Brazil return to top of FIFA rankings as US Gold Cup win pushes them up nine places
August 11 – Brazil have returned to the top of the FIFA rankings, moving ahead of Confederations Cup winners Germany.
Performance
Chelsea’s destiny could be shaped in first 5 games, Man Utd have easier openers
August 11 – Premier League title contenders will be anxious to ensure good starts to the season. 70% of title winners in the last 20 seasons have been in the top four after just five games.
Premier League set for big money Manchester vs London prize fights
By Andrew Warshaw
August 10 – As reaction continues to pour in from across the globe over Neymar’s eye-watering world record move, the English Premier League’s big boys have not exactly been standing still in their own pursuit of domestic and European glory – beginning tomorrow.
Barca boss Bartomeu says Neymar is history, but not all the €222m will go on new players
August 8 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has broken his silence over the manner in which Neymar left the club for Paris St-Germain.
Neymar unveiled at PSG with a desire to ‘write history’
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – Within hours of completing his world record move to Paris St Germain, Brazilian superstar Neymar insisted he did not leave Barcelona because he was in Lionel Messi’s shadow but that he wanted to “write history”.
Neymar fails to make UEFA best player shortlist as Real Madrid and Man Utd dominate
By Paul Nicholson
August 4 – He might be the most expensive player of all time, but €222 million Brazilian money machine Neymar does not even make it to the UEFA shortlist of best players for their 2016/17 club competition awards. His former club colleague Lionel Messi does make it.
World’s largest coaching body rebrands as United Soccer Coaches
By Paul Nicholson
August 3 – The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA), the world’s largest coaches association with more than 30,000 members, is rebranding itself as United Soccer Coaches, and has announced a 15-year calendar across five US cities for its annual convention.
English Football Leagues opts for ABBA penalty format
August 1 – The so-called ‘ABBA’ format for penalty shootouts will be used in all English Football League competitions from this coming season.
Women’s Euros sets up England vs France quarter final clash as Germany march on
July 28 – England laboured to victory over Portugal at the women’s Euro 2017 in the final group games on Thursday, setting up an intriguing quarter-final against rivals France. Hosts the Netherlands and favourites Germany also progressed to the last eight.
VAR may drop a few balls but it would have caught Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’
July 26 – Diego Maradona has admitted that his infamous ‘Hand of God’ World Cup goal in 1986 would have been ruled out if video technology had existed back then.
A lesson in football integrity: Ref rights wrong overturning her penalty decision
July 25 – It isn’t every day that the referee changes his or her mind about a crucial decision in a pivotal competitive match after being read the rules by one of the players.
New season, new sack race. Benitez beware, but even Newcastle is safer than Serie A
July 20 – With pre-season fixtures starting to come thick and fast for Europe’s elite clubs it seems attention in some areas is already turning to which manager will be the first to be sacked.
Players must learn basics of cardiac treatment to save lives, says football agent
July 19 – The agent of a former Cameroon player who died last year after suffering heart problems is calling on FIFA to train all players and coaches in how to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest.
Ajax’s Nouri to be brought out of induced coma
July 12 – Ajax’s Abdelhak Nouri will be taken out of an induced coma after tests showed he suffered no heart or brain damage when he collapsed in a friendly in the Austrian Alps on Saturday.
Transfer trends: Turkey attracts club buyers as South American imports lose their lustre
July 7 – Premier League clubs are least likely to buy from each other in the transfer window and Manchester City have spent £1.14 billion on players over the past 10 years of which only 35% has stayed in England.