Report shows rise in referee abuse, England extend bodycam trial
December 19 – Allegations of serious offences against match officials in English grassroots football increased slightly last season compared to 2021-22, figures show.
Atlanta to host 2024 SheBelieves Cup, opening at 89,000 capacity Mercedes-Benz Stadium
December 19 – Atlanta, the future home of the US national team training centre, will be the host city for the ninth SheBelieves Cup.
FA slaps £120K fine on Man City for badly behaved players
December 19 – Manchester City have been fined £120,000 after several players surrounded referee Simon Hooper during their dramatic 3-3 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League earlier this month.
AFC to debut SAOT at Asian Cup next month
December 19 – The AFC have revealed that Semi-Automated Offside Technology (SAOT) will be used at the AFC Asian Cup in Qatar in January 2024, marking the first use of this technology at an AFC tournament.
Sheffield United review of Cusack death finds no wrongdoing but ‘processes’ to be reviewed
December 19 – An external investigation into the events leading up to the death of Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack found “no evidence of wrongdoing”.
Chile and Poland granted hosting rights to U-20 men’s and women’s World Cups
December 19 – FIFA have awarded hosting rights to Chile for the U-20 World Cup 2025 and Poland as the host of the U-20 Women’s World Cup 2026.
2024 Homeless World Cup to debut in Asia in Seoul with 70 nations expected
December 19 – Seoul in South Korea will host the next edition of the Homeless World Cup in 2024, the 19th time the competition will have been played and the first time in Asia.
Man City agree multi-year deal with Kellogg’s
December 19 – Manchester City has agreed a multi-year partnership with Kellogg’s that will see the cereal brand become theClub’s Official Breakfast Cereals partner for both the men’s and women’s first teams.
FIFA slaps transfer ban on Botev Vratasa for failing to pay Brambilla’s wages
December 19 – Bulgaria’s top tier clubs continue to struggle with financial issues with Botev Vratsa being the latest to break financial rules. FIFA have imposed a transfer ban on the club over its failure to pay the wages of former player, Brazilian Lucas Brambilla.
Fluminense beat Al Ahly to reach Club World Cup final
By Samindra Kunti in Jeddah
December 18 – South America is returning to the final of the Club World Cup after Fluminense edged past African champions Al Ahly of Egypt 2-0 with second-half goals from Joao Arias and John Kennedy.
UCL draw: Serie A and LaLiga clash as Inter draw Atletico, and Barca meet Napoli in last 16
December 18 – Holders Manchester City were handed arguably the easiest tie in the last 16 of the Champions League after being paired with FC Copenhagen, while Spanish heavyweights Barcelona will face Napoli as today’s draw kept Europe’s giant clubs apart.
The Burleanu Burlesque
By James Dostoyevsky
As if football didn’t have other problems – between a Turkish club president assaulting a referee on the pitch and VAR turning into the most hated new tech distorting football results – a novel and stupefying proclamation emanated from Vlad the Impaler’s homeland, Romania this week.
FIFA confirms qualifiers for 2025 CWC, unveils new Intercontinental Cup competition details
By Samindra Kunti in Jeddah
December 18 – FIFA confirmed that the 2025 Club World Cup will be played across 29 days in June and July that summer in the United States. Both English Premier League’s Liverpool and Manchester United miss out on the new competition while LaLiga’s Barcelona could still qualify.
Fifpro slams FIFA’s 2025 Club World Cup timing as player workload increased again
December 18 – The first edition of the expanded Club World Cup will be staged from June 15 to July 13, 2025, in the United States but the world players union Fifpro has slammed FIFA’s decision.
Luton’s Tom Lockyer undergoing medical tests after cardiac arrest at Bournemouth
December 18 – Luton Town captain Tom Lockyer is undergoing tests and scans at hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Premier League game at the weekend.