Shadow of Cristiano? Portugal end Santos’ contract two years early
December 18 – Portugal have parted company with coach Fernando Santos following their shock 1-0 quarter-final defeat to Morocco at the World Cup.
Europe
ECJ advisor backs UEFA’s block on Barca-Juve-Real Madrid Super League breakaway
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Those still backing the seemingly doomed European Super League have been dealt a hammer blow after the European Court of Justice’s (ECJ) key adviser today ruled against them – a landmark decision for the future of European football.
Spanish court clears Neymar of transfer fee fraud over move to Barca
December 13 – A Spanish court has acquitted Brazilian superstar Neymar and other defendants in a fraud and corruption case relating to his 2013 transfer to Barcelona from Santos after prosecutors had dropped all charges in the high-profile trial.
LaLiga takes Sevilla’s ‘Transfer Tracker’ to market to reclaim unpaid player fees
December 13 – LaLiga Tech, the digital development and commercial partnership arm of the Spanish league, is partnering with Sevilla FC to make its ‘Transfer Tracker’ technology available to clubs worldwide.
Should I stay or should I go: Southgate has emotional clash over England future
December 12 – As England lick their wounds after falling just short for the third tournament in a row, manager Gareth Southgate is pondering whether to stay on in the role.
Hopfen quits Bundesliga over strategy, club execs Hellman and Leki drafted in interim
December 9 – Donata Hopfen, CEO of the DFL Deutsche Fußball Liga, will quit her role at the end of the year, being replaced on an interim basis by two Bundesliga club execs, Axel Hellmann and Oliver Leki.
PSG and ECA’s Al-Khelaifi says fan power will trump greed of Super League trio
December 8 – Nasser Al-Khelaifi, one of the most powerful officials in European football, says fans will never let a breakaway Super League happen even if the courts decide in its favour.
Irish women’s pro-IRA singing celebration lands them a €20k UEFA fine
December 8 – UEFA has fined the Football Association of Ireland €20,000 for its women’s teams post match celebration and the singing of a song with a pro-IRA chorus after they beat Scotland 1-0 and qualified for the women’s World Cup finals for the first time.
DFL’s $3.6bn private equity raise hits club road block
December 7 – The German Football League (DFL) has reportedly stalled the sale of a $3.6 billion stake in Bundesliga media rights after a number of raised concerns over the capital raise.
Polish PM scraps on World Cup bonus plan after public backlash
December 7 – Poland’s prime minister has backed down on a promise to award bonuses to the national team after the World Cup.
Germany turn the page as Oliver Bierhoff exits national set-up
December 6 – German team director Oliver Bierhoff has become the first major casualty of their group stage World Cup humiliation after agreeing to leave his post two years before his contract ends.
LaLiga says Super League would mean 55% revenue loss and ‘destroy an industry’
December 4 – A KPMG report commissioned by LaLiga estimates a 55% revenue loss for the Spanish league if a European Super League came to fruition.
UEFA opens probe into alleged Juve financial fraud
December 2 – UEFA has opened an investigation into Juventus over the alleged financial fraud that has seen Juve’s board resign and a series of indictments issued against them by Italian authorities.
Martinez calls end to his Belgian role after group stage exit
December 2 – Belgium’s coach Roberto Martinez has stepped down following his side’s goalless draw with Croatia and premature exit from the World Cup.
English and Japanese FAs re-sign MoU with additional focus on women’s leagues
December 1 – The Japan Football Association (JFA) and the English FA have renewed their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a commitment to further expanding their co-operation within an agreement that was first signed in February 2016.