New online bookie BET.bg agrees sponsorship of Bulgarian Super Cup
January 24 – The Bulgarian Professional Football League (BPFL) has agreed a sponsorship with one of the newest entrants to the Bulgarian online betting market, BET.bg.
CIES Observatory crowns Sporting’s Viktor Gyökeres as world’s top goalscorer
January 23 – Swedish striker Viktor Gyökeres has been revealed as the top scorer of 2024 by the CIES Football Observatory after a superb season for Sporting CP, netting 64 goals across the past twelve months, 54 for his club and 10 at national team level.
FA WNL ahead of schedule in empowering third and fourth-tier clubs
January 23 – The FA Women’s National League (FA WNL) has provided a positive update on its ‘Empowering for Success’ strategy as it enters its final year of implementation. Introduced at the start of the 2022/23 season, it aims to help clubs in tiers three and four of the English women’s football pyramid to thrive both on and off the pitch.
Katanec quits as Uzbekistan head coach for undisclosed health reasons
January 23 – Despite being close to qualifying for the World Cup finals for the first time, Uzbekistan head coach Srečko Katanec resigned on Wednesday citing undisclosed health reasons.
Ambitious plans announced for Benito Villamarín Stadium revamp in Betis
January 23 – Real Betis have released new renderings of their ambitious plan to modernise the Benito Villamarín Stadium in Seville, with construction slated to begin at the end of the current season.
Europe’s top 20 clubs generate record €11.2bn in revenue for 2023/24 season
January 23 – The top 20 revenue generating clubs in world football reported a record €11.2 billion in the 2023/24 season.
More than €7.5 billion of that figure was generated by the top 10 clubs, with six of the top 10 playing in the English Premier League.
Manchester City splash the cash again in bid to revive flagging season
January 23 – Reeling from a damaging defeat in the Champions League on Wednesday, when they blew a two-goal lead in a high-stakes clash with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester City have taken their January spending to around £123 million by signing Egypt forward Omar Marmoush from Eintracht Frankfurt.
NSL extends partnership with DoorDash Canada for inaugural season
January 23 – The Northern Super League (NSL), Canada’s first professional women’s football league, has extended its founding partnership with DoorDash Canada for the league’s inaugural 2025 season. At the heart of the partnership is a shared mission to ‘inspire, empower, and support’ the next generation of female athletes.
French authorities ban Feyenoord fans from Champions League trip to Lille
January 23 – Feyenoord fans have been banned by French authorities from travelling to Lille for next week’s final Champions League group game between the two sides. France’s interior ministry expressed concerns about a “real and serious risk of confrontation” between the respective sets of supporters.
Police ban Apollon Limassol fans from Omonia 29M championship clash
January 23 – Nicosia police have banned Apollon Limassol fans from their upcoming Cypriot championship match at Omonia 29M. They have written to the Cyprus Football Association (CFA), informing them that the fixture at the Katokopia Stadium on January 25 is high risk, with serious trouble possible from fans of both clubs.
Cecafa backs Waberi for FIFA Council seat; agrees expanded 2025 competition schedule
January 23 – African regional confederation Cecafa (the Council for East and Central African Football Associations) have given their 11-member support to Djibouti FA president Hassan Waberi Souleiman (pictured) in his candidacy for an African spot on the FIFA Council.
Naomi Girma joins Chelsea as women’s game’s first million dollar transfer
January 23 – In 1979, Trevor Francis became the first English footballer to command a £1 million transfer fee when he moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest. 46 years later Naomi Girma is set to make the first million-dollar transfer in women’s soccer history.
Greenland to meet with Concacaf in first steps to international football recognition
January 23 – Greenland’s Football Association will send a delegation to the United States next month to begin talks on joining Concacaf, hoping it will boost national pride at a time of global attention.
Wilfried Zaha leaves Galatasaray for the MLS and Charlotte FC
January 23 – Major League Soccer (MLS) has often been accused of being a retirement league as aging stars come stateside for one last payday. Does the signing of Wilfried Zaha by Charlotte FC confirm or rebuff that perception?
Feeding the 28 million. Liverpool open Indonesian retail store
January 23 – Life is good for Liverpool FC. They are top of the Premier League, top of the Champions League, and aiming to become the most popular club in the Asian market after launching their second official retail store in Indonesia, located in Surabaya.