Italy targets Euro 2032 hosting as embarks on stadium modernisation
February 9 – European champions Italy have indicated their interest in staging Euro 2032 and have informed UEFA accordingly.
Jamaican boss Ricketts in firing line after court hammers him for homophobic comments
By Paul Nicholson
February 9 – Jamaica Football Federation (JFF) president Michael Ricketts, under pressure over his management of the JFF, has been hit with a J$9 million (US$51,000) fine for defamation after homophobic comments he made in 2017.
Al Hilal coach Jardim complains Chelsea have been favoured by CWC schedule
February 9 – Al Hilal coach Leonardo Jardim has criticised FIFA for favouring European teams at the Club World Cup, echoing comments from Al Ahly boss Pitso Mosimane earlier in the tournament.
ePremier League revamps format with BLAST input
February 9 – Esports tournament organiser BLAST will produce the 2021/22 edition of the ePremier League, the first time the esports heavyweight has entered the football gaming scene.
UEFA to keep watching brief over Albanian FA elections
February 9 – In an unusual move, UEFA are sending a delegation to Albania to monitor the electoral process of the Albanian FA before clubs vote on a new president next month.
Qatar 2022: More than 17m match tickets requested in first sales window
February 9 – The World Cup remains the hottest ticket in town. Football fans from across the globe applied for 17 million tickets in the first sales period of the World Cup in Qatar, with the final proving to be the most in-demand match with 1.8 million ticket requests.
Barca CEO Reverter to quit mid-rebuild
February 9 – FC Barcelona CEO Ferran Reverter has resigned after less than a year in the role “for personal and family reasons”, with the club in the crucial stages of agreeing a major sponsorship deal with streaming service Spotify.
Greeks to crack down on violence after Aris fan murdered
February 9 – Greece is to clamp down on fan violence following the killing of a 19-year-old fan in what was believed to be an attack by rival supporters.
FIFA logs over 3,500 transfers in Jan window and spend of $1.bn+
February 9 – The first set of data on transfer spending and trends from the January 2022 transfer window has been released by FIFA showing an international market that is very much on the bounceback with fees breaking the $1 billion mark.
England knocked out of another World Cup
By Andrew Warshaw
And so it goes on. While Italy, France, Germany and Spain have all hosted the World Cup in the last 40 years, the other member of Europe’s so-called Big Five elite – England – remain outside looking in, conspicuous by being overlooked when it comes to staging football’s greatest show on earth.
Spotify’s €280m deal would be music to Barca’s ears
February 8 – Financially challenged Barcelona are reportedly on the verge of agreeing a €280 million shirt and training kit deal with streaming service Spotify.
Paris FC set to add Armenian investor as club pushes for Ligue1 promotion
February 8 – Ligue 2 club Paris FC is poised to announce a new investor from Armenia in a reshuffle of their ownership structure.
Cazoo to accelerate Spanish expansion with Real Sociedad shirt deal
February 8 – Online car retailer Cazoo will become the main sponsor of LaLiga’s Real Sociedad from the start of next season. The deal will see the brand take the club’s front of shirt logo position.
Morocco debate rolling the World Cup bidding dice again for 2030
February 8 – Morocco is rumoured to be considering a bid for the 2030 World Cup – the sixth time the country would have attempted to land football’s showpiece tournament.
TEAM retains global rights to UEFA’s Champions League but US media goes to Relevent
February 8 – TEAM Marketing has retained the rights to the UEFA men’s Champions League for the rights cycle 2024-27, but has ceded media sales rights to Relevent Sports Group in the US.