Bilbao midfielder says dash-for-cash Spanish Super Cup ignores fans
January 12 – Athletic Bilbao midfielder Raul Garcia has criticised Spanish Super Cup organisers for hosting the four-team tournament in Saudi Arabia.
Asian federation bosses head to Riyadh for annual gen sec summit
January 12 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) is gathering its national association general secretaries in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for their annual conference that begins tomorrow (Thursday).
UEFA starts tender process for Euro 2024 hospitality sales rights
January 12 – UEFA is looking for hospitality partners for the Euro 2024 championship that will be hosted in Germany.
Serie A hits crypto for second time with socios.com sponsorship
January 12 – Serie A has partnered with socios.com, deepening the blockchain-based fan token provider’s presence in Italian football further.
Judge dismisses paedophile claims against Man City as being ‘out of time’
January 11 – Eight men who sued Manchester City after claiming they were abused by notorious paedophile Barry Bennell more than 30 years ago have lost a High Court battle.
Covid positives and AFCON call-ups force Everton vs Leicester off for second time
January 11 – The Covid curse afflicting English top-flight football has struck again with Leicester’s game at Everton tonight postponed with the visitors only able to call on eight outfield players.
From Crystal Palace to Botafogo. Textor builds club stakes with 90% of Brazilian club
January 11 – Crystal Palace co-owner John Textor will become the owner of Botafogo, the president of the Brazilian club Durcesio Mello announced on Monday.
New WADA report shows near 50% drop drug testing during pandemic
By David Owen
January 11 – New figures from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) have detailed a sharp decline in the number of drug tests, owing to covid.
CAF turns to cryptocurrency with Binance deal for AFCON
January 11 – The African confederation that has recently struggled to find hard cash to fund football on its continent has turned to cryptocurrency. Crypto exchange Binance has become another last-minute sponsor of the Africa Cup of Nations, which hosts Cameroon kicked off on Sunday with a 1-0 victory against Burkina Faso.
Serie A signed up for brand Italy and beIT campaign
January 11 – Italy’s Serie A has partnered with government ministries to promote the country and the ‘Made in Italy’ message worldwide.
Brugge and Anderlecht bosses to jointly chair Pro League for crucial 6 months
January 11 – Club Brugge’s Vincent Mannaert and Anderlecht’s Wouter Vandenhaute will lead the Belgian Pro League for the next six months following the resignation of chairman Peter Croonen.
888sport targets newly regulated German market with RB Leipzig deal
January 11 – Online bookmaker 888sport has become an official partner of Bundesliga side RB Leipzig in a deal that will initially run until 2023.
Cameroon kick off AFCON with a win; covid controversy lurks; CAF raises prize money
By Samindra Kunti
January 10 – At last, the wait for the host nation is over. Cameroon kicked off the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations, a tournament with more prize money than ever, with a dramatic 2-1 rearguard win over Burkina Faso in an enthralling opening game.
Ashley goes after Staveley over Newcastle sale as club humiliated in FA Cup
January 10 – Just weeks after hopes were raised of a new dawn when the club was purchased by a cash-rich Saudi-led consortium, albeit highly controversially, English sleeping giant Newcastle United are back in the headlines for all the wrong reasons – on and off the pitch.
Amnesty urge Spanish Super Cup clubs in Saudi to take stand on women’s equality
January 10 – Amnesty International is calling on the four clubs involved in the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia this week to take a stand over women’s rights and equality issues.