Concacaf to centralise final Champions League games in Orlando
November 11 – Orlando’s Exploria Stadium will host the final stages of the Concacaf Champions League in December, with the final to be played December 22.
World Football
UEFA opens up ‘sports category’ tender for women’s competition
November 11 – UEFA is opening up a tender process for what it is calling its ‘sports category’ for its women’s competitions 2021-25. The category includes official match ball, sports equipment and apparel.
Mauritania’s Yahya is fourth to join CAF presidential election fray
By Samindra Kunti
November 10 – The race for the leadership of African football is picking up with Mauritania’s Ahmed Yahya becoming the fourth candidate to announce his intentions to run in the presidential elections for the Confederation of African Football (CAF) in March 2021. On Monday, Ivory Coast’s Jacques Anouma and South African mining magnate Patrice Motsepe announced their candidacy.
Support builds for Motsepe as Sierra Leone backs him as an African leader for change
By Andrew Warshaw
November 10 – Patrice Motsepe’s challenge for the presidency of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) needs to be supported because there is gaping hole in terms of leadership, according to the head of Sierra Leone football.
Coronavirus: Albania look favourites to host England vs Iceland
November 10 – England and Iceland could end up playing their Nations League clash on November 18 more than 1,000 miles away in Albania.
CAF presidential race: South Africa’s Motsepe and Ivory Coast’s Anouma challenge Ahmad
By Andrew Warshaw
November 9 – Under-fire African football supremo Ahmad Ahmad’s already tenuous grip on power has come under further threat with not one but two dramatic and unexpected challenges to his leadership of the Continent.
CAF forced to lay down the law to get AFCON qualifiers played
November 9 – Teams that are unable to travel to Africa Cup of Nations Cameroon 2021 Qualifiers this month will not be given the opportunity to reschedule but will record 2-0 losses.
Denmark travel ban threatens England vs Iceland, while Danes lose Premier League players
November 9 – England’s Nations League match against Iceland next week has been plunged into doubt because of the UK government’s travel ban which has now been extended to Denmark.
Austrians drop probe into FIFA donation to Windtner’s African charity
November 9 – Austrian prosecutors are said to have dropped proceedings, stretching back almost three years, against the country’s FA President Leo Windtner (pictured) over a $100,000 payment made shortly before Sepp Blatter’s re-election as FIFA president in 2015.
Zidane penalised for Real’s rotation policy in Valencia
November 9 – Zinedine Zidane’s rotation policy backfired once more after his Real Madrid slid to a dispiriting 4-1 defeat at Valencia, missing a chance to go top of the table in La Liga.
UEFA positive on its Covid testing protocols as it delivers more than 500 matches
November 6 – UEFA says it has overseen 61,859 Covid-19 tests since August, allowing more than 500 European matches to be played and making football one of the safest environments in the world.
Hands-on Ceferin calls for change to hand-ball law and a return to the ‘spirit’ of the game
November 6 – Aleksander Ceferin has written to FIFA, asking for a change to the handball rule, which the UEFA boss says has caused “growing frustration and discomfort”.
Coronavirus: Belgium’s Mouscron are postponed again as battle to control virus continues
November 6 – Covid-19 continues to play havoc with the Belgian Pro League schedule with Mouscron vs OH Leuven being postponed because of infections at the Walloon club. It’s the third Mouscron game that will require rescheduling.
Chicago gets go-ahead for NISA franchise and 2021 start
November 6 – The third tier National Independent Soccer Association (NISA) in the US has announced the owners and management team behind their 11th franchise team which will be based in Chicago.
British government calls in PL, EFL and FA to break rescue funding deadlock
November 5 – British parliamentarians have asked to quiz the orchestrators of Project Big Picture, the controversial plan that would have handed power to the big six Premier League clubs in return for a £250 million Covid-19 bailout for lower-league clubs, but which never got off the ground.