January 22 – On the first day of Donald Trump’s impeachment trial on Capitol Hill in Washington, FIFA president Gianni Infantino courted the US president thousands of miles away at a dinner during the World Economic Forum in Davos, expressing his hope that “the ‘American dream’ becomes reality…all over the world.”
January 22 – Qatar and FIFA have jointly published a comprehensive strategy covering sustainability ahead of the 2022 World Cup, including pledges on workers’ rights and environmental issues.
By Andrew Warshaw
Januuary 21 – No sooner have we entered a new decade than outspoken Spanish league boss Javier Tebas is back on the offensive, this time slamming proposals both for a revamped Champions League and FIFA’s expanded Club World Cup and renewing his attack on what he has long described as “financial doping”.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 21 – As the Rolling Stones famously sung, it’s all over now. John Delaney (pictured), the flamboyant Irishman who strode European football’s corridors of power until being forced to resign as chief executive of his federation (FAI) 10 months ago, has finally given up his position on the UEFA Executive Committee.
Fouzi Lekjaa, the 49-year-old Director of National Budget in Morocco’s Ministry of Finance, wears a few important football hats. He’s President of the Royal Moroccan Football Federation (FRMF) and second Vice-President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), as well as being the Chairman of CAF’s Finance Committee. In an exclusive interview Lekjaa spoke to Osasu Obayiuwana
January 21 – David Beckham’s new franchise is holding talks with Qatar to secure a headline sponsorship for Inter Miami ’s first season in the Major League Soccer.
January 21 – A ranking of teams by the number of fouls committed per game see Liverpool leading the way as the team with the least fouls per match so far this season (8.1).
January 20 – Iran is considering boycotting the Asian Champions League after the Asian Football Confederation apparently banned the country’s clubs from staging home games.
January 20 – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has come out fuming over the decision to move the 2021 Africa Cup of Nations to January, calling it a “catastrophe” for his club.
By David Owen
You would never guess from the complacent tone of the new UEFA club licensing benchmarking report, but January 2020 may be set to go down as a turning-point in English, and therefore European, club finances – and not in a good way.
January 20 – Football in Cyprus has once again been plunged into a suspected match-fixing scandal after a raft of matches were postponed at the weekend following notifications sent by UEFA with regard to suspicious betting activity and a bomb attack against a local official.
January 20 – LaLiga’s Atletico Madrid is bidding for a club franchise in Ottawa to compete in the Canadian Premier League (CPL).
January 20 – UEFA stand accused of deliberately manipulating their team of the year award to accommodate Cristiano Ronaldo.
January 20 – Flamengo’s curtain raiser in the Rio state championship, a 0-0 draw with Macae on Saturday, was not broadcast after the club and TV Globo failed to reach a rights agreement.
January 20 – With all indicators pointing to a significant slowdown – and for many leagues a decline – in broadcast revenues, a section of the just published UEFA Benchmark report points to a clear area of growth opportunity.