High flying Rangers suspend two players for covid breaches
November 2 – Scottish giants Rangers have suspended two players for “breaching Covid regulations”.
World Football
USL cancels Champions Final and ends season as positive tests hit Tampa Bay Rowdies
November 2 – The second tier United Soccer League was forced to call off its 2020 Championship Final at the weekend following multiple positive covid tests amongst Tampa Bay Rowdies players and staff.
CAF shifts Champions League dates as Zamalek bid to set-up all-Egypt final vs Al Ahly
November 2 – CAF have rescheduled the final two matches of its Champions League for a second time.
England mourn Nobby Stiles as Man Utd teammate Bobby Charlton diagnosed with dementia
November 2 – England World Cup winner and former Manchester United stalwart Bobby Charlton has been diagnosed with dementia, according to British press reports, raising fresh concerns about the risk of neurodegenerative disorder from playing football.
CAF’s Ahmad forced into isolation in Egypt after positive Covid test
By Paul Nicholson
October 30 – CAF president Ahmad Ahmad has tested positive for the coronavirus and has entered a 14-day period of self isolation in a Cairo hotel.
French lockdown suspends Cup and amateur football. Pro leagues stay behind closed doors
October 30 – The French Cup competitions have been suspended until December 1 because of a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths in the country. The French Football Federation (FFF) has also halted all amateur football.
Barca presidential hopeful Font puts Guardiola and Messi at front of election manifesto
October 30 – Barcelona presidential frontrunner Victor Font (pictured) wants Pep Guardiola to return to the club and has “no doubt” Lionel Messi will stay despite his much-publicised fallout with previous Barca chief Josep Maria Bartomeu.
Belgians struggle to contain Covid as Mouscron postpone again put team into quarantine
October 30 – Mouscron vs STVV has been postponed in the Belgian Pro league after the Walloon club registered 21 coronavirus cases among its players.
Concacaf League reformatted as clubs close in on 2021 Champions League qualification
October 30 – Concacaf has formatted the final rounds of its second club competition, the 2020 Scotiabank Concacaf League (SCL), to ensure there is enough calendar space to complete the competition.
Real Betis drives carbon-neutral environmental agenda with Forever Green platform
October 30 – LaLiga’s Real Betis has launched an environmental action programme aimed at encouraging businesses to work through football to contribute actively against climate change.
Ahmad says he will run for CAF presidency, but reports say FIFA Ethics are about to step in
October 29 – African football chief Ahmad has suffered a potentially critical blow ahead of his bid to hang on to the presidency of his confederation after it was revealed that FIFA has found him guilty of alleged ethics violations.
UEFA’s Gomes slams European Super League project as ‘selfish’ and ‘greedy’
October 29 – In a rare intervention, UEFA vice-president Fernando Gomes (pictured) has delivered a withering attack on the latest idea of a European Super League to challenge the status quo, saying it is the “exacerbation of selfishness and greed” at a time of global uncertainty.
Coronavirus: German fans locked out after Merkel orders a new lockdown
October 29 – German fans have had their gradual but brief return to watching matches in stadia ended following a new ban on attending Bundesliga matches ordered by the German government who are imposing a lockdown to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Spanish clubs given until end of season to end betting sponsorships
October 29 – Spanish authorities have told La Liga clubs that they have until the end of this season to cut ties with betting sponsors before new gambling regulation bans betting sponsorship is enforced next year.
Tusquets steps up at Barca as interim president
October 29 – Fresh from a morale-boosting Champions League win at Juventus on the field, off it Barcelona have named Carles Tusquets as their acting president in the wake of Josep Maria Bartomeu’s resignation in order to avoid facing a vote of no confidence.