By Andrew Warshaw
October 3 – The Catalan independence movement continues to have a major impact on the region’s biggest club with Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu revealing they would consider playing outside the country if the campaign to split with Spain is successful.
October 3 – Television viewers were somewhat alarmed to see a description of Newcastle United as “black and white scum” during a BBC highlights programme on Sunday night.
October 2 – Barcelona’s league game against Las Palmas was played behind closed doors at the 11th hour at the weekend as the Catalan referendum dispute spilled over into football.
October 2 – Five fans were injured when a barrier collapsed during a French top-flight match at the weekend. At least 29 people were hurt in the incident, which occurred in the 16th minute of Amiens’ Ligue 1 match with Lille.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – The channel island of Jersey has won a partial victory in its bid to become a UEFA member, in the process giving European football’s governing body another unwanted headache over its admittance policy.
September 28 – There are all kinds of football chants directed at away supporters – but fans of Apoel Nicosia this week opted to denounce their British colonial past when Tottenham Hotspur came to town in the Champions League.
September 28 – A North Korean player on Perugia’s books has been barred from appearing on Italian TV – by the authorities in his own country.
By Paul Nicholson
September 27 – The English FA, recovering from the scandals surrounding the sacking of women’s national team coach Mark Sampson, has positive news for the women’s game with the announcement of a restructuring and expansion of the elite women’s game in the country.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 26 – Having only recently been elected as head of the European Club Association, the reputation of Andrea Agnelli has taken an immediate and somewhat embarrassing turn for the worse with the Juventus boss banned for a year by Italy’s soccer federation (FIGC) for his alleged role in the sale of match tickets to the club’s ultras fans.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 22 – For years, football’s European stakeholders – leagues, clubs and especially fans – have complained about meaningless friendlies and pushed for an alternative that makes games more competitive.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – UEFA could announce by the end of this season what sanctions, if any, it will impose on Paris St Germain as a result of its probe into the club for potential breaches of financial fair play.
September 21 – Atletico Madrid’s brand new stadium has beaten off competition from Baku to win the right to stage the 2019 Champions League final.
By Andrew Warshaw in Geneva
September 20 – Four months after the embarrassment of its most powerful sports supremo being blocked from keeping his place at FIFA’s top table, Russia regained its influence in world football politics today when Alexei Sorokin was elected to FIFA’s ruling Council until 2021.
By Andrew Warshaw in Geneva
September 20 – UEFA President Aleksander Ceferin has challenged European governments to help bring about greater competitive balance within the game, not least allowing salary caps which has long been close to the Slovenian’s heart.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 19 – Alexey Sorokin (pictured), the public face of next year’s World Cup in Russia, is set to be elected on Wednesday as Europe’s last remaining representative on the FIFA Council in place of the barred Vitaly Mutko, ensuring his country retains an influential voice at FIFA’s top table.