Ahmad hands trophy to Morocco who beat Mali to hold on to CHAN title
February 8 – Morocco became the first team to retain the African Nations Championship (CHAN) after a 2-0 win against Mali in the final.
RB Leipzig wing it to Budapest for home CL tie with Liverpool
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.
Manchester and Liverpool clubs join for anti-racism message; FIFPro demands social media clean-up
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.
Ozil’s new club Fenerbahce pushes beIN to limit, sparking fear over next SuperLig deal
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.
Argentine and Uruguayan fans mourn death of ‘Morro’, aged 30
February 8 – Fans in Argentina and Uruguay are mourning the apparent suicide at just 30 of forward Santiago Garcia, nicknamed ‘Morro’, who played for Godoy Cruz.
Mexico and US in same group as Concacaf confirms Men’s Olympic qualifiers for March
February 8 – Concacaf has released the schedule for the eight-team 2020 Concacaf Men’s Olympic Qualifying to be played in Guadalajara, Mexico, March 18-30.
Concacaf reformats its Champions League with expanded teams, groups and split calendar
By Paul Nicholson
February 4 – Concacaf is completely revamping its 16-team Champions League into a 50-team competition that will begin with a 2023/24 season and see its three regions open up group stages before going into the 16-team knock-out rounds.
No route found round German border restrictions for Liverpool’s CL trip to Leipzig
February 5 – Covid restrictions have barred Liverpool from travelling to Germany next week for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against RB Leipzig, prompting a frantic search for a solution.
MLS pushes deadline on securing pay deal with players union, but key differences remain
February 5 – Major League Soccer (MLS) has again extended the deadline for negotiating a new pay deal with its players union. The Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the MLS Players Association (MLSPA) has to be in place before the start of the new season in the Spring.
Tigres and Al Ahly win Club World Cup openers, Palmeiras and Bayern are next up
February 5 – An Andre-Pierre Gignac brace and a Hussein El Shahat’s 30th-minute strike secured semi-final slots at the Club World Cup in Qatar for Concacaf champions Tigres UANL and the African champions Al Ahly.
Denmark’s Esbjerg fB becomes latest Pacific Media-led acquisition
February 5 – Danish club Esbjerg fB, relegated from the top tier Superliga last season but currently in second place in Division 1, is the latest club to come under the control of Pacific Media Group who are partnering in the acquisition with Chien Lee, Partners Path Capital, and Krishen Sud.
European Leagues meet to debate Champions League restructure
February 5 – Following months of conjecture, football leagues across the Continent were holding crucial talks virtually today on a new-look Champions League from 2024 that will radically reshape the tournament.
Canal+ throw LFP a €35m lifeline for more TV rights to end of season
February 5 – France’s professional leagues have been handed a badly needed lifeline to help them over their broadcast rights crisis after Ligue 1 reached an agreement with Canal Plus to screen the remainder of matches this season following the spectacular collapse of a record contract with Mediapro.
SIGA launches Female Leadership in Sport web summit, March 8-10
February 5 – SIGA has opened registrations for its first Web Summit on Female Leadership in Sport. Three days of webinars will kick off on International Women’s Day March8 2021.
Fluminense signs online gambler Betmotion for one-year ‘shirt’ deal
February 5 – Brazil’s Fluminense have agreed a sponsorship with online gaming operator Betmotion that will see its logo on the club’s shirt in what is described as a ‘chest seal’ (see picture).