UEFA issues tender for Champions League cryptocurrency partner
October 20 – UEFA has opened up a new cryptocurrency rights category, inviting bids for the licensing rights to the Champions League for the 2021-24 cycle.
Europe
EU court to examine homegrown player quotas after Antwerp complaint
October 19 – The European Court of Justice will examine UEFA and Belgium’s quota for homegrown players and its compliance with the freedom of labour and competition law following a lawsuit by Royal Antwerp.
UEFA close Wembley gates for next England game and issue €100k fine
October 19 – English hopes of staging the World Cup in 2030 have been dealt a potentially damaging blow after UEFA slapped a stadium ban on the country following the disgraceful scenes that marred the Euro 2020 final against Italy.
Expanded Futsal Euros hand Dutch hosts tough draw
October 19 – Hosts the Netherlands have been drawn alongside world and European champions Portugal as well Ukraine and Serbia/Belarus in the draw for Euro 2022.
Sala flight fixer admits he broke rules over fatal aircraft charter
October 19 – A man involved in the arrangement of the fatal flight that carried Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala to Cardiff to sign for the Welsh club almost three years ago admitted to one charge in court on Monday.
Milletich takes over from Windtner at Austrian FA
October 18 – Gerhard Milletich, 65, has been elected the new president of the Austrian Football Association (ÖFB). He replaces Leo Windtner, who had been in charge since 2009.
England’s Euro matches saw 92 arrests. UEFA set to impose fan ban
October 15 – With UEFA reportedly about to rule on whether to punish English football for the disgraceful scenes that marred last summer’s delayed Euro 2020 final when scores of ticketless fans rampaged through Wembley, new figures show that 92 football-related arrests were made at England’s home matches during the 2020-21 season – all but two them at the Euros.
‘You started it’, regretful Albanian FA tells Poles
October 15 – The Albanian FA says it deplores the violent behaviour of its fans at this week’s World Cup qualifying defeat to Poland but in an attempt to gain the moral high ground blamed visiting Polish fans for provocation.
Chelsea top ranking of most minutes played by expats; Serie A and EPL clubs are most open
October 14 – The UK might have voted for Brexit and are now suffering a European backlash for doing so, but the English Premier League is still one of the most welcoming of foreign players of any country in the world, according to new data released by the CIES Football Observatory.
UEFA to ‘evolve’ its commercial model with landmark sales and marketing tender
By Paul Nicholson
October 13 – UEFA has issued an open tender for a partner to market the commercial rights to its men’s club competitions in what the European governing body says is an ‘evolution’ of its approach to marketing and sales of the properties.
Violence in Albania as fans pelt Polish players, Hungarian racism blights England game
October 13 – Two World Cup qualifying games were disrupted by fan violence on Tuesday as the race for places in Qatar intensified.
Berbatov misses Bulgarian goal as Mihaylov saves his presidency
October 12 – Dimitar Berbatov has failed in his bid to become the president of the Bulgarian Football Union (BFS). The incumbent Borislav Mihaylov (pictured) was re-elected for a fifth term.
UEFA launch bid process for Euro 2028 hosting
October 13 – UEFA have launched the bidding process for hosting Euro 2028 with member associations having until March 2022 to declare their interest. The final decision on hosting will be made in September 2023.
Denmark join Germany for Qatar 2022 finals
October 13 – After an economic 1-0 victory against Austria, Denmark is heading to the World Cup again, seven points clear at the summit of Group F.
UEFA fact checks Courtois’ outburst on congested calendar and money
By Samindra Kunti and Paul Nicholson
October 12 – The Belgium and Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois has criticised UEFA and FIFA for the congested international match calendar, labelling the third-place play-off between his national team and Italy in the Nations League “a money game”. He argued that UEFA don’t care for player welfare.