UEFA fine Marseilles and threaten Euro ban unless fans behave
July 26 – Marseille face a one-year suspension from European competitions unless the behaviour of their fans improve, UEFA have warned.
Europe
Roma owner Pallotta benched after referee ‘joke’ comments after CL semi vs Liverpool
July 23 – Roma’s American billionaire owner James Pallotta has been handed a three-month suspension by UEFA for comments after their Champions League semi-final defeat by Liverpool.
Hannover 96 vow to overturn ‘incomprehensible’ 50+1 DFL ruling
July 20 – Hannover 96 failed in its bid to get an exemption from Germany’s 50+1 ruling to allow the Bundlesliga club’s president Martin Kind (pictured) to take control, but has said it will appeal against the German Football League (DFL) ruling.
Ceferin warns against 48-teams in Winter 2022, but says VAR is coming, just not yet
By Andrew Warshaw
July 17 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has warned against expanding the World Cup to 48 teams in 2022 for fear of disrupting the mid-season European calendar.
UEFA boss Ceferin emphasises grant money to FA’s must be properly governed
By Andrew Warshaw
July 16 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has issued a veiled swipe at FIFA for not sufficiently scrutinising how their development grants are being used by member federations.
Abidal liver was donated by his cousin, not illegally bought by former Barca boss Rosell
July 5 – Claims that embattled former Barcelona chief Sandro Rosell illegally bought a liver for French international defender Eric Abidal have been vehemently denied by the club and roundly condemned.
UEFA lifts in-stadium booze ban for Champions and Europa Leagues
June 27 – UEFA is lifting its alcohol ban during Champions League and Europa League matches “within the limits permitted under national and local law”.
Bundesliga clubs top world attendance figures for 2017/18 season
June 22 – Germany’s Bundesliga has again reported attendance figures that make it the most highly attended league in world football. The numbers for the 2017/18 season are the second highest in the league’s history.
Germany and Lahm take Russian opportunity to lobby for 2024 Euros
June 19 – Germany could have done with the inspirational but now-retired Philipp Lahm when they kicked off their World Cup campaign against Mexico.
UEFA and FIFA impotent as AEK’s Melissanidis heaps further shame on Greek football
By Paul Nicholson
June 11 – UEFA and FIFA’s failure to get any kind of control or governance over Greek football is reaching unprecedented levels even by their own woeful standards. The integrity of the game in Greece was hammered again with news that champion club AEK’s owner Dimitris Melissanidis is under investigation for accounting fraud.
Kosovo football legend and pioneer Vokrri dies suddenly, aged 57
June 11 – One of the main architects in getting Kosovo recognised as an international football federation and admitted as a UEFA and FIFA member, Fadil Vokrri, has passed away aged 57.
Mamic flees as Croatian court sentences him to 6.5 years over Modric and Kovacic deals
June 7 – A Croatian court has sentenced the former boss of Dinamo Zagreb, Zdravko Mamic (pictured right with brother Zoran), to six-and-a-half years in prison for tax evasion and siphoning off profits from player transfers, allegedly including that of Luka Modric to Tottenham Hotspur and Mateo Kovacic to Inter.
Buffon given 3-game ban for CL semi-final referee outburst
June 6 – Veteran Italian goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon has been suspended for three games by UEFA in the wake of his red card and behaviour during Juventus’ Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.
UEFA earmarks record €2.04 billion for clubs in European competition next season
June 6 – UEFA will give a record €2.04 billion to clubs playing in the Champions League and Europa League next season, a more than €800 million increase on last season.
UEFA suspends Guardiola for Champions League sending off vs Liverpool
June 5 – Manchester City’s Premier League-winning manager Pep Guardiola has been handed a two-game suspension by UEFA for his conduct during the defeat to Liverpool in the Champions League quarter-finals.