Dutch to trial 5,000 attendance for Latvian World Cup qualifier
March 18 – The Netherlands will allow 5,000 fans to attend their World Cup qualifier against Latvia as part of a study, the Dutch FA (KNVB) has announced.
Europe
Report damns English FA for failing to act on decades of sexual abuse of children
March 18 – An independent report into decades of sexual abuse of young players in English football by paedophile coaches has strongly criticised the national association, saying it did not do enough to keep the victims safe between 1970 and 2005.
LFP snubs CAF saying no French clubs will release players for AFCON qualifiers
March 18 – In a major snub to upcoming Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers, no French clubs will release their non-European players during the international break, the French Professional League (LFP) announced on Wednesday.
Tebas targets April for fan return but health minister sceptical
March 18 – La Liga president Javier Tebas believes a limited number of fans will be able to return to Spanish stadiums in April but separate reports that the two Copa del Rey finals the same month could open its gates have received short shrift from the government.
Barca boss Laporta focuses on keeping Messi, fixing finances and winning LaLiga
March 18 – New Barcelona chief Joan Laporta has pledged to do everything in his power to convince Lionel Messi to stay after being officially sworn in as the club’s new president on Wednesday.
BeNeLiga takes a step close as Belgian clubs vote in favour
By Samindra Kunti
March 17 – Belgium’s top flight clubs have voted in support of a cross-border BeNeLiga, a league that would see Belgian clubs play their counterparts from the Dutch Eredivisie.
Dijon FCO refuse to release players for international duty
March 17 – Dijon FCO have become the latest of Europe’s clubs to refuse to release their non-European nationality players for international duty, the French club announced on Tuesday.
PFA recruits globetrotter Molango to take over from Taylor
March 17 – Maheta Molango, a former Swiss player who spent time in England’s lower leagues, is to become the first black chief executive of a leading English football body when he succeeds Gordon Taylor as chief executive of the Professional Footballers’ Association.
Dinamo Zagreb coach Mamic quits after Croatian court confirms jail term for fraud
March 16 – The coach of Dinamo Zagreb, who play Tottenham Hotspur in the Europa League on Thursday, has resigned after having a prison sentence for fraud and tax evasion confirmed by Croatia’s supreme court.
Le Graet overcomes critics to secure fourth term as French federation president
March 15 – French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet (pictured) was re-elected for a fourth term after an easy victory over his two opponents despite reports of a toxic culture at the governing body.
Talks open on allowing 20,000 fans into Wembley for FA Cup final
March 15 – Talks are under way to allow up to 20,000 fans – around a quarter of capacity at Wembley – at this season’s FA Cup final as one of the pilot events for the large-scale return of spectators in the wake of the coronavirus.
Former Welsh player and board-hardened McAllister sets sights on FIFA Council seat
By Andrew Warshaw
March 12 – Laura McAllister is under no illusions about her chances of success when she bids to become European football’s female representative on the FIFA Council next month.
Big vs little: European Leagues fear expanded UCL would hit domestic revenues
March 11 – Despite an apparent agreement between UEFA and Europe’s leading clubs over plans to reform the Champions League post-2024 in order to stave off the threat of a breakaway super league, opposition to the plan continues to be voiced by some key stakeholders.
Kosovo agree to play 2022 qualifier in Spain after war of words calms
March 11 – Kosovo have backtracked and agreed to play Spain in their World Cup qualifier after saying the Spanish had expressed regret for referring to the Balkan country as a “territory”.
Kosovans say they will refuse to play 2022 qualifier Spanish ban national flag and anthem
March 10 – A huge political row is brewing after Kosovo threatened to boycott their World Cup qualifier against Spain later this month if they are not allowed to display their flag or play their national anthem before kick-off.