The Three versus The Six: how politics brought Charlton and Beckenbauer back to Wembley 50 years ago
By David Owen
January 3 – Today marks the 50th anniversary of a very odd football match at Wembley Stadium.
Europe
LaLiga counters Vinícius accusation that it is soft on racism and files charges at court
January 3 – Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr has accused LaLiga of continuing to do nothing about racist abuse from fans after he was targeted by Real Valladolid fans last Friday.
Russians opt to rebuild European bridges rather than apply for AFC membership
January 3 – Russian football bosses have decided not to quit UEFA, shelving a plan to try instead to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to enable its clubs and national teams to resume playing.
Euro-sceptic Russia considers applying to switch from UEFA to AFC
December 30 – Russian football bosses are reported to be considering quitting UEFA and applying to join the Asian Football Confederation to enable its clubs and national teams to resume playing.
PSG close in on securing Messi contract renewal
December 30 – Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi has reached a deal to renew his contract at Paris St-Germain, according to unconfirmed French media reports.
LaLiga closes 2022 with key wins in battle against broadcast piracy
December 29 – LaLiga has won three rulings in Spanish courts in the fight against piracy and the protection of their broadcast copyright and license fee income.
UEFA pressures England and Ireland Euro 2028 bid on hosting guarantees
December 22 – UEFA is reported to be getting increasingly frustrated over lack of sufficient guarantees by the UK and Ireland’s bid to host Euro 2028.
2022: The year the women’s game broke through in England
December 22 – More than 348,000 fans have attended games in the Women’s Super League in the first half of the 2022/23 season, a rise of 227% on the previous season, according to the English FA, who have hailed 2022 as a historic breakthrough year for the women’s game in the country.
Benzema rumoured to return to French team if Zidane takes over from Deschamps
December 22 – French superstar Karim Benzema could reverse his decision to retire from international football if Zinedine Zidane takes over from Didier Deschamps as manager of the national team, according to French reports.
FC Shakhtar accuse FIFA of €40m loss with ‘overreaching’ suspension of international contracts
December 21 – Ukrainian club FC Shakhtar has said the suspension of international player contracts when Russia began its invasion of Ukraine has cost the club about €40 million, and was an “inappropriate and over-reaching measure” applied by FIFA.
French demand penalties after online racist abuse of players
December 21 – French football authorities have condemned online racist abuse directed towards some of the country’s players after they were targeted in the wake of the penalty shootout loss to Argentina in Sunday’s World Cup final.
Ukraine FA warned of suspension over plot to parachute in Shevchenko as new boss
December 20 – In a joint letter to the Ukrainian Football Association (UAF), FIFA and UEFA have warned that they could face an international suspension if they do not follow the statutes of the two governing bodies.
Textor and Eagle Football close deal for Lyon
December 20 – US businessman John Textor and his Eagle Football group have completed the long running takeover of Olympique Lyonnais. on Monday.
French sanction 76 players and coaches for betting on football
December 20 – French football authorities have sanctioned 76 players, coaches and managers for failing to respect the ban on sports betting during the 2020-2021 season.
Southgate commits to England through Euro 2024 Championships
December 19 – Gareth Southgate will remain as England manager despite the disappointment of their quarter-final exit at the World Cup, the English Football Association confirmed on Sunday.