Mayhem and madness as Liverpool and Man Utd thrashed by Villa and Spurs
By Andrew Warshaw
October 5 – It was, as one national newspaper put it, the day football went crazy. What a shame there were no fans to see it live.
Performance
AC Milan go through in Europa League after 24-penalty shoot-out
October 2 – AC Milan, the fallen giants of European football, needed a nerve-wracking 24-penalty shootout against unheralded Portugal side Rio Ave on Thursday to squeeze into the Europa League group stage.
Bayern’s Lewandowski and Chelsea’s Harder take UEFA player of the year awards
October 2 – Bayern Munich forward Robert Lewandowski has been named UEFA men’s Player of the Year for 2019-20 after a remarkable 55 goals in 47 games.
Hungary’s Ferencvaros return CL’s top tier, Olympiakos and Dynamo Kiev also through
September 30 – Ferencvaros, one of great old names of European club football, have reached the group stage of UEFA’s top competition for the first time in 25 years.
Ronaldo still tops world’s best striker ranking, ahead of Lewandowski and Salah
September 29 – Cristiano Ronaldo, aged 35, tops a ranking of the world’s most effective strikers, followed by Lazio’s Immobile, Bayern’s Robert Lewandowski, Dortmund’s Erling Haland and Liverpool’s Mo Salah.
News analysis: A right hand balls-up. Game changing decisions spark calls for rule revision
By Andrew Warshaw
September 28 – It’s got to go. It’s killing the game. It’s an absolute joke. We’ve lost the plot.
Grassroots survey finds trend towards ‘festival’ football and online learning
September 25 – A survey into the lasting effect the pandemic will have on grassroots football has highlighted a number of trends within clubs and national federations that provide both an opportunity and a reset for this key area of the sport global.
Dutch opt for Frank de Boer to take them to Euros and through 2022 qualifying
September 24 – Frank de Boer has succeeded Ronald Koeman as Oranje boss and will have the task of leading the Netherlands to the next World Cup.
Premier League players: young, talented and benched
September 22 – The Premier League has the lowest percentage of minutes by players aged 21 or younger in Europe’s Big 5 leagues and the third lowest across the whole of Europe, according to the latest report from the CIES Football Observatory.
Bale teed up for more than a one-year Spurs stopover
September 21 – Gareth Bale could stay at Tottenham Hotspur for longer than the one season loan the club have agreed with Real Madrid, according to his agent.
Bale returns to London to reignite his, Mourinho’s and Spurs’ ambitions
By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – He’s 31 and is carrying an injury but seven years after leaving for Real Madrid for a then world-record fee, Gareth Bale has turned the clock back by sensationally returning to Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to reignite his career.
UEFA’s return to Nations League action keeps Belgium on top of FIFA rankings
September 17 – In the first set of FIFA rankings since the Coronavirus pandemic suspended fixtures globally in March, Belgium have retained their position at the top with Portugal moving into the top five following this month’s Nations League fixtures.
Fans, who needs them?
September 16 – Home fans in stadia does not create a major advantage for the host team, according to a new report that examined results of matches in the Covid fan-free world.
Chaos in Paris as PSG lose to OM, 5 sent off and accusations of racist comments
September 14 – France’s most hostile domestic football rivalry resulted in no fewer than five dismissals on Sunday and a claim from Neymar that he heard a racist slur as visitors Marseille upset reigning champions Paris St Germain 1-0.
Mourinho plays the Covid card as Spurs open with loss to Everton
September 14 – Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has revealed that a number of the club’s players caught Covid-19 during the summer.