By David Owen
September 1 – Europe’s top football clubs shelled out increased amounts on new players during the summer transfer window, as the sport shrugged off the effects of the continent’s sluggish economic growth.
By David Gold
September 1 – Zico, the legendary Brazilian midfielder, has taken over as coach of the Iraqi national team, as the 2007 Asian Cup winners look for fresh inspiration following poor Gulf Cup and Asian Cup tournaments in the last year.
By David Gold
September 1 – Yousuf al-Serkal has announced his intention to run for the Presidency of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) as he looks to replace Mohamed Bin Hammam, who was banned from all football activities by FIFA after being found guilty of attempting to bribe Caribbean officials.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 29 – Mohamed Bin Hammam has again queried FIFA’s decision to ban him for life via his personal website.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 29 – UEFA is set to decide tomorrow whether to kick Swiss side Sion out of the Europa League and replace them with Celtic in a case that has served as a dangerous precedent for European football.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 28 – Sepp Blatter’s eagerly awaited set of reforms to clean up FIFA after a year of scandal will be announced in October, he has claimed.
By Andrew Warshaw in Monaco
August 26 – Players who surround the referee to protest decisions could be red-carded in a new crackdown initiated by Pierluigi Collina, arguably the game’s most famous official who is now UEFA’s chief refereeing officer.
By Andrew Warshaw in Monaco
August 26 – UEFA President Michel Platini today launched his most hard-hitting rebuke for months on the state of European football, saying “red lights were flashing” throughout the continent and that he feared for the game’s very future.
By Andrew Warshaw in Monaco
August 26 – Scottish club football’s European season could be saved from total humiliation with Celtic being parachuted back into the Europa League, UEFA announced today.
By Andrew Warshaw in Monaco
August 26 – Barcelona picked up yet another piece of silverware to add to their bulging trophy cabinet tonight as they ultimately cruised past nine-man Porto 2-0 to lift the UEFA Super Cup, the annual early-season showpiece between the Champions League and Europa League winners.
By David Gold
August 24 – Russian football’s growing strength and financial muscle has been flexed this week as Cameroon forward Samuel Eto’o became the world’s best paid player as he signed for big spending Anzhi Makhachkala.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 22 – FIFA are being urged to consider a radical programme of financial rewards and amnesties designed to crack down on match-fixing and illegal betting, regarded as the biggest scourge affecting the global game.
By David Gold
August 22 – Omani football has received a huge boost as BankMuscat, the nation’s largest financial services provider, has announced that it would be supporting the national football team in its bid to qualify for the London 2012 Olympic Games and the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
By David Gold
August 17 – The opening match of this season’s FA Cup, between Ascot United of the Hellenic League and Combined Counties League outfit Wembley FC, is to be the first football match ever broadcast live on social networking site Facebook.
By David Gold
August 17 – CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer (pictured) has vigorously denied reports circulating that he is being investigated by the FBI.