UEFA opens case over racism row with officials at Basaksehir-PSG match
February 12 – UEFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against two Romanian officials at the centre of racism allegations in a Champions League match last December.
Europe
LFP calls on government for emergency cash to keep French clubs afloat
February 11 – The Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has called for emergency support from government to ward off the risk of bankruptcy for French clubs.
Player wage cuts hit France’s Ligue 1 as Stade Reims follows Lens with reductions
February 11 – Players and staff at Ligue 1 outfit Stade Reims have accepted salary cuts to help the club navigate the financial fallout of the coronavirus pandemic which is savaging French football in combination with the loss of TV rights revenues.
Covid travel ban chaos forces UEFA to hunt for neutral venues
February 10 – UEFA have been forced to move even more games to neutral ground as the chaos and confusion over Covid-related travel bans continue to take their toll, presenting a major head-ache to all concerned.
Trial of 150 ‘Healthcare passes’ for Fenerbahce fans ruined by ill wind of abuse
February 10 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) decision to break coronavirus stadium lock-out rules and allow privileged access to 150 healthcare workers in for the Fenerbahce vs Galatasaray derby backfired at the weekend.
Hungary becomes Germany’s second home as now Monchengladbach take Man City to Budapest
February 9 – A second successive Champions League last-16 game as been switched to neutral ground in Hungary due to Covid-19 travel restrictions in Germany.
Headache for Ajax as keeper Onana drops the ball and gets one year ban for doping
February 9 – Ajax’s international goalkeeper André Onana (pictured) has been banned for one year by UEFA for a doping infraction and is set to miss next year’s African Cup of Nations in his home nation of Cameroon for whom he has 15 caps.
European Leagues cautious over Champions League revamp proposal
February 8 – UEFA’s plans for a new-look Champions League from 2024 to offset the threat of a breakaway super league are a cause for strong concern, according to the body representing domestic leagues across Europe.
RB Leipzig wing it to Budapest for home CL tie with Liverpool
February 8 – In a compromise move caused by the impact of Covid-19, a solution has finally been found for staging the RB Leipzig-Liverpool Champions League last-16 first leg tie, with Budapest selected as a neutral venue after German authorities imposed strict protocols to combat the spread of the pandemic.
Ozil’s new club Fenerbahce pushes beIN to limit, sparking fear over next SuperLig deal
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – Mesut Ozil, no stranger to conflict and controversy in recent years, may not find Fenerbahce the calm and safe haven club he was looking for.
No route found round German border restrictions for Liverpool’s CL trip to Leipzig
February 5 – Covid restrictions have barred Liverpool from travelling to Germany next week for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against RB Leipzig, prompting a frantic search for a solution.
European Leagues meet to debate Champions League restructure
February 5 – Following months of conjecture, football leagues across the Continent were holding crucial talks virtually today on a new-look Champions League from 2024 that will radically reshape the tournament.
Canal+ throw LFP a €35m lifeline for more TV rights to end of season
February 5 – France’s professional leagues have been handed a badly needed lifeline to help them over their broadcast rights crisis after Ligue 1 reached an agreement with Canal Plus to screen the remainder of matches this season following the spectacular collapse of a record contract with Mediapro.
Social media firms warned of £ billions in fines unless they tackle racist abuse
February 4 – The British government has threatened social media companies with fines which could amount to “billions of pounds” if they fail to tackle abuse of footballers on their platforms.
Mussolini’s great-grandson signs for Lazio
February 4 – The great-grandson of Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has signed for Lazio – a section of whose supporters are notorious for salutes and racist chants at matches.