Tunisia FA boss and former CAF exco member Wadie Jary handed 4-year jail term for corruption
February 21 – Tunisia’s former chief football official Wadie Jary has reportedly been sentenced to four years in prison on corruption charges.
World Football
Eto’o wins battle with CAF for non-jurisdictional ethics sanction
February 21 – Cameroon’s greatest footballing icon Samuel Eto’o has emerged victorious in his long-running legal battle with the Confederation of African Football (CAF), successfully overturning sanctions that had threatened his presidency at the Cameroon Football Federation (FECAFOOT).
Bulgarian tax collectors lift seizure of Levski Sofia’s trademarks after club settles debt
February 2 – The Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA) has lifted the seizure of two of Levski Sofia’s club logos after the club paid its state taxes.
The NRA has now designated Levski as a “correct payer”, meaning that the club can now freely use its trademarks without any restrictions.
Brazilian stars complain that artificial turf pitches increase injury threat
February 21 – With drought and water shortages occurring worldwide, artificial turf is seen as one way to combat the crisis, however, leading figures in the game, including Brazilian superstars Neymar, Thiago Silva, and Memphis Depay, are not so sure.
LaLiga publishes squad cost limits following low spending winter window
February 20 – LaLiga has published its latest squad cost limits (SCL) following the winter transfer window, with FC Barcelona receiving the biggest economic increase – a €37.2m upward adjustment.
Real Madrid’s Bellingham escapes with two-match ban for ‘disrespecting’ referee
February 20 – Real Madrid star Jude Bellingham has been banned for two domestic games for “disrespect” to the referee who sent him off at Osasuna, but avoided a longer ban for allegedly swearing at the official.
Unopposed Kamanga to serve third term as Zambian FA president
February 20 – Andrew Kamanga has been re-elected for a four-year term as president of the Football Association of Zambia (FAZ) after running unopposed.
Mbappé brilliance earns Real Madrid Champions League last-16 berth
February 20 – Kylian Mbappé notched a sumptuous hattrick in Real Madrid’s 3-1 second leg win over Manchester City on Wednesday evening to secure the Spanish giants berth in the UEFA Champions League (UCL) round of 16.
Lokomotiv Plovdiv must play four games behind closed doors for delegate attack
February 20 – The Bulgarian Football Union’s (BFU) Disciplinary Committee has ordered Lokomotiv Plovdiv to play four matches behind closed doors and to partially close their stands for one game after their ultras attacked a match delegate last weekend.
LAFC’s Giroud becomes latest high-profile sports star to have home burgled
February 20 – High-profile sports stars are increasingly targets for burglars and LAFC striker Oliver Giroud is the latest victim, as he lost approximately $500,000 worth of jewellery when his Los Angeles home was burgled earlier this month.
Inter Miami’s snow day in Kansas pushes Messi’s MLS start into primetime
February 20 – Major League Soccer (MLS) Supporter’s Shield holders, Inter Miami, were due to kick off the defence of their crown on Saturday at 2.30pm EST at their home, Chase Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Kick-off has now been moved to 7.30pm EST to allow Lionel Messi and Co a few extra hours of recovery.
Germans shortlist an initial 11 host cities for 2029 Women’s Euros bid
February 19 – The German FA (DFB) has shortlisted 11 host cities for the country’s bid for the women’s European Championship in 2029.
Berlin, Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Gelsenkirchen, Hanover, Cologne, Leipzig, Munich, Rostock and Wolfsburg made the final cut. The DFB rejected applications from Hamburg, Essen and Bremen.
Brugge breeze past Europa League champions Atalanta to book last 16 UCL slot
February 19 –Club Brugge stunned Serie A’s Atalanta Bergamo 3-1 to progress to the last 16 of the Champions League 5-2 on aggregate.
US Girl’s Academy launches two tier development league for elite clubs
February 19 – Women’s and girl’s youth soccer continues to be the fastest growing sector in the sport of soccer in the United States. With many different pathways available it is sometimes confusing to know which route to take, however, today the pathway is starting to look a little clearer.
Online bookie now banned in the UK, puts a Stake down in Chilean football
Wednesday 19 – Online bookmaker Stake.com, who are the short sponsors of Everton but have been banned in the UK, have turned their attention to South America and announced a front-of-shirt sponsorship with Chilean Primera División side, Club Deportivo Ñublense.