By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 15 – The new head of Germany’s football federation says the burgeoning 2006 World Cup scandal that has rocked the country’s image will not stop its pursuit of Euro 2024.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – Aleksander Ceferin, the left-field candidate who gained pivotal widespread backing in the final weeks of campaigning, was elected UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini today, sweeping into office with a thumping 42-13 ballot victory over his only rival, Dutch football chief Michael van Praag.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 14 – Not many people outside his inner circle had heard of Aleksander Ceferin until the Slovenian launched his candidacy for UEFA president. But everyone knows who he is now and the new kid on the block insists he is well capable of delivering the changes the organisation needs, not least revisiting the hugely divisive Champions League deal that favours a bunch of Europe’s top clubs.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – It lasted less than 10 minutes, was dignified, personal, at times emotional and ended, tellingly, with the words, “Friends of football, farewell.” Michel Platini, out of the public spotlight for the last 11 months, made his eagerly anticipated but highly controversial goodbye appearance in front of his former lieutenants today before disappearing into the Athens sunlight, never to return as president of UEFA as a result of being banned for financial misconduct.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – Aleksander Ceferin, a virtual unknown outside his native Slovenia until a few months ago, was poised to complete arguably the most meteoric rise in European football history Wednesday by being crowned UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini.
By Paul Nicholson
September 13 – With just a day to go before the election in Athens of UEFA’s new president to succeed Michel Platini, two more federations have come out in favour of Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin in his run-off with Holland’s Michael van Praag.
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 13 – It may have gone unnoticed as something of a sideshow but there is a second vote taking place here Wednesday alongside the UEFA presidential election, one that involves a single candidate but also a healthy dose of controversy and questionable tactics on the part of UEFA.
September 13 – Manchester City have spent over €1 billion on players since 2010, the most of any European club. In 2016, City also top the table spending €213 million. Manchester United are ranked third in spend since 2010, behind Chelsea, and second in the 2016 table, ahead of Juventus and Barcelona.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – More than 60 European lawmakers have demanded that five clubs based in the Israeli-occupied West Bank be thrown out of the Israeli domestic league by FIFA or moved inside Israel’s internationally accepted borders.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – As UEFA’s 55 federations converge on Athens for Wednesday’s presidential election, the Iberian vote looks set to be split after Portugal announced publicly it was backing Aleksander Ceferin to take over from Michel Platini.
September 12 – Amidst the wave of anger among European leagues to UEFA’s proposed changes to its two major club competitions to avert the possibility of a Super league outside its jurisdiction, one major league boss has actually had the temerity to come and conditionally support a breakaway competition.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 9 – Europe’s top leagues have stepped up their opposition to UEFA’s plans to revamp the Champions League by angrily accusing the governing body of giving in to the demands of the wealthiest and most successful clubs.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 9 – Michel Platini has been invited to say farewell to colleagues at next week’s UEFA presidential election, potentially violating his four-year ban imposed by FIFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 9 – European powerhouses Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid have lost their respective appeals against a transfer ban imposed by FIFA for breaching regulations on the acquisition of non-Spanish minors under the age of 18 and are taking the case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 8 – In a move that could have wide-ranging repercussions and cause a potentially hugely damaging split, the umbrella organisation that represents the Continent’s top leagues has angrily rejected UEFA’s reforms of the Champions League and Europa League.