November 18 – So now we know. After delaying a ruling in a mysterious disciplinary case involving CSKA Moscow and Finland midfielder Roman Eremenko, UEFA have banned him for two years after he tested positive for cocaine.
“Far from being willing to execute his enemies, a real king must be willing to execute his friends.” T.H. White
Walt Disney’s rendering of TH White’s novel The Sword in the Stone glossed over it but the author always tackled themes of justice and proper governance persuasively. Indeed, White’s lessons are apt for football to learn after so many years of Sepp Blatter running FIFA like a feudal fief.
November 17 – The rumour was that it would be a Chinese sponsor but in the end it was Japan’s Rakuten that signed up as FC Barcelona’s new main global partner in a four-year €220 million deal that could rise with bonuses.
By Paul Nicholson and Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – Saoud Al-Mohannadi, the Qatari official who FIFA disqualified at the last moment from standing as an Asian member of its ruling Council, has now been banned by FIFA’s ethics committee for one year for failing to cooperate as a witness with a FIFA investigation.
November 17 – The cost of watching English top-flight football, for years deemed prohibitive for average-earning fans, has fallen in the first season of a record £8 billion global TV rights deal according to a BBC survey.
November 17 – As this weekend’s Milan derby approaches with both clubs now in the hands of Chinese investors, officials are questioning the authenticity of one of the deals.
November 17 – England captain Wayne Rooney has “unreservedly” apologised to interim England manager Gareth Southgate after pictures emerged showing him at a wedding while on international duty.
November 17 – The ASEAN Football Federation (AFF) has renewed its deal with Sportradar to provide match-fixing detection and prevention services for its AFF Suzuki Cup.
November 17 – Paris St. Germain have signed an official partnership with Swedish telecom Ericsson that will see the company provide the club with a suite of solutions and services that will revamp the digital experience for fans.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 16 – US Soccer president Sunil Gulati says a Donald Trump presidency will not affect the decision on whether or not to bid for the 2026 FIFA World Cup but his federation has more immediate worries after a second successive 2018 qualifying defeat for Jurgen Klinsmann’s team.
By Samindra Kunti
November 16 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have offered Stephen Constantine (pictured) a contract extension despite the disappointing results of the Indian national team. The Englishman’s contract runs out in February 2017.
November 16 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has doubled the prize money for its flagship Champions League final winners from $1.5 million to $3 million.
November 16 – The French Professional Football League (LFP) sports venture – e-Ligue 1 – has taken a commercial step forward with the signing of its first broadcast deal for its inaugural season with beIN Sports and Webedia.
November 16 – Widely criticised over the treatment of migrant workers employed on construction sites, organisers of the World 2022 in Qatar have given the green light for its stadiums to be inspected by officials of the Building and Wood Workers’ International (BWI), a global federation of some 300 trade unions in the building industry that has a combined membership of more than 12 million workers.
November 16 – Lionel Messi is leading a media boycott by the Argentine national team because of “grave and disrespectful” allegations made against a number of his teammates.