By David Owen
Arsenal fans will be experiencing a surge of optimism after a highly encouraging – trophy-winning – end to the disjointed 2019-20 season under Mikel Arteta.
August 13 – Concacaf will hold the draw for its reformatted 2022 World Cup qualifiers next Wednesday (August 19), and has announced the seeded pots for the first round group stages that will see 30 teams in action.
August 13 – Switzerland will allow events, including football matches, to be attended by more than 1,000 people from October 1 provided organisers agree to strict hygiene measures and have authorisation from regional authorities.
August 13 – UEFA has handed Northern Ireland’s Linfield a bye into the first qualifying round of the Champions League after their tie with Kosovan side Drita had to be called off on Tuesday due to positive coronavirus tests.
August 13 – Nice have decided to play their opening match in France’s top league behind closed doors when the new season gets under way despite being allowed to have up to 5,000 fans at the game.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 12 – At first glance it looks like just another routine FIFA press release, this time about the organisation’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic.
By Paul Nicholson
August 12 – Renewed fears over the danger of spread of the Coronavirus in Asia have forced the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to push back qualifying rounds for the Qatar 2022 World Cup and Asian Cup China 2023 into next year.
August 12 – Serie A’s Atalanta, who face PSG in the quarter finals of the Champions League tonight, have unveiled Intesa Sanpaolo as a club sponsor and banking partner who lead on the financing of a €40 million stadium redevelopment.
August 12 – Scottish top-flight football has been plunged into turmoil just days after the start of the new season with Celtic and Aberdeen both having their next two matches postponed after players broke Covid-19 quarantine rules.
August 12 – A Champions League preliminary round tie was called off just over an hour before kick-off after a second player from Kosovan side FC Drita tested positive for Covid-19.
August 13 – Macclesfield Town have been relegated from League 2 after the English Football League (EFL) won an appeal against a points deduction that in turn triggered a further points penalty. As a result of the ruling, Stevenage will retain their League Two status.
August 12 – With doubts still remaining over whether LaLiga clubs will be able to take shirt sponsorship from betting brands, Betway has announced a new agreement with Real Betis, a record for the club.
August 12 – FC Barcelona have confirmed a positive coronavirus test ahead of their Champions League quarter-final with Bayern Munich, but the club said the respective player has not had contact with any of the squad members that will travel to Lisbon.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 11 – A strongly worded press release in Q and A format; a hastily arranged virtual press conference denouncing the Swiss judicial authorities; an attack on the reform process under the previous regime; letters fired off to every national association and every member of the all-powerful FIFA Council; and, if rumours are to be believed, the hiring of at least three (no doubt expensive) external specialist lawyers to help fight the case.
August 11 – Bundesliga clubs have had their hopes dashed by local authorities of allowing fans back into stadiums in time for the new league season that kicks off September 18.