UEFA drops jailed Vrbanović from committees
March 29 – UEFA has stepped in to remove Damir Vrbanović from its National Team Competitions Committee after the Croatian was imprisoned for fraud and tax evasion.
Europe
European Leagues, with 10 FA’s backing, say NO to ‘old boy’s club’ UCL qualification
By Andrew Warshaw
March 26 – Ten European football associations have written to UEFA expressing serious misgivings about the future format of the Champions League post-2024.
Albania get security guarantees to enable England qualifier to go ahead
March 26 – England’s World Cup qualifier against Albania in Tirana on Sunday will go ahead after an issue over security was resolved.
Money talks: UEFA ready to revamp FFP rules as another 200 clubs fall into the red
By Samindra Kunti
March 25 – UEFA has said it could fundamentally overhaul the Financial Fair Play (FFP) system, owing to the economic reality of European football during the Covid-19 pandemic and the clubs’ need for liquidity. The governing body has began a consultation process with the industry’s relevant stakeholders.
Turks stun Dutch as 2022 World Cup qualifying begins in Europe
March 25 – Turkey stunned the Netherlands with a Burak Yilmaz hattrick to win 4-2 in the opening round of 2022 World Cup qualifiers and leave the Dutch campaign in the doldrums.
Another stab: Albanian FA asks government if fans attend England game if vaccinated
March 24 – Having had one request turned down, Albania’s FA is having a second crack at trying to persuade the authorities to allow a limited number of fans to attend their World Cup qualifier against England on Sunday – this time suggesting they are first vaccinated against coronavirus.
Norwegian team plan protest of Qatar’s human rights record ahead of Gibralter qualifier
March 24 – Norway’s threat of a World Cup boycott in protest at Qatar’s human rights record is set to take centre stage in Gibraltar tonight when the visiting Norwegian team uses the 2022 qualifier to express its support for migrant workers helping the host nation prepare for the tournament.
Real Madrid cleared to keep ‘home’ Liverpool CL tie in Spain
March 24 – Real Madrid have received a boost with the news they will not be forced to play the ‘home’ leg of their upcoming Champions League quarter-final tie against Liverpool on neutral ground.
Low wages push Romania players to betting against own teams
March 23 – There is a reason why it is forbidden for athletes (in any sport) to wager on events in which they themselves participate – doing so endangers the integrity of the event. But the threat is very real as a current Romanian football case shows.
Kokeza quits Serbian FA presidency but denies he is linked to organised crime
March 23 – Just days before the start of the country’s World Cup qualifying programme, Serbian football has been plunged into scandal and chaos with the resignation of federation president Slavisa Kokeza after he was linked to an organised crime group accused of murder, kidnapping and drug trafficking.
UEFA sends carbon-neutral message with ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ campaign
March 23 – UEFA is pushing the carbon-neutral message via a public awareness campaign – ‘Cleaner Air, Better Game’ – during the European Under-21 Championships in take place in Hungary and Slovenia that kicks off its group stages tomorrow.
EFL lobbies for 10,000 fans to attend Man City vs Spurs League Cup final in April
March 23 – Next month’s English League Cup final could become the nation’s first showpiece match in months to be played out in front of a limited number of fans as a test case, according to press reports.
Nilsson stays at top of Swedish FA as board shifts to a female majority
March 23 – Karl-Erik Nilsson has been re-elected as president of the Swedish Football Association (SvFF) for a two-year mandate.
Rangers fury at Kamara racial abuse as UEFA launches probe
March 22 – UEFA have stepped in to investigate claims that a player from Scottish champions Rangers was racially abused by a Slavia Prague opponent during their Europa League match last week as both sides continue to blame the other for the incident.
Albania refused fan entry for England qualifier in Tirana
March 22 – Albania has had their request for a limited number of spectators at the World Cup qualifier with England this month turned down by the country’s health ministry due to rising daily cases of coronavirus.