Kosovan FA boss Ademi jailed for 9 months
February 28 – Kovoso’s football supremo Agim Ademi has been sentenced to nine months in prison by the country’s Appeals Court over attempted coercion.
Europe
Hungary’s Honved isolate coach Sannino after Italian coronavirus contact
February 27 – Spare a thought for Italian coach Giuseppe Sannino who has done nothing wrong on the pitch but has been temporarily stood down by his team, Honved of Hungary, because of his nationality given the effect of the coronavirus in his homeland.
UEFA and Greek government agree initiative to clean up Greek football corruption
February 26 – UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin (pictured left) has signed an agreement with Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis (pictured right) aimed at cleaning up Greek football, which for years has been marred by corruption, match-fixing, attacks on referees and crowd trouble.
Sports bodies on alert as Covid-19 spread in Italy hits Serie A and international schedules
February 26 – European governing body UEFA has said it is monitoring the spread of the Coronavirus closely, but potential consequences for Euro 2020 remain unclear.
Covid-19 virus spread shuts doors on Inter vs Ludogorets, Serie A debates closing stadia
February 25 – Inter Milan’s Europa League last-32 home second leg against Ludogorets of Bulgaria will be played behind closed doors as the spread of the coronavirus hits European competition.
Man Utd fan group makes formal complaint over ‘shameful’ Bruges welcome
February 25 – Manchester United fans group ‘MUST’ has written an open letter to the mayor of Bruges, complaining of what they call “deplorable treatment” during their trip to the city last Thursday to attend their club’s Europa League match. The letter also says “fans were in genuine fear for their safety.”
England, NI and Scotland bring in heading ban in for U11 players
February 25 – Primary school children have been banned from heading in football training in England, Northern Ireland and Scotland.
Covid-19 impact reaches Italy with three Serie A games postponed
By David Owen
February 23 – The coronavirus outbreak has started to impact European football, with three matches postponed in Italy’s top-flight Serie A on Sunday.
UEFA’s Euro 2020 ticket recall leaves travelling fans out of pocket
February 21 – UEFA have been forced to apologise to hundreds of fans after a technical error meant tickets for Euro 2020 that should not have been on sale ended up being cancelled after being paid for.
Border crossing: Serbia resident Ivic to play for Kosovo
February 21 – In a significant move to break through footballing ethnic barriers, 17-year-old Ilija Ivic is set to become the first Serb-kosovan player to represent Kosovo having been named in the country’s under-19 squad.
Tickets on-sale for one of the oldest match-ups in history
February 21 – Tickets have gone on sale for what will be one of the oldest historical match-ups in world football history. Sheffield FC, the world’s oldest football club (founded in 1857) will play First Vienna Football Club 1894, the oldest club in Austria (founded in 1894) on June 1, the night before Austria host England in a pre-Euro warm-up.
Guardiola counters Bartomeu’s UEFA eulogy telling him to wait for the Man City appeal
February 20 – Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola has hit back at the president of his former club Barcelona over supporting UEFA’s two-year European ban imposed on the English champions.
Spanish women break new ground with first collective pay deal
February 20 – Spain’s women footballers have signed a historic first collective agreement over pay and conditions, after a battle for rights that led to an unprecedented strike in November.
Man City’s Soriano blasts UEFA ban as being about politics, not justice
By Andrew Warshaw
February 19 – Five days after the club were sensationally banned from Europe for two seasons by UEFA, Manchester City’s chief executive has denounced allegations of financial fair play “serious breaches” as totally untrue and politically motivated.
New goal: Casillas confirms he will challenge Rubiales for RFEF presidency
February 18 – First it was hotly rumoured, then it picked up steam – and now it’s confirmed. Spain’s World Cup-winning goalkeeper Iker Casillas has announced his intention to run for the presidency of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) against the present incumbent Luis Rubiales.