August 7 – Yet another racism row has struck at the heart of German football with Clemens Toennies, president of top-flight club Schalke 04, forced to step down for three months following a hearing into controversial comments he made last week.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – Almost three years after opening an investigation, Swiss prosecutors have indicted three of German football’s most prominent former administrators over suspect payments linked to the 2006 World Cup which the country hosted.
August 6 – Gaming and betting giant GVC Holdings is donating club sponsorship assets from 42 to its UK clubs to GambleAware’s ‘Bet Regret’ campaign.
August 5 – Philadelphia Union captain and US international Alejandro Bedoya has called on US Congress to “end gun violence” after 29 people were killed in two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend.
July 26 – A Premier League player is suing the world anti-doping agency (WADA) for £13 million over claims a drug-test blunder wrecked part of his career.
July 25 – In a stark example of the effect of homophobia in football, a Twitter user who claimed to be a player in England’s second-tier Championship, and who intended to come out as gay, has appeared to change his mind after admitting he is “not strong enough to do this”.
July 24 – Incidents of discrimination in English football, both at grassroots and professional level, rose significantly last season, according to a report by the anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out.
July 23 – After weeks of speculation over an incident that allegedly occurred a decade ago, US prosecutors have announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will not face criminal charges of sexual assault because the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
July 22 – Half of the Premier League’s shirts will display a gambling company’s logo during the 2019-20 season, rekindling the debate about betting in sports.
July 22 – Bulgaria have been ordered by UEFA to play their next two home Euro 2020 qualifiers in a partially-closed stadium due to racist behaviour by their supporters.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal by the outspoken head of Palestinian football Jibril Rajoub against his ban for “inciting hatred and violence” toward Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.
July 19 – Former England and Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge has been banned for two weeks and fined £75,000 after being found guilty of breaching betting rules.
July 15 – Procter and Gamble brand Secret Deodorant is giving each member of the US World Cup winning squad $23,000 and its backing in their equal pay dispute with the US Soccer Federation.
July 12 – Russia’s deputy prime minister Vitaly Mutko, who infamously stepped down from all his footballing roles after having been accused of being involved in state-sponsored doping – allegations he denied – has won his appeal against being banned from the Olympics for life.
July 12 – A Supporters Survey by the English Football League has found that 46% of EFL supporters gambled online during the last 12 months, and that 71% believe gambling sponsorship in football is acceptable.