Parker promises wins and ruthlessness at Belgian champions Club Brugge
January 5 – Just four months after his dismissal by Bournemouth, Scott Parker has succeeded Carl Hoefkens as head coach of Belgian champions Club Brugge.
World Football
Nigel de Jong takes over as director of football at Dutch FA
January 5 – In a surprise appointment, Nigel de Jong will become the new director of football at the Dutch FA (KNVB), succeeding Jan Hoogsma.
Pelé laid to rest as fans celebrate his life, but Brazil’s football stars are conspicuously absent
By Samindra Kunti in Santos, Brazil
January 4 – On Tuesday Santos and Brazil bode farewell to Pelé, the nation’s greatest icon. Almost a quarter of a million mourners and supporters, including newly sworn-in president Luiz Inacio da Silva, filed past Pele’s coffin in a serene funeral procession before a private internment.
Cape Verde is first to heed FIFA call and name national stadium after Pele
January 4 – Africa’s Cape Verde has become the first FIFA member nation to heed president Gianni Infantino’s call to rename a stadium in every country in the world after Pele.
Berhalter forced to face his past as US Soccer plots future path
January 4 – USA men’s coach Gregg Berhalter, whose contract ended at the end of year, was threatened by a blackmailer at the Qatar 2022 over an incident in 1991, when he was 18 years old.
Thousands mourn Pelé at Vila Belmiro before he begins his final journey
By Samindra Kunti in Santos, Brazil
January 3 – From former legends to a supreme court justice, Brazilians mourned the passing of Pele on Monday at the Vila Belmiro, the stadium where he exploded into life and became the greatest player of all time. Today, Pele’s final journey will include a cortege through the city before a private burial.
The Three versus The Six: how politics brought Charlton and Beckenbauer back to Wembley 50 years ago
By David Owen
January 3 – Today marks the 50th anniversary of a very odd football match at Wembley Stadium.
LaLiga counters Vinícius accusation that it is soft on racism and files charges at court
January 3 – Real Madrid’s Brazilian forward Vinicius Jr has accused LaLiga of continuing to do nothing about racist abuse from fans after he was targeted by Real Valladolid fans last Friday.
Russians opt to rebuild European bridges rather than apply for AFC membership
January 3 – Russian football bosses have decided not to quit UEFA, shelving a plan to try instead to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to enable its clubs and national teams to resume playing.
Tunisia keep faith in Kadri for the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations
January 3 – Tunisia have extended the contract of coach Jalel Kadri (pictured) for a year despite the Carthage Eagles’ group-stage exit from the World Cup in Qatar.
World mourns loss of Pele, the greatest ever, aged 82
By Andrew Warshaw
December 30 – Brazil has declared three days of national mourning as tributes poured in from across the globe to mark the death of Pele, arguably the greatest player ever, at the age of 82.
More than a footballer. How Pelé’s star power ignited a new world for soccer
By Samindra Kunti
December 28 – For Angelo Anastasio, an immigrant from Polistena in Southern Italy, June 10, 1975 turned out to be an unpleasant day. On that day, the defender was cut from the New York Cosmos roster. And while no football-minded soul genuinely expressed any interest in Anastasio’s fate, that move signified a seismic shift in the American football landscape. The end of the Stone Age had arrived.
Euro-sceptic Russia considers applying to switch from UEFA to AFC
December 30 – Russian football bosses are reported to be considering quitting UEFA and applying to join the Asian Football Confederation to enable its clubs and national teams to resume playing.
PSG close in on securing Messi contract renewal
December 30 – Argentina’s World Cup-winning captain Lionel Messi has reached a deal to renew his contract at Paris St-Germain, according to unconfirmed French media reports.
Pelé’s passing unites a fractured Brazil as nation begins its mourning
December 30 – In a deeply polarized country, Pelé’s passing, an event Brazilians and football fans at large had hoped would never arrive, has provided a moment of rare national unity.