Sparta Prague boss fries sexist players by sending them to train with women’s team
October 6 – Two players with Czech side Sparta Prague who caused outrage with their sexist comments have been told to train with the women’s team.
Europe
Jersey appeal to CAS in bid to become a UEFA member
October 4 – The Jersey Football Association (JFA) have lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to overturn UEFA’s rejection of their membership bid.
Jersey believe they have just as strong a case as the likes of new members Gibraltar and Kosovo and are testing this at sport’s highest court.
The JFA say they have been told by UEFA that the Channel island fails to meet the criteria for affiliation because Article 5 of the UEFA Statutes,
Juve and AC Milan line up for Italian Supercup in Doha
By Samindra Kunti in Amsterdam
October 3 – This year’s Italian Supercup between Juventus and AC Milan will be played in Doha, Qatar. The announcement was made at the Aspire4sport Global Summit on Football Performance & Science in Amsterdam today.
West Ham women battle for a little equality, club in fight for control
October 4 – An English Premier League club has been accused of gender discrimination – by the chairman of its own ladies’ team. Stephen Hunt has launched a scathing attack on West Ham United and has lodged a formal complaint with the Football Association following a prolonged row over funding and facilities.
UEFA close doors on Legia Warsaw after fan violence and add €80,000 fine
September 30 – UEFA have run out patience with fans of Polish club Legia Warsaw and have ordered them to play their next Champions League game, against holders Real Madrid on November 2, behind closed doors.
Celtic breathe easier after UEFA sanction leaves them clear to fly their flag in UCL
September 29 – Scottish giants Celtic have received their ninth UEFA sanction in five years in after the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) decided to fine the club €10,000 for flying pro-Palestinian flags at their Champions League play-off, first leg tie, against Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
England in crisis as Allardyce stung by undercover reporters
September 27 – England’s new manager Sam Allardyce has been caught up in a newspaper sting which threatens his position just weeks into the job and which could potentially plunge the reputation of the national team, desperate to get back on an even keel following the debacle Euro 2016, back into crisis.
Brussels-based IFBI launches post-grad course for next generation execs
By Samindra Kunti
September 27 – The International Football Business Institute (IFBI), and the Free University of Brussels, the VUB, have launched the first full-time postgraduate football course with the aim of preparing new future executives for the football industry.
Human rights group urges FIFA to stop Israeli league games in West Bank
September 26 – One of the world’s leading human rights groups has urged FIFA to put a stop to Israeli league games being played by teams stationed in the occupied West Bank in what is becoming an increasingly thorny dispute.
Football League rules out Scots and EPL ‘B’ teams from joining a fourth division
September 23 – The 72 clubs immediately below the English Premier League have ended prospect of Premier League B teams joining them and have also ruled out Scottish giants Rangers and Celtic being included as part of a widespread revamp.
UEFA probe Scots after U19 women pull-out of Serbian match
September 23 – UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against the Scottish Football Association after the country’s under-19s women’s team pulled out of a European Championship qualifier against Serbia, with nine players and eight members of the backroom staff reportedly being hit by a sickness bug in what the federation described as an “exceptional situation.”
UEFA exco to rule on controversial Platini pay-off proposal
By Andrew Warshaw
September 22 – New UEFA boss Aleksander Ceferin, in the job for a matter of days, has unwittingly been dragged into a dispute over whether his predecessor Michel Platini is to receive a special financial handout despite his presidential term being cut short by his FIFA ban.
Eto’o dropped after Antalysapor chairman takes offence over social media posting
September 22 – Turkish club Antalyaspor have dropped former Cameroon striker Samuel Eto’o from their squad until further notice in a row over controversial comments made on social media which could have been interpreted as implying the club’s chairman was guilty of racism.
German court kicks out FIFA and CAS rulings on Wilhelmshaven’s forced relegation
By Andrew Warshaw
September 22 – A tiny provincial German club has won a landmark ruling that could have far-reaching consequences for the game as a whole following a nine-year-old legal dispute with FIFA.
Ceferin launches Euro 2020 branding and offers hope for the hapless English
By Andrew Warshaw in London
September 21 – The English may have voted for his only rival but in his first overseas assignment since taking over from Michel Platini as UEFA president last week, protocol was duly observed when Alexsander Ceferin today attended the ceremonial unveiling of the official logo for the semifinals and finals of Euro 2020 being staged at Wembley.