English goalkeeping legend Gordon Banks dies, aged 81
February 12 – England’s 1966 World Cup-winning goalkeeping hero Gordon Banks has died aged 81.
Europe
Champions League results are more predictable than ever before, says report
February 12 – With UEFA searching for ways to find a greater competitive balance between clubs for its competitions, the latest research report from the CIES Football Observatory shows “a clear trend towards less balance and more predictability.”
Minute’s silence for Sala before European club games
February 12 – In memory of Emiliano Sala, the Argentine player tragically killed en route to join his new club Cardiff City, a minute’s silence will be observed at all Champions League and Europa League games this week.
Ceferin says still no ‘concrete’ detail on Infantino’s $25bn FIFA competition revamp
By Andrew Warshaw
February 8 – With just over a month to go until the issue is due to come to a head, Aleksander Ceferin has re-iterated his call to FIFA to provide more information about Gianni Infantino’s plans to change the landscape of world football competitions.
Sala’s body is recovered from seabed wreckage
February 8 – The body recovered from the wreckage of the light aircraft carrying Emiliano Sala to his new club Cardiff City, which tragically plunged into the English Channel, is that of the Argentine-born footballer, police have confirmed.
UEFA Congress: Al-Khelaifi and Clarke take seats at Europe’s top table
By Andrew Warshaw
February 7 – Calls for UEFA to block the election of Paris Saint Germain supremo Nasser Al Khelaifi to its executive committee fell on deaf ears today when he was duly added to the organisation’s inner sanctum.
Ceferin tells FIFA it must respect UEFA’s views and warns of ‘delusional’ leadership
By Andrew Warshaw
February 7 – On the day he was re-elected as UEFA president for four more years, Aleksander Ceferin pulled no punches in his opposition to FIFA’s controversial proposals to change the landscape of world football, declaring he would not be a “yes man” over the highly divisive $25 billion project
Super League talk benched as UEFA and ECA sign MoU to 2024
February 7 – UEFA and European Club Association have signed a renewed Memorandum of Understanding until 2024 in a move that kills off talk of a European Super League.
German leagues report record attendances of over 9.4m for first half of season
February 7 – Germany’s Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2 have notched up record attendance levels for the first half of the season, beating their 2017/18 record.
UEFA to hand Ceferin new term at tomorrow’s congress
By Andrew Warshaw
February 6 – Gianni Infantino isn’t the only leading football administrator standing unchallenged for re-election. On Thursday in Rome, two and half years after becoming UEFA president in the wake of the scandal that brought down Michel Platini, Aleksander Ceferin will be voted in for new four-year term at UEFA’s annual Congress.
Atalanta drop Iraqi star Ali Adnan on return from Asian Cup
February 5 – Fans of high-flying Italian club Atalanta have expressed their frustration and anger after it was revealed the club had terminated Iraq defender Ali Adnan’s contract following the Asian Cup.
Search for Sala: Rescuers see body in underwater plane wreckage
February 5 – A body has been seen in the underwater wreckage of the light aircraft which was carrying former Nantes forward Emiliano Sala and his pilot to his new club Cardiff City and which tragically disappeared over the English Channel, according to air accident investigators.
Whistleblower Rui Pinto says he acted in ‘public interest’ and fears a Portuguese trial
February 4 – The man behind a string of incriminating leaks that shook the footballing world over the past few weeks claims he would not get a fair trial if he is returned to his native Portugal because “the mafia is everywhere”.
Underwater searchers find Sala’s aircraft wreckage
February 4 – Air accident investigators have discovered the wreckage of the light aircraft carrying Argentine-born Emiliano Sala and his pilot which disappeared over the English Channel last month en route to Cardiff where Sala was due to make his debut for the Premier league club.
Tebas says goods governance cannot allow PSG’s Al Khelaifi on to UEFA’s exco
By Andrew Warshaw
February 1 – UEFA has been urged to block the appointment of Paris Saint Germain supremo Nasser Al Khelaifi to its executive committee by outspoken La Liga president Javier Tebas.