No relegated teams in unfinished Czech league
July 24 – No teams will be relegated from the Czech league since the competition was left unfinished after one player tested positive for coronavirus.
Europe
Covid-19 cases hit record level as Paulista returns to play
July 23 – After a four-month hiatus, football has returned to São Paulo with the resumption of the Paulista championship, one of Brazil’s most important state championships.
Hackers foiled in £1m transfer fee sting, but cybercrime is football’s new security frontier
July 23 – An unnamed English Premier League club came close to losing £1 million during a transfer deal because of cyber hackers, according to a new report.
Championship’s last day nail-biter sees West Brom squeeze back into Premier League
July 23 – West Bromwich Albion have won promotion back to the Premier League after a two-year absence, joining Leeds United in the top flight next season in a dramatic, nail-biting finale to the Championship season on Wednesday.
Deportivo demand final day replay as former giants face life with the minnows
July 22 – Spanish football is heading for the courts after former top-flight champions Deportivo La Coruna were controversially relegated from the second tier when their final fixture was postponed because of Covid-19.
Forget Covid-19, Wigan fans call for better tests for the bad-owner virus
July 22 – Fans of English Championship club Wigan Athletic have launched a petition calling on the government to strengthen the owners and directors test after their team was plunged into administration earlier this month when its Hong Kong owner pulled the plug on further funding.
Football has been blitzed by Covid-19, says Ceferin, but solidarity and safety will triumph
July 21 – UEFA president Aleksander Čeferin says Covid-19 has had a worse effect on football than during the Second World War.
French threaten to close stadia again after PSG Ultras break social distancing rules
July 21 – The French government has threatened to re-impose a ban on fans after Paris St Germain supporters failed to observe Covid-19 social distancing rules in last Friday’s friendly against Waasland-Beveren.
Not enough balls are being kicked: France Football cancels Ballon d’Or
July 21 – The prestigious Ballon d’Or award is the latest event to be hit by the Covid-19 pandemic with this year’s ceremony cancelled, organisers France Football announced on Monday.
England target October 1 for partial opening of stadia
July 20 – Football fans, along with spectators of other sports, could be allowed back into stadiums in England on October 1 provided a series of test events are successful in the coming weeks.
Promoted VfB Stuttgart join procession of Bundesliga clubs seeking cash to continue
July 17 – Newly-promoted VfB Stuttgart’s achievement in getting back to the top flight in Germany has been marred by them becoming the latest cash-strapped Bundesliga club to seek financial aid because of lost matchday revenue due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Spike fears: Spanish health minister hesitant to allow fans to return in September
July 17 – Spain’s Health Minister, Santiago Illa, has cast doubt on the possibility of fans being able to go back to stadiums when the new season starts in September.
LaLiga title win is more important that Champions League, says Zidane
July 17 – Despite a season when they were often far from their scintillating best, Real Madrid are Spanish champions once again, ending Barcelona’s two-year grip on the title and prompting coach Zinedine Zidane to declare it felt sweeter than any of the three straight Champions League crowns the club has won under his tenure.
Bundesliga submits criteria to reopen stadia from start of 2020/21 season
July 16 – The German Bundesliga is working up plans to return fans to stadia following discussions with health authorities, with the start of the 2020/21 season, September 18, being the target date for opening up of the leagues.
Portuguese police swoop on Benfica over tax evasion and money laundering claims
July 15 – The president of Benfica, Luis Filipe Vieira (pictured), plus the company that operates the club and the one that owns the stadium, have all been indicted by the Portuguese justice for tax evasion, according to unconfirmed local reports.