December 1 – EU sports ministers have moved to prevent European Super League plans from being resurrected after they adopted Resolution of the Council of the EU on a European Sport Model, in effect rejecting closed competitions.
December 1 – There are just 50 days to go before India hosts the expanded AFC Women’s Asian Cup, a crucial tournament for the development of the national women’s game in the confederation which could see as many as eight teams at the next Women’s World Cup in 2023 being hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
December 1 – First his federation was annulled against FIFA rules, then a legal case against him appeared to have been dropped following threats of a FIFA ban.
December 1 – Hosts Qatar kicked off the Arab Cup, a World Cup dress rehearsal, with a 1-0 victory over Bahrain in the tournament’s curtain-raiser, courtesy of a second-half goal from Abulaziz Hatim. Two World Cup venues were inaugurated over the evening of football.
December 1 – Italian police have banned a fan from all sporting events for three years after he allegedly slapped the bottom of a female reporter live on TV, a gesture that drew widespread condemnation.
December 1 – England bettered Belgium’s 19-0 victory against Armenia with 20 goals of their own against Latvia to set a new European record in Women’s World Cup qualifying.
December 1 – Australia’s A-Leagues have signed financial lender Liberty as the naming rights partner of its A-League Women’s competition with the deal starting with the season start this Friday (December 3).
December 1 – Udinese, celebrating their 125th birthday yesterday, announced the extension of their kit partnership with Macron through to June 2025.
By Paul Nicholson
November 30 – The AFC has taken major steps to opening up its club competitions with a relaxation of foreign player rules and a realignment of its calendar which will switch from the calendar year to the European model of playing from Autumn to Spring.
November 30 – All 13 cases of the Omicron coronavirus variant in Portugal involved players and staff of top division Belenenses, one of whose players recently returned from South Africa, according to health authorities.
November 30 – Sony has become a new global partner of Manchester City in a deal that will see the creation of new digital content experiences for fans as they step into the ‘metaverse’ of the Etihad Stadium.
November 30 – Mauritania and Tunisia kick off the FIFA Arab Cup tonight, a tournament that will serve as a dress rehearsal for the 2022 World Cup organisers.
November 30 – FIFA has held the draw for the seven-team Club World Cup 2021 in the UAE that will open on February 3 with local team Al Jazira against the OFC’s Auckland City FC from New Zealand.
November 30 – FIFA has appointed normalisation committees in Chad and Guinea, the latest two African countries unable to run their own footballing affairs. The FIFA-appointed officials will oversee elections in both national associations.
November 30 – Eight days after sacking Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Manchester United have formally confirmed that Ralf Rangnick (pictured) will be their interim manager until the end of the season.