By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – One of the most bizarre cases of alleged foul play has led to Real Madrid’s French striker Karim Benzema being suspended by his national team until an investigation into a blackmail case involving a sex tape has been resolved.
By Paul Nicholson
December 10 – Benchmark Sport’s latest report looks at the UEFA Champions league and the spread of representation of nations and clubs. The findings are that the competition has been increasingly – and perhaps worryingly – centralised around the big leagues and the big clubs.
By Mark Baber
December 9 – The latest monthly report produced by the CIES looks at the issue of birth date bias finding that “players born in the first months of the year are strongly over-represented” in 30 top divisions in Europe – the exception being England where the bias is towards the period September- December as the age classes are based on September 1 rather than January 1.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 8 – The imminent judgement by the Court of Arbitration for Sport into Michel Platini’s suspension will determine whether or not the UEFA president can take centre stage at Saturday’s Euro 2016 draw in Paris.
December 9 – Greek footballers are to go on strike indefinitely from next week in protest over a compensation deal they claim their employers have failed to meet.
December 8 – The Amsterdam ArenA is calling for ground breaking “creative thinkers and innovative entrepreneurs” to help the company create the stadium of the future as part of the revamp of the country’s main stadium.
December 7 – The French government has become embroiled in the Karem Benzema sex tape scandal, with prime minister Manuel Valls saying the Real Madrid striker “has no place” in the national team at next summer’s European Championship finals.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Europe’s leading clubs, having been given no say in FIFA’s reform package, have issued a strongly worded rebuke of the organisation’s attempt to clean itself up.
By Matt Scott
December 2 – The Greek public prosecutors who declined to pursue charges against Olympiacos in the so-called Koriopolis match-fixing scandal have been accused of accepting bribes as they considered the case.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 1 – The man running the 2018 World Cup in Russia admits the current corruption scandal that has engulfed FIFA has led to an atmosphere of “universal suspicion” about how his country won the vote but that it must not be allowed to overshadow the tournament.
By Samindra Kunti
December 1 – FC Twente chairman Aldo van der Laan has resigned after the leak of a controversial agreement with club investors Doyen Sports Investments.
Andrew Warshaw
December 1 – The Armenian FA have been quick to clarify previous statements that last month’s 3-0 Euro 2016 qualifying defeat by Albania, which sealed the Balkan country’s first ever appearance in a major finals, may have been fixed.
December 1 – One of India’s most accomplished women footballers is facing deportation from Britain due to strict visa rules that threaten to curtail her progress.
By Mark Baber
November 30 – In a report that will be music to the ears of supporters of many clubs, leading European clubs including Real Madrid, Atletico Madrid, Arsenal, Chelsea and others may face a FIFA transfer ban.
By Paul Nicholson
November 30 – Scottish giants Rangers are taking steps to rid themselves of the spectre of Mike Ashley, or at least his £5 million loan to the club via his leisure retailer Sports Direct.