December 19 – Barcelona and Real Madrid drew 0-0 at Camp Nou in El Clásico that failed to live up to its name on the pitch but delivered fierce clashes off it. The hosts remain top of La Liga on goal difference, but the game was overshadowed by cries for Catalan independence and violence outside the stadium, injuring 46 people.
December 19 – The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has requested an €18 million bailout from the Irish government amid the financial meltdown that is threatening to bankrupt the governing body.
December 19 – Eighteen players from the current Belgian squad have enrolled in a custom-made coaching course, devised by the Belgian FA (KBVB) to develop their footballing know how and enhance their coaching prospects.
December 18 – Serie A has apologised in the wake of the furore over imagery of monkeys being used in artwork for their anti-racism campaign.
December 17 – Glasgow giants Celtic have been hit with €16,000 fine by UEFA after fans set off fireworks in their Europa League clash with Lazio in Rome.
December 16 – Manchester City will have to do it the hard way in their quest to break their Champions League duck and finally land the trophy.
December 16 – A new law in Italy, removing the current salary cap, will allow women players at Serie A Femminile clubs to be paid as full time professionals.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 13 – John Delaney, the flamboyant Irishman who strode European football’s corridors of power until being forced to resign as chief executive of his federation (FAI) in March, is still a member of UEFA’s inner circle despite the FAI being in financial meltdown.
December 11 – The head of the umbrella organisation representing Europe’s domestic leagues has launched yet another broadside against plans to revamp the Champions League saying his organisation is “tired” of threats about a breakaway super league.
December 11 – Irish police are reported to be investigating a series of threats made against staff at the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), leading to increased security at the federation’s Dublin headquarters.
December 5 – A leading Italian sports daily has been widely criticised for a headline reading ‘Black Friday’ featuring two leading black Serie A players.
By Paul Nicholson
December 5 – Greek champions PAOK, and their fans, have responded furiously to allegations that owner Ivan Savvidis also controls Greek Super League club Xanthi FC.
December 5 – UEFA has announced the introduction of a new 16-team group stage for the Women’s Champions League from the 2021-22 season with centralised marketing and TV sales programme raise revenues and the profile of the women’s club game.
December 5 – UEFA wants to tweak the qualifying process for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, allowing a pathway via the Nations League to reach the global finals.
By Paul Nicholson
December 4 – A club ownership storm has broken in Greece linking controversial Russian-Greek oligarch Ivan Savvidis to control of two clubs in the Greek Super League.