February 9 – Major League Soccer (MLS) and the players union (MLSPA) have voted to ratify the amended collective bargaining agreement (CBA) that will govern their relation until 2027, avoiding a potential lockout or strike before the new season kicks off.
February 9 – The battle over who can collect match data from Premier League stadia took another ugly turn early this week when official data provider Genius Sports Group sued Sportradar in the UK saying it was illegally sending ‘data scouts’ to matches.
February 9 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has increased the pace of its broadcast rights sales with two new partners announced for its 2021 to 2024 rights cycle, one in Europe and one Asia.
February 9 – A second successive Champions League last-16 game as been switched to neutral ground in Hungary due to Covid-19 travel restrictions in Germany.
February 9 – English Premier League referee Mike Dean has asked not to officiate at any games this weekend after he and his family received online death threats following recent highly controversial red card decisions he handed out.
February 9 – Ajax’s international goalkeeper André Onana (pictured) has been banned for one year by UEFA for a doping infraction and is set to miss next year’s African Cup of Nations in his home nation of Cameroon for whom he has 15 caps.
February 9 – Chinese Super League side Shandong Luneng have been kicked out of the AFC Champions League group stages for unpaid debts.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 8 – Thrown out, surprisingly re-instated, and now apparently thrown out again in a battle for supremacy within African football’s warring factions. The saga over disgraced Confederation of African Football (CAF) chief Ahmad Ahmad’s presidential status has taken another unexpected twist typical of the political shenanigans at the highest level of African football’s heirarchy.
February 8 – Mexico’s Tigres upset Copa Libertadores winners Palmeiras from Brazil in a 1-0 semi-final victory at the Club World Cup to become the first Concacaf club to reach the final of tournament.
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – Tunisian protests against federation president Wadie Jary found their way to FIFA headquarters in Zurich on Friday when a group set up banners outside the entrance to FIFA House, waved flags and demanded an end to Jary’s presidency.
February 8 – UEFA’s plans for a new-look Champions League from 2024 to offset the threat of a breakaway super league are a cause for strong concern, according to the body representing domestic leagues across Europe.
February 8 – Morocco became the first team to retain the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a 2-0 win against Mali in the final.
February 8 – In a compromise move caused by the impact of Covid-19, a solution has finally been found for staging the RB Leipzig-Liverpool Champions League last-16 first leg tie, with Budapest selected as a neutral venue after German authorities imposed strict protocols to combat the spread of the pandemic.
February 8 – The four Premier League clubs from Manchester and Liverpool have joined forces to condemn the online racial abuse suffered by players in recent weeks.
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – Mesut Ozil, no stranger to conflict and controversy in recent years, may not find Fenerbahce the calm and safe haven club he was looking for.