Fergie says earlier transfer window close would have killed-off Coutinho commotion
August 31 – When he was managing Manchester United, Sir Alex Ferguson rarely had a good word to say in public about deadly rivals Liverpool.
Europe
Spanish regions call for Villar to stand down, he demands payment of his RFEF wages
August 30 – Spain’s 19 regional federations and the government’s council for sport (CSD) have unanimously called for the resignation of Spanish FA (RFEF) president Angel Maria Villar (pictured), the former FIFA and UEFA powerbroker, following an emergency meeting.
Juventus women’s team hits the ground running with 13-0 debut win
August 29 – Juventus’ women’s team defeated Torino Calcio Femminile 13-0 in a Coppa Italia match on Sunday to win their first ever competitive game.
CL draw produces spectacularly unbalanced groups, just ask Spurs and Celtic fans
By Mark Baber
August 25 – The draw for the UEFA Champions League group stage has produced some fascinating match-ups as well as groups of wildly uneven strength.
Ronaldo takes to Twitter as Spanish sports court rules out ban appeal
August 23 – Cristiano Ronaldo has reacted furiously to his five-game ban for pushing a referee being upheld by Spain’s administrative sports court.
Dynamo Kiev defy Ukrainian FA and refuse to play in Mariupol over safety fears
By Mark Baber
August 23 – The executive committee of the Ukrainian FA has voted 28-2 in favour of continuing to hold Ukrainian Premier League matches in Mariupol, notwithstanding Dynamo Kiev’s apparent decision not to play in the city this weekend.
Sampson vs Aluko: FA sticks by manager as PFA’s Taylor enters the fray
August 23 – The English Football Association is reported to be sticking by the coach of its national women’s team Mark Sampson despite fresh allegations that he made a racist remark towards striker Eniola Aluko.
Ghelamco to file new stadium plans in last chance for Brussels 2020 hosting
By Samindra Kunti
August 22 – Building contractor Ghelamco will file a new application for the construction of Brussels’ Eurostadium with the Flemish government as time is running out for the venue. The Belgian capital is slotted to host multiple matches during Euro 2020.
Video ref on the spot in Bundesliga and Serie A
August 21 – The champions of the Bundesliga and Serie A saw a couple of key decisions of the new season overturned by the video assistant referee at the weekend.
Video ref failures draw growing number of critics across Europe’s test leagues
August 16 – The new season roll-out of the video assistant referee (VAR) system has been met with criticism in Germany, the Netherlands and Belgium after a series of errors. But FIFA is determined to push through the referral system in time for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Still no Neymar. Buffon, Messi and Ronaldo make up final three Player of the Year nominees
August 16 – Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), and Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid) are the final three nominees for the 2016/17 UEFA Men’s Player of the Year Awards.
SPFL attendances show Scottish football is more than just Celtic and Rangers
August 26 – The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) has announced a record attendance figure for the league after the first two rounds of fixtures with 230,204 fans attending matches across the league’s four divisions.
Rummenigge to step down at ECA. Gazidis, Lawwell or Woodward to step up?
By Andrew Warshaw
August 11 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, one of the most influential figures in European football, has announced he is stepping down as head of the European Club Association.
England to re-enter big event bidding with pitch for 2021 Women’s Euros
August 11 – England are to bid to host the 2021 European Women’s Championship following the success of this summer’s event in the Netherlands which generated a peak audience of 4 million TV viewers in the UK as the finals were expanded to 16 teams.
Lyon’s Aulas says PSG’s ‘bubble’ spend on Neymar is unbalancing football stability
August 10 – Neymar’s €222 million record-breaking move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain has upset the balance of French football according to Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas.