Premier League teams make mark on Champions League with 5 though to last 16
December 7 – Are English transfer fees at last paying off at European level after Premier League clubs made Champions League history?
World Football
Gulati calls an end to his US presidency after 12 years at the top
December 5 – After considerable reflection Sunil Gulati has ruled himself out of contesting the presidential election for the US Soccer Federation (USSF). Gulati is standing aside after the United States’ abject failure to qualify for the 2018 World Cup and having been head of the USSF for 12 years.
Messi brutally hacked down with no video ref in sight
December 5 – For the second time this year, a bronze statue of Argentine superstar Lionel Messi has been vandalised in Buenos Aires with the motive unclear.
Exclusive: Brussels set to lose Euro 2020 hosting, Stockholm poised to grab opening
By Andrew Warshaw
December 4 – Brussels looks set to stripped as a host city for Euro 2020 this week with Stockholm likely to be parachuted in as a replacement.
Whistleblower puts Chiyangwa on Zimbabwe’s anti-corruption commission radar
December 4 – The conduct of Zimbabwean football boss Philip Chiyangwa (pictured), an ally of FIFA president Gianni Infantino, has been called into question in his own country amid allegations of corruption.
CAF grants $500K to each of its Russia 2018 teams to prepare for World Cup
December 1 – The African Football Confederation (CAF) has granted financial subsidies of $500,000 to each of its qualified countries to help prepare their teams for the Russia 2018 World Cup.
MLS shortlists Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento for next two league slots
November 30 – The MLS has named four finalist cities for the league’s two expansion slots in 2018. Cincinnati, Detroit, Nashville and Sacramento will make formal presentation to the league’s expansion committee December 6, before being discussed at a Board of Governors meeting on December 14.
Gambia government caves in over FA corruption allegations and follows FIFA line
November 30 – Gambia has bowed to FIFA pressure after the country’s sports council chairman, Bori Darboe, reinstated the national FA’s executive committee.
Gremio win Copa Libertadores to take final slot at Club World Cup in UAE
November 30 – Brazil’s Gremio will complete the line-up for the Club World Cup to be played in the UAE in December, after winning the Copa Libertadores for a third time, beating Argentina’s Lanus 2-1. The Brazilian club had won the first leg 1-0.
Čeferin pledges 1% of his salary to Mata’s Common Goal project
November 30 – UEFA President Aleksander Čeferin has become the latest high profile football personality to pledge 1% of his salary to the Common Goal movement.
Peru builds on World Cup success signing BBVA Continental as new sponsor
November 28 – BBVA Continental, a leading Peruvian bank, has become an official sponsor of the Peruvian Football Federation with a focus on the development of the lower divisions of Peruvian football and young talent in the country.
Gambia casts doubt on FIFA’s integrity, saying it will deal with financial corruption in FA
November 29 – Gambia’s authorities are on a collision course with FIFA after the country’s National Sports Council (NSC) refused to rescind its decision to suspend the executive committee of the national federation.
China’s German experiment suspended after pro-Tibet protest forces team to walk off
By Samindra Kunti
November 27 – The marriage between the German Football Association (DFB) and China’s U-20 team has hit a rough patch. Pro-Tibet protests derailed the development experiment that saw China’s U-20s competing against teams in Germany’s fourth professional tier.
Marinakis sails off with another win, but Forest loss spoils the party
November 27 – Olympiacos and Nottingham Forest owner Evangelos Marinakis has picked up another trophy. He has been voted as Lloyd’s List’s ‘Greek Shipping Personality of the Year’ for 2017.
UEFA releases funds for 28 projects to support vulnerable children worldwide
November 27 – The UEFA Foundation for Children have allocated funds to 28 new projects in support of vulnerable children around the world.