FIFA to restrict player loans to prevent elite clubs ‘warehousing’ talent
January 21 – FIFA are poised to bring in radical new rules designed to stop the richest clubs hoarding players and help home-grown youth development.
Qatar 2022 tickets sales opens to 1.2m requests in first 24 hours
January 21 – More than 1.2 million tickets were requested within the first 24 hours of going on sale for the World Cup in Qatar in November.
Asian Women’s Cup: Aussie and Japan go big; India with work to do
January 21 – Australia’s women exploded into the Asian Women’s Cup with an 18-0 opening group win over Indonesia at the Mumbai Football Arena earlier today.
Champions Algeria crash out of AFCON winless, Gambia and Comoros make last 16
By Samindra Kunti
January 21 – Defending champions Algeria exited the Africa Cup of Nations after a lacklustre 3-1 defeat at the hands of Ivory Coast. With a single point from three matches, the North Africans finished bottom of Group E.
Homeless World Cup set to return in September with New York hosting
January 21 – The Homeless World Cup, an annual event that has not been played since 2019 due to the pandemic, is set to return in September this year with New York hosting.
Infantino and Wenger meet PFA but biennial World Cup was ‘not the main topic’
January 21 – With increasing demands placed on football’s elite players, FIFA president Gianni Infantino has vowed player welfare will be a top priority as the organisation reshapes the international fixture schedule.
French vax rules threaten to disrupt Chelsea and Real Madrid plans for Champions League ties
January 21 – UEFA have confirmed that clubs in European competitions must comply with local regulations on Covid vaccinations, potentially hitting both Real Madrid and Chelsea in the away legs of their Champions League last-16 ties.
LaLiga takes first €400m of CVC investment
January 21 – After a prolonged battle with three of its clubs, LaLiga has seen the first injection of cash into its Impulso project from private equity firm CVC.
Heinz von Heiden naming rights deal builds on Hannover 96 platform
January 21 – German club Hannover 96 have replaced insurer HDI with construction firm Heinz von Heiden as naming rights partner for their stadium in a five-year deal.
China open Women’s Asian Cup in India with a win
By Samindra Kunti
January 20 – China got the 2022 Women’s Asian Cup underway with a convincing 4-0 victory over Taipei in the tournament’s curtain-raiser. The continent’s premier women’s competition, expanded with this Indian edition, will double as qualification for the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Ex-Anderlecht boss Van Holsbeek arrested for fraud including Mitrovic and Tielemans deals
By Samindra Kunti
January 20 – Former Anderlecht general manager Herman Van Holsbeek (pictured) has been detained by Belgium authorities in an investigation into fraud and corruption centring on agent Christophe Henrotay.
Premier League set to revamp its abused covid-call-off rules
January 20 – The English Premier League is considering revising its controversial Covid regulations which have caused the postponement of 22 fixtures over the past five weeks – many of them linked to injuries and international call-ups as well as positive cases of the virus.
Brand confidence in sponsorship market remains strong despite omicron, says ESA
January 20 – The European Sponsorship Association (ESA) is reporting a sustained confidence in the sports sponsorship market despite the surge in the omicron variant of the coronavirus.
English FA probes suspicious betting patterns around Arsenal yellow card incident
January 20 – The English FA has opened an investigation into suspicious betting patterns around a yellow card issued to an Arsenal player in a match played before Christmas.
Mexican FA to take tougher line on homophobic chanters
January 20 – The Mexican Federation (FMF) has issued a warning that it will act more forcefully to put an end to homophobic chants that have blighted many of its national team matches and resulted in sanctions forcing home games to be played with closed stadia.