‘They are going to kill us’ – FIFA calls for emergency evacuation for Afghan women players
August 23 – FIFA has written to a number of governments to request the emergency evacuation of female players from Afghanistan.
Nice vs Marseilles abandoned after bottles thrown and fans invade pitch
August 23 – Sunday’s high-profile top-flight French derby between Nice and Marseille had to be abandoned after home fans threw missiles and invaded the pitch.
Concacaf draw qualifying groups for crucial 2022 Concacaf W Championship
August 23 – Concacaf’s revamped women’s structure is moving fast with the confederation drawing the qualifying groups at the weekend for the 2022 Concacaf W Championship finals.
RIP Chievo Verona; former Serie A club folds after failure to find money for new season
August 23 – Chievo Verona is no more. Having been demoted to Serie D following an inability to meet Serie B financial solvency criteria, the club failed to find an investor to enable it to continue and will now fold.
WWE gets in the ring with Enfield Town for 20th anniversary big bash
By Andrew Warshaw
August 23 – It isn’t every day that a part-time grassroots football club manages to get into bed with a global giant.
Wembley Euro 2020 final was a covid ‘superspreader’
August 23 – The Euro 2020 final between England and Italy was a ‘superspreader’ event due to the level of COVID-19 infection found in or around London’s Wembley Stadium on the day, according to official data.
De Bruyne, Jorghino and Kante vie for UEFA player of year award
August 23 – Three Premier League players make up the shortlist for the UEFA Men’s player of the year awards, while three Barcelona players make up the Women’s shortlist.
Commonwealth Bank activates naming rights deal with Aussie women’s teams
August 23 – Commonwealth Bank have officially activated their four-year national team naming rights partnership with Football Australia that will take the Australian game though the 2023 Women’s World Cup they are co-hosting with New Zealand.
Concacaf reworks W Championship and launches new 12-team W Gold Cup
By Paul Nicholson
August 20 – Concacaf has boosted competition opportunity for its national women’s teams with a revamped W Championship and the introduction of the W Gold Cup, the women’s version of the men’s competition that completed in Las Vegas August 1.
Saudi to host AFC Champions League final; China make Qatar home for 2022 qualifier
August 20 – Saudi Arabia has won the rights to host the 2021 AFC Champions League final which will be played November 23 and qualify one team for the second Club World Cup this year – to be played in Japan as part of their centenary celebrations in December.
Brazil’s Vasco Da Gama say paying £14.7m wage debt on demand makes club inoperable
August 20 – Brazilian club Vasco Da Gama have appealed against a court ruling that would force the club to settle wage debts of €14.7 million with immediate effect, arguing that the verdict will “completely make the functioning of the club unfeasible”.
Beach Soccer World Cup kicks off in Moscow with wins for UAE and Team RFU
August 20 – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) kicked off the 2021 Beach World Cup in Russia with narrow 4-3 win against two-time finalists Tahiti in the tournament’s opening match.
Afghan youth player dies in Kabul airlift mayhem
August 20 – A promising Afghan footballer who played for the national youth team tragically fell to his death after trying to cling to a US plane airlifting residents out of Taliban-controlled Kabul, it has been confirmed.
Ecuador break Brazilian grip on Copa Libertadores, Flamengo next
August 20 – Ecuador’s Barcelona eliminated Fluminense 3-3 on aggregate to prevent an all-Brazilian affair in the last four of the Copa Libertadores.
Serie A opens up VAR real estate to Cryto.com sponsorship
August 20 – Italy’s Serie A has built on its crypto relationship with Crypto.com who will become the first Innovation & Technology Partner of the league in what Serie A is calling a multi-year partnership.