Turks stun Dutch as 2022 World Cup qualifying begins in Europe
March 25 – Turkey stunned the Netherlands with a Burak Yilmaz hattrick to win 4-2 in the opening round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers and leave the Dutch campaign in the doldrums.
Europe
Another stab: Albanian FA asks government if fans attend England game if vaccinated
March 24 – Having had one request turned down, Albania’s FA is having a second crack at trying to persuade the authorities to allow a limited number of fans to attend their World Cup qualifier against England on Sunday – this time suggesting they are first vaccinated against coronavirus.
Norwegian team plan protest of Qatar’s human rights record ahead of Gibralter qualifier
March 24 – Norway’s threat of a World Cup boycott in protest at Qatar’s human rights record is set to take centre stage in Gibraltar tonight when the visiting Norwegian team uses the 2022 qualifier to express its support for migrant workers helping the host nation prepare for the tournament.
Real Madrid cleared to keep ‘home’ Liverpool CL tie in Spain
March 24 – Real Madrid have received a boost with the news they will not be forced to play the ‘home’ leg of their upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie against Liverpool on neutral ground.
Low wages push Romania players to betting against own teams
March 23 – There is a reason why it is forbidden for athletes (in any sport) to wager on events in which they themselves participate – doing so endangers the integrity of the event. But the threat is very real as a current Romanian football case shows.
Kokeza quits Serbian FA presidency but denies he is linked to organised crime
March 23 – Just days before the start of the country’s World Cup qualifying programme, Serbian football has been plunged into scandal and chaos with the resignation of federation president Slavisa Kokeza after he was linked to an organised crime group accused of murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
UEFA sends carbon-neutral message with ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ campaign
March 23 – UEFA is pushing the carbon-neutral message via a public awareness campaign – ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ – during the European Under-21 Championships in take place in Hungary and Slovenia that kicks off its group stages tomorrow.
EFL lobbies for 10,000 fans to attend Man City vs Spurs League Cup final in April
March 23 – Next month’s English League Cup final could become the nation’s first showpiece match in months to be played out in front of a limited number of fans as a test case, according to press reports.
Nilsson stays at top of Swedish FA as board shifts to a female majority
March 23 – Karl-Erik Nilsson has been re-elected as president of the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) for a two-year mandate.
Rangers fury at Kamara racial abuse as UEFA launches probe
March 22 – UEFA have stepped in to investigate claims that a player from Scottish champions Rangers was racially abused by a Slavia Prague opponent during their Europa League match last week as both sides continue to blame the other for the incident.
Albania refused fan entry for England qualifier in Tirana
March 22 – Albania has had their request for a limited number of spectators at the World Cup qualifier with England this month turned down by the country’s health ministry due to rising daily cases of coronavirus.
UCL draw: PSG face Bayern, Liverpool and Real Madrid paired
March 19 – European heavyweights Paris St. Germain and Manchester City will both have to do it the hard way if they are to clinch the Champions League title for the first time following the quarter-final and semi-final draws made today.
Ukraine lose CAS appeal. Swiss keep Nations League status with walkover win
March 19 – Ukraine have been relegated to the second tier of the Nations League after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed its appeal against UEFA’s decision to award Switzerland a 3-0 walkover win in November.
Rangers boss Gerrard furious over racist jibe as Slavia Prague claim assault
March 19 – Scottish champions Rangers, bundled out of the Europa League by Slavia Prague on Thursday, have accused one of the Czech defenders of racist abuse in the latest incident of discrimination to hit the game.
Euro 2020: Ceferin says all host venues must have fans in stadia
By Andrew Warshaw
March 18 – As speculation grows into whether UEFA will ultimately replace certain venues from hosting games at this summer’s delayed Euro 2020, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (pictured) has given the biggest hint yet that some cities could be axed.