Roger Blanpain, FIFPro founding father and champion of player rights, dies aged 83
October 13 – At the age of 83, Roger Blanpain, one of FIFPro’s founding fathers and its first president, has passed away in Leuven, Belgium.
Europe
Doors closed on Legia appeal of fan ban for Real Madrid game
October 13 – UEFA have rejected Legia Warsaw’s appeal against a Champions League stadium ban meaning the Polish club will have to play Real Madrid behind closed doors on November 2.
Tebas re-elected to lead Spain’s La Liga for second term
October 12 – Outspoken Spanish league president Javier Tebas, who has refused to condemn third party ownership despite widespread opposition to the practise, has been handed a second four-year term.
Olsson and Ceferin find common ground over new Champions League deal
By Andrew Warshaw
October 7 – Leading leagues across Europe say they have won vital concessions from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin over plans to revamp the Champions League.
Kosovo honeymoon period over as they crash against Croatia
October 7 – Sadly the result did not match the anticipation. Kosovo’s first competitive home fixture since being admitted by FIFA and UEFA ended in a 6-0 defeat by Croatia that leaves them bottom of their World Cup qualifying group.
Football agents are ‘cancer’, they aren’t needed, says Napoli’s de Laurentiis
By Andrew Warshaw
October 6 – The boss of one of Italy’s major top-flight clubs has issued a scathing attack on the role of agents in the wake of the English newspaper sting that saw Sam Allardyce lose the national manager’s job after just 67 days and which quoted agents boasting about how many managers had been paid off in transfer deals.
Sparta Prague boss fries sexist players by sending them to train with women’s team
October 6 – Two players with Czech side Sparta Prague who caused outrage with their sexist comments have been told to train with the women’s team.
Jersey appeal to CAS in bid to become a UEFA member
October 4 – The Jersey Football Association (JFA) have lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport in an attempt to overturn UEFA’s rejection of their membership bid.
Jersey believe they have just as strong a case as the likes of new members Gibraltar and Kosovo and are testing this at sport’s highest court.
The JFA say they have been told by UEFA that the Channel island fails to meet the criteria for affiliation because Article 5 of the UEFA Statutes,
Juve and AC Milan line up for Italian Supercup in Doha
By Samindra Kunti in Amsterdam
October 3 – This year’s Italian Supercup between Juventus and AC Milan will be played in Doha, Qatar. The announcement was made at the Aspire4sport Global Summit on Football Performance & Science in Amsterdam today.
West Ham women battle for a little equality, club in fight for control
October 4 – An English Premier League club has been accused of gender discrimination – by the chairman of its own ladies’ team. Stephen Hunt has launched a scathing attack on West Ham United and has lodged a formal complaint with the Football Association following a prolonged row over funding and facilities.
UEFA close doors on Legia Warsaw after fan violence and add €80,000 fine
September 30 – UEFA have run out patience with fans of Polish club Legia Warsaw and have ordered them to play their next Champions League game, against holders Real Madrid on November 2, behind closed doors.
Celtic breathe easier after UEFA sanction leaves them clear to fly their flag in UCL
September 29 – Scottish giants Celtic have received their ninth UEFA sanction in five years in after the UEFA Control, Ethics and Disciplinary Body (CEDB) decided to fine the club €10,000 for flying pro-Palestinian flags at their Champions League play-off, first leg tie, against Israel’s Hapoel Beer-Sheva.
England in crisis as Allardyce stung by undercover reporters
September 27 – England’s new manager Sam Allardyce has been caught up in a newspaper sting which threatens his position just weeks into the job and which could potentially plunge the reputation of the national team, desperate to get back on an even keel following the debacle Euro 2016, back into crisis.
Brussels-based IFBI launches post-grad course for next generation execs
By Samindra Kunti
September 27 – The International Football Business Institute (IFBI), and the Free University of Brussels, the VUB, have launched the first full-time postgraduate football course with the aim of preparing new future executives for the football industry.
Human rights group urges FIFA to stop Israeli league games in West Bank
September 26 – One of the world’s leading human rights groups has urged FIFA to put a stop to Israeli league games being played by teams stationed in the occupied West Bank in what is becoming an increasingly thorny dispute.