Should I stay or should I go? Mbappé prevaricates
January 4 – Kylian Mbappé says he has yet to decide whether he will sign a new contract to stay at Paris St. Germain beyond this season or leave on a free transfer in the summer.
World Football
Transfer rumours: No Saudi for Salah, Olise to replace Sancho at Man Utd, taxi for Eddie Howe?
January 4 – Mohamed Salah’s future looks to have swung in favour of staying with Liverpool, with the 31-year-old reportedly leaning towards signing a new contract at the Merseyside club. The Egyptian’s current contract at Anfield runs out in the summer of 2025.
Levski Sofia agree three-year deal to repay debt owed to Bulgarian state
June 4 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have successfully concluded negotiations with the country’s National Revenue Agency (NRA) to reschedule debt owed to the state over the next three years.
777 Partners-owned Standard Liège post losses of €20m+
January 3 – Belgian club Standard Liège have posted more than €20 million in losses for the 2022-23 season, bringing further damages to its finances and threatening the club’s future.
Transfer talk: Newcastle United not in a rush, Man Utd need one, and where will Mbappe end up?
January 3 – Newcastle United’s pursuit of Kalvin Phillips could be in doubt after the club said they are ‘determined’ not to be too reactive to recent injury issues that have corresponded with a slump in form. The change of heart over Phillips has firmly placed French Champions PSG in the front seat to sign the Manchester City midfielder after expressing keen interest this week.
Brazil’s Sao Paulo secure record naming rights deal for the MorumBIS Stadium
January 3 – Brazil’s São Paulo has closed a R$ 25 million ($5 million) a year naming rights deal with confectionery giant Mondelez and its BIS chocolate brand.
North Macedonia capital Skopje angers FC Shkupi after giving cash to city rivals Vardar
January 3 – The city of Skopje in North Macedonia has committed €200,000 in financial assistance to local club Vardar Skopje, angering the capital city’s other top tier team, Shkupi, who are not being financially supported and say the actions of the Municipality of Skopje are discriminatory.
Red Star fury over allegations former coach Barak Bahar is owed wages
January 8 – Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) has reacted angrily to reports that the club is to be sued by former coach Barak Bahar (pictured) over unpaid wages.
Turkish Super Cup called off after Saudi organisers ban Ataturk t-shirts and banners
January 2 – Turkey and Saudi Arabia are blaming each other for the embarrassing last-minute abandonment of the Turkish Super Cup final between arch-rivals Galatasaray and Fenerbahce which had been due to take place in Riyadh last Friday.
Somalis kick-off vital inter-state tournament at Stadium Mogadishu
January 2 – The Somali capital Mogadishu has swapped the sound of gunfire for the cheers of fans as tens of thousands of supporters hailing from various corners of the nation converged for the Somali Inter-State football tournament.
Bastos takes early lead over Zweiter in CBF elections as FIFA readies to send observers
January 2 – Brazil’s football presidential football elections are shaping up to be a two-horse race between Reinaldo Carneiro Bastos and Flavio Zweiter. FIFA, however, is sending a team to investigate the rudderless Confederation of Brazilian (CBF) as a signal that it won’t tolerate third-party interference in the running of the federation.
Orange renews CAF sponsorship through next two AFCON editions
January 2 – Telecom giant Orange has renewed its long-running sponsorship of the Confederation of African football (CAF) including through the next two editions of the Africa Cup of Nations and adding the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations.
Ceferin leads dismissals of European Super League as stakeholders reject A22’s Christmas carol
By Andrew Warshaw
December 22 – Not dissimilar to when the concept was first launched back in April 2021, Europe’s main football stakeholders, led by UEFA, have joined forces to denounce ambitious plans for a new version of the European Super League – even though the landscape has changed overnight.
A22 proposes three-tiered mid-week European league with 64 men’s teams
December 22 – Despite widespread condemnation, the sports development company behind a possible new European Super League, A22, has outlined its plans for the tournament following Thursday’s judgement by the European Court of Justice that UEFA’s rules restricting the creation of new competitions were unlawful.
Albania gives diplomatic passports to national team as reward for qualifying for Euro 2024
December 22 – The Albanian government has decided to reward all players and coaches of the Albanian national team with diplomatic passports.