Man City buddy up with Chinese robot firm UBTECH
September 14 – This is real but the concept is a little surreal. Chinese firm UBTECH have become the first Official Robot Partner of Manchester City.
Brazil move up rankings, Wales and Uruguay in top 10, Spain and Italy drop
September 15 – The latest FIFA national team rankings shows some significant changes after an international fixture schedule that saw 61 qualifiers played for World Cup Russia 2018, and a further 26 matches in continental qualifying competitions.
AFC U16 Championships set for Goa kick off
September 18 – The AFC Under 16 Champions kick off today in Goa, India, with four games including the hosts India against the United Arab Emirates at the Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Stadium, while current champions Australia will face Kyrgystan at the GMC Stadium.
PlayStation renews English schools football sponsorship for fourth season
September 15 – Gaming console manufacturer PlayStation has launched its fourth season of sponsorship of the English Schools’ FA and the PlayStation®Schools’ Cup, the biggest grassroots football competition in England.
Slovenia’s Aleksander Ceferin wins UEFA presidential vote
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – Aleksander Ceferin, the left-field candidate who gained pivotal widespread backing in the final weeks of campaigning, was elected UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini today, sweeping into office with a thumping 42-13 ballot victory over his only rival, Dutch football chief Michael van Praag.
Ceferin makes his UEFA debut and puts Champions League dispute top of ‘to do’ list
By Andrew Warshaw
September 14 – Not many people outside his inner circle had heard of Aleksander Ceferin until the Slovenian launched his candidacy for UEFA president. But everyone knows who he is now and the new kid on the block insists he is well capable of delivering the changes the organisation needs, not least revisiting the hugely divisive Champions League deal that favours a bunch of Europe’s top clubs.
Platini signs off thanking friends, invoking pride and passing on the fight
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – It lasted less than 10 minutes, was dignified, personal, at times emotional and ended, tellingly, with the words, “Friends of football, farewell.” Michel Platini, out of the public spotlight for the last 11 months, made his eagerly anticipated but highly controversial goodbye appearance in front of his former lieutenants today before disappearing into the Athens sunlight, never to return as president of UEFA as a result of being banned for financial misconduct.
Twitter ranking: Man Utd imperious but Man City show signs of life
September 14 – Manchester United again dominated the Twitter weekly ranking gaining with Arsenal in second place and passing the 8 million total follower mark.
UEFA’s top coaches debate the tactics, stats and trends of Euro 2016
By Paul Nicholson
September 14 – While UEFA’s federation chiefs were making their way to Congress and the vote for president in Athens, their team coaches and technical directors were wrapping up their own forum in Paris. At the core of their agenda was an analysis of the EURO 2016 finals and the tactical and technical trends that emerged.
LigaMX goes on the road with ‘Spurs’ hosting San Antonio friendly
September 14 – LigaMX clubs Cruz Azul and Club Atlas will play a friendly in San Antonio, Texas, at the Toyota Field October organised under the MoneyGram SocioMX banner.
Man Utd announce 10 dates for #ILOVEUNITED roadshow
September 14 – Manchester United has announced that its #ILOVEUNITED fan events will be staged in 10 locations over the 2016/17 season with a focus on Asia, but with new locations in the US in Los Angeles and in Sao Paulo, Brazil.
UEFA election: Van Praag hangs on as more federations shift to Ceferin camp
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 14 – Aleksander Ceferin, a virtual unknown outside his native Slovenia until a few months ago, was poised to complete arguably the most meteoric rise in European football history Wednesday by being crowned UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini.
UEFA election: Ceferin support bulks up as Platini sideshow enters Athens
By Paul Nicholson
September 13 – With just a day to go before the election in Athens of UEFA’s new president to succeed Michel Platini, two more federations have come out in favour of Slovenian Aleksander Ceferin in his run-off with Holland’s Michael van Praag.
UEFA rules out Welsh female candidate for FIFA Council for being British
By Andrew Warshaw in Athens
September 13 – It may have gone unnoticed as something of a sideshow but there is a second vote taking place here Wednesday alongside the UEFA presidential election, one that involves a single candidate but also a healthy dose of controversy and questionable tactics on the part of UEFA.
Spend, spend, spend: Man City beat Man Utd rivals all the way to the bank
September 13 – Manchester City have spent over €1 billion on players since 2010, the most of any European club. In 2016, City also top the table spending €213 million. Manchester United are ranked third in spend since 2010, behind Chelsea, and second in the 2016 table, ahead of Juventus and Barcelona.