By Paul Nicholson in Lusail Stadium
February 10 – Qatar retained their Asian Cup title with an Akram Afif hattrick of penalties in front of 86,465 mainly Qatari fans in the Lusail Stadium.
February 10 – AFC Bournemouth owner Bill Foley, who is building a portfolio of club ownerships worldwide, has stayed closer to home and focussed on community with his latest club involvement.
February 9 – UEFA has no intention of throwing Israel out of international competition despite the ongoing conflict in Gaza that has killed an estimated 25,000 people – almost half of them reportedly children – and left thousands more homeless.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 9 – Aleksander Ceferin’s surprise announcement not to stand for re-election for the UEFA presidency in 2027 overshadowed other key business on the agenda of UEFA’s Congress in Paris.
February 2 – Nordic neighbours Denmark and Sweden have declared their intention to bid for the 2029 Women’s Euro, leaving their regional partner Norway out in the cold.
February 9 – Football may witness a transformative change as the International Football Association Board (IFAB) contemplates the introduction of blue cards, which could be trialled in England as soon as next season’s FA Cup.
February 9 – England were drawn with the Republic of Ireland in Group B2 of the Nations League with Finland and Greece completing the group. Elsewhere, Italy and France meet in League A.
The 48th UEFA Congress in Paris on February 8 turned truly interesting after it was over.
February 9 – Qatar coach Marquez Lopez wants his team to cast Arab affinity to one side for 90 minutes as the defending champions and tournament hosts look to see off the Asian Cup’s surprise package Jordan on Saturday to retain the continental title.
February 9 – Barcelona are taking Zenit St. Petersburg to sport’s highest court in pursuit of a €490,000 bonus payment it says it missed out on when the Russian club was banned from the Champions League following the country’s invasion of Ukraine.
February 9 – After a sensational opening to the Lionel Messi American dream, which soured as 2023 came to a close, the beginning of 2024 has brought forth even more challenges, underscoring the precariousness for both the league and Inter Miami as they pin their performance hopes and business ambition on the Argentinian superstar.
February 9 – Cardiff City have reached an out-of-court settlement with an agent over the release of documents and messages about the transfer of the late Emiliano Sala.
February 9 – The Greek government has released details of measures being introduced into Greek football in an attempt to tackle football hooliganism in the country’s stadiums.
February 9 – Former European Leagues CEO turned sport integrity guru Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros (pictured right), has picked up two new roles within the B20 Brazil and the European Commission.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
February 8 – In a dramatic move that took most of his supporters as well as his critics totally by surprise, UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin announced today that he would be stepping down in 2027, ending months of speculation about his intentions.