Naughty tweeter Neymar’s ban reduced but still misses PSG’s opening UCL games
September 18 – Neymar’s three-game European ban for insulting match officials has been cut to two by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
Europe
Sevilla keep up expansion with €20m spend on corporate hub
September 18 – LaLiga’s Sevilla have unveiled further plans for the €20 million extension of their Ciudad Deportiva José Ramón Cisneros Palacios complex into a new corporate centre for the club.
New ball, new tournament, old rivalries. UEFA’s Champions League kicks off tonight
September 17 – The new Champions League season kicks off tonight, with a new Adidas ball and defending champions Liverpool taking on Napoli and FC Barcelona traveling to Dortmund.
Police across Europe swoop on Belgian agents in Mitrovic transfer fraud probe
By Samindra Kunti
September 12 – Player agent Christophe Henrotay (pictured) and his brother-in-law and business associate Christophe Cheniaux have been detained by police over alleged transfer fraud. Former Anderlecht manager Herman Van Holsbeek was also held in custody on Wednesday.
WSL intensifies marketing with Spurs vs Arsenal spearheading November promo weekend
September 12 – After the popular success of the opening weekend of the Women’s Super League (WSL), the English FA wants to capitalise on the momentum by urging fans to attend its first Women’s Football Weekend on 16-17 November, during the men’s international break.
‘United’ ECA fail to find agreement on Champions League reform
By Samindra Kunti
September 11 – The European Club Association (ECA) and its chairman Andrea Agnelli (pictured) have said that reform talks to restructure European club football might drag on another “18 months” or even have a 2022 deadline after failing to find enough of a consensus for the current proposal of a 32-team Champions League with a guaranteed entry for 24 clubs. They maintain however that the proposal isn’t dead in the water yet.
France’s Le Graët under fire after saying matches won’t be stopped for homophobic chants
September 11 – The president of the French Football Federation Noël Le Graët has instructed referees that they should no longer stop matches over homophobic chants. The directive has prompted anti-discrimination groups to demand that Le Graët resigns.
Divided ECA could force Champions League reform back to the drawing board
September 10 – In a blow to Europe’s super clubs, plans for a future reformatted, semi-closed Champions League competition now seem to have been thwarted by an alliance of leagues and smaller clubs across the continent.
Lawyer says it is time for managers to have their own organisation and protection
By Paul Nicholson
September 10 – They are the most important person in the workings of a club but they are also the least protected. A session at last week’s Edinburgh Sports Conference examined the role of managers and coaches in what is a precarious and ever-changing landscape.
UEFA’s €380m Ukrainian timebomb. Oligarch collected UFF money via an offshore company
September 9 – UEFA’s dealings with the Ukrainian FA, that for some time have looked to be a timebomb waiting to go off, have been unmasked via new Football Leaks documents that show the European governing body has paid €380 million to an offshore company.
Platini promises no more sitting on the sidelines as his ban nears its end
By Paul Nicholson
September 9 – With his ban from football ending October 7, former UEFA president Michel Platini has told Swiss television channel RTS that he is planning his return, though he does not know where or in what role.
European Leagues want more cash and greater protection in UEFA club competition revamp
September 9 – The European Leagues umbrella group have advocated for a fairer wealth distribution in the European game. They also argue that domestic leagues must be protected from any expansion in the European club game.
Dutch-German MoU sees old rivals build new friendships
September 9 – The German and Dutch FAs have signed a memorandum of understanding to regularly transfer knowledge between the two governing bodies.
Finns agree equal pay for men’s and women’s national teams
September 6 – The Finnish FA (SPL) have announced that in their new player contracts there will be equal pay for their men’s and women’s national teams.
Atletico Madrid look to create €60m campus on Metropolitano footprint
September 5 – Atletico Madrid want to develop a football campus next to their Metropolitano Stadium in a bid to expand their sporting activities.