January 7 – The much-chronicled effects of coronavirus on the English Premier League is set to take its toll on the third round of the FA Cup – traditionally one of the highlights of the season – when the country’s top clubs join the competition this weekend.
January 7 – Social media numbers often look astronomic with European clubs in particular selling marketing packages based on millions of followers, likes and interactions. But how good are these numbers?
January 7 – Phil Neville’s role as Great Britain’s women’s coach at the Tokyo Olympics could be in doubt after reports he is to take charge at Inter Miami, the MLS club part-owned by his former team-mate at Manchester United, David Beckham.
January 7 – Manchester City, who reportedly courted Lionel Messi before the Argentine decided to stay on at the Nou Camp, have once again been placed on alert after Barca presidential candidate Agusti Benedito said the club’s prized asset is ‘likely’ to leave next summer.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 6 – English Premier League clubs are under pressure to do more to ensure their players follow the country’s coronavirus protocols after a record 40 positive tests – more than double the previous weekly high – were revealed in the latest figures released.
January 6 – Seemingly not a day goes by without Gianni Infantino courting a Gulf country. On Wednesday, the FIFA president visited Saudi Arabia, the day after the 41st GCC summit ended the three-year blockade of Qatar.
January 6 – Major League Soccer is proposing no more pay cuts to its players for the 2021 season but in exchange is asking for a two-year extension to the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) as the organisation seeks to navigate the economic impact of the global health pandemic.
January 6 – Former England and Manchester City midfielder Colin Bell, widely regarded as one of the finest players of his generation, has died aged 74 following a short illness, the Premier League side said.
January 6 – The Asian Champions League final between Iranian giants Persepolis and South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai provided a huge boost to the AFC’s social media channels and its Farsi language channels.
January 6 – The top flight of Dutch football, the Eredivisie, has increased its ownership stake in the company that sells its commercial rights, Eredivisie Media & Marketing (EMM).
January 6 – Less than a month after his sacking by Premier League strugglers West Bromwich Albion, Slaven Bilic must be laughing all the way to the bank after being appointed head coach of Chinese Super League club Beijing Guoan on a two-year contract.
January 6 – The English Football Association has provided fresh details of why it handed international defender Kieren Trippier a 10-game ban for breaching betting rules.
January 6 – FIFA has joined forces with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) in a new campaign encouraging the football industry to raise awareness about global match-fixing.
By Paul Nicholson
January 5 – Saudi Arabia has agreed to lift its land and air blockade on Qatar in a major step towards ending a Gulf dispute that has been often been played out in the soft politics of football and football media.
January 5 – Celtic have defended their decision to embark on a warm-weather training camp in Dubai in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic, insisting the trip was “approved by all relevant footballing authorities” as well as the Scottish Government.