By Paul Nicholson
December 11 – Addressing the CAF General Assembly today, FIFA president Gianni Infantino spoke of a priority within global football to “project” Africa on the world stage. It was his second Congress address, having spoken to the AFC earlier in the week.
December 11 – The much-maligned and financially challenged Confederation of African Football (CAF) has said it is projecting a loss of $13 million for the 2020-21 season.
December 11 – A loan of €67 million has been agreed with 11 clubs, most in LaLiga’s second tier, to help them financially manage their way through the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic.
December 11 – Barcelona’s French international forward and World Cup winner Antoine Griezmann, who has been an ambassador for tech giant Huawei, has cut commercial ties with the company citing China’s treatment of Uighur Muslims.
December 11 – Robinho’s appeal over a nine-year prison sentence for rape has been thrown out by a court in Milan.
December 10 – Former FIFA president Sepp Blatter was interviewed yesterday by the Swiss Special Prosecutor Stefan Keller who is investigating the criminal charges against FIFA president Gianni Infantino.
December 10 – Paris Saint-Germain and Istanbul Basaksehir players took a knee and wore ‘No to racism’ t-shirts before their rescheduled Champions League game on Wednesday, 24 hours after the original fixture was abandoned after 14 minutes when both teams walked off in protest after the Turkish club accused a match official of racism.
December 10 – The Cayman Islands Government has restored its financial support of the Cayman Islands FA for the first time since the arrest of former Concacaf and CIFA president Jeff Webb in the FIFAgate raids of 2015 in Zurich.
December 10 – Northern Mariana Islands Football Association (NMIFA) became the 47th full Member Association of the Asian Football Confederation at the 30th AFC Congress yesterday.
December 10 – Belgium have topped the world ranking for a third consecutive year to become the FIFA team of the year, the world governing body said on Thursday.
December 10 – Former FIFA executive committee member Jacques Anouma has received the backing of his Ivory Coast government in his bid to become the next leader of African football.
December 10 – Arsenal and Gabon star Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been fined $10,000 by the Confederation of African Football for social media posts criticising CAF ahead of his country’s African Cup of Nations qualifier against Gambia in November.
December 10 – Another footballing legend has died prematurely, this time Italy’s 1982 World Cup hero Paolo Rossi at the age of 64, shocking friends, family and fans alike.
December 10 – Inter Milan were knocked out of the Champions League at the group stage for the third consecutive season on Wednesday night following a goalless draw with Shakthar Donetsk, who were also eliminated, allowing Real Madrid to squeeze into the knockout phase.
December 12 – Argentinean giants Boca Juniors triumphed on penalties against Internacional of Brazil to set up a Copa Libertadores quarter-final against Racing Club as the competition moves into the business end of the season.