UAE lose CAS appeal over eligibility of Qatar striker Almoez
By Paul Nicholson
August 4 – A long running dispute between the UAE and Qatar that began in January 2019 at the Asian Cup over the eligibility two Qatari players, has finally been settled at CAS with the UAE losing its appeal against the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision that the players were eligible.
Brentford and Fulham line up for winner-takes-all £135m shoot-out
August 4 – Tonight Brentford and Fulham will play in the most valuable match in world football, in fact any match in world sport, as they bid for the third promotion spot to next season’s Premier League.
CAF drops centralised Champions League finish in favour of home and away semis
August 4 – Following a meeting of its Emergency Committee, the African confederation (CAF) has revised dates and venues for its flagship Champions League and Total Confederation Cup club competitions.
Serie A clubs given more time to build as new season pushed back September 19 start
August 4 – Next season’s Serie A kick-off has been postponed by a week to September 19 the Italian league announced in a bid to allow clubs and players enough rest.
LaLiga rethink gives covid-ravaged Fuenlabrada second chance at a play-off spot
August 4 – Spanish football authorities have staged an unexpected u-turn by ruling that the all-important final tier-2 fixture of the season between Deportivo La Coruna and Fuenlabrada can go ahead after all tomorrow.
English FA makes a ‘nasty’ cough a Red card offence
August 4 – Sent off for a cough? It could soon happen. Players who deliberately cough at opponents or match officials during the Covid-19 pandemic can be red-carded under new rules introduced by the English FA and the game’s law-makers.
UEFA explains new penalty laws as Champions League knock-out rounds return
August 4 – With both the Europa League and Champions League resuming this week, UEFA’s chief refereeing officer Roberto Rosetti has explained the amendments to football’s laws of the game in greater details.
Crystal Palace change bookie with W88 taking shirt sponsorship
August 4 – Crystal Palace FC have replaced one betting firm with another as the club’s main shirt sponsor. Online gaming brand W88 will take over from ManBetX for next season.
Inter Milan push videogaming with EA as Chinese social numbers grow 73%
August 4 – Inter Milan are boosting fan engagement activities via two new initiatives: a partnership with video gamemaker EA Sports for its FIFA game and a new WeChat virtual community for its Chinese fans.
Bell tolls for FIFA and Infantino questioners as he argues the case that there is no case
By Andrew Warshaw
August 3 – FIFA came out with all guns blazing today as it savaged the decision by the Swiss authorities to launch a criminal investigation into the conduct of Gianni Infantino, insisting there was no case to answer and hinting it might be based on a deliberate attempt to bring Infantino down.