August 5 – More than 70,000 outraged fans of English sleeping giant Newcastle have signed a petition demanding the Premier League explain its handling of the proposed Saudi-led £300 million take-over deal that collapsed last week.
August 5 – Bundesliga first and second division clubs have agreed to allow a small number fans back into stadiums, potentially as early as the 2020-21 season opener on Friday September 18. But only if the authorities give the green light later this month.
August 5 – The unsavoury dispute over who was liable for Emiliano Sala’s €17 million transfer fee from Nantes to Cardiff City is set to drag on more than a year and half after the Argentine forward was tragically killed when the light aircraft carrying him to Cardiff two days after he signed crashed into the sea before he could play a single game.
August 5 – SIGA has announced the first set of speakers for the inaugural Sport Integrity Week, September 7-11.
August 5 – Belgium’s professional game, settling down to a new format following a summer of political and legal chaos, has positive news to report with bookmaker bwin being confirmed as its new betting partner.
August 5 – The total value of sponsorship across the big five football leagues in 2020 is now more than €3.3bn annually, according to a report by KPMG Football Benchmark.
August 5 – Dutch football is to pilot a scheme allowing a woman to play competitively in a men’s team, the KNVB has announced.
August 5 – Fulham won the richest game in world football after the extra-time brilliance of left-back Joe Byran ensured a 2-1 win against London rivals Brentford and promotion to the Premier League.
August 5 – The German FA (DFL) is setting up a task force to examine the future of the professional game in the country in light of the coronavirus pandemic and to make recommendations as to how the game can be strengthened and made more sustainable.
August 5 – It’s all over for Wigan Athletic who have been controversially relegated to the third tier of English football as a result of the club’s Hong Kong owner disgracefully pulling the plug on further funding.
Will FIFA’s so-called independent ethics committee dare show its teeth in arguably its most important test case to date? That is now the all-important question after three days of unprecedented trouble-shooting by the organisation’s administration in defence of its under-fire president, Gianni Infantino.
By Paul Nicholson
August 4 – A long running dispute between the UAE and Qatar that began in January 2019 at the Asian Cup over the eligibility two Qatari players, has finally been settled at CAS with the UAE losing its appeal against the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC) decision that the players were eligible.
August 4 – Tonight Brentford and Fulham will play in the most valuable match in world football, in fact any match in world sport, as they bid for the third promotion spot to next season’s Premier League.
August 4 – Following a meeting of its Emergency Committee, the African confederation (CAF) has revised dates and venues for its flagship Champions League and Total Confederation Cup club competitions.
August 4 – Next season’s Serie A kick-off has been postponed by a week to September 19 the Italian league announced in a bid to allow clubs and players enough rest.