Man City ready to make Messi highest paid footballer ever
September 2 – Lionel Messi is reported to be edging closer to appearing in the English Premier League with cash-rich Manchester City.
Player values edge back up but Messi drops to €124m. Bayern starlet Davies adds €35m
September 2 – A new analysis of player values has found that in the major 10 European leagues they are showing signs of recovery due to the fact that almost all leagues were eventually able to finish the 2019/20 season. However, most players still have not regained their ‘pre-pandemic’ market value.
Match-fixing down slightly as fixers target weekdays and international games, finds report
September 2 – The number of betting related fixed matches saw a fractional decrease in 2020, according to the third annual Suspicious Betting Trends in Global Football Report.
Blatter ‘happy’ to take turn in front of Swiss prosecutor over Platini back pay
September 2 – It was Sepp Blatter’s turn to face the music on Tuesday when he appeared in front of a Swiss prosecutor over the “disloyal payment” of two million Swiss francs made to Michel Platini in 2011.
Qatar lauded by Amnesty and Infantino for labour law changes
September 2 – Just over two weeks before he addresses the entire FIFA membership on-line at its annual congress and conscious of the adverse global publicity surrounding those undocumented meetings with the departing Swiss attorney general, Gianni Infantino has been quick to go on a charm offensive by praising the hosts of next year’s World Cup for passing new laws designed to improve workers’ rights.
RB Leipzig get cleared to let 8,400 fans in for September start
September 2 – RB Leipzig have received permission to allow 8,400 fans into their stadium for their opening game of the new league season next month, the first Bundesliga club to be given the green light to do so in the wake of Covid-19.
Whistleblowers unite: Pinto to get character reference from Edward Snowden
September 2 – This Friday the trial of Portuguese whistleblower Rui Pinto (pictured) will get underway in Portugal and his lawyer has revealed that Edward Snowden will be one of the 45 witnesses testifying in Pinto’s defence.
Charlton set for another new owner as court rules there is no time to wait for Elliott
September 2 – Businessman Paul Elliott has had his takeover attempt thwarted after he was denied an injunction to prevent the sale of Charlton to any other party, meaning a takeover by US-based Danish businessman Thomas Sandgaard could be imminent.
TTFA chair Hadad tells former boss Wallace to stop the lies and ‘do the right thing’
September 2 – The chair of the Trinidad and Tobago Normalisation Committee Robert Hadad has written to the former president of the TTFA William Wallace telling him he has “completely ignored the truth”, has conducted a campaign of “misinformation and disinformation”, and in his tone is “offensive” to the people of Trinidad.
Platini payment back in the spotlight as Swiss question former UEFA boss
September 1 – The infamous CHF2 million “disloyalty payment” that helped bring down both Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini’ has taken centre stage once again with both former powerbrokers questioned this week by Swiss federal investigators – five years after a judicial case was opened and nine after the alleged offence took place.
UEFA puts in place Covid cancellation protocols for international matches this week
September 1 – UEFA has revealed details of new Covid-19 protocols ahead of the Nations League kicking off this week, warning that teams could have to forfeit games if their squads are disrupted by Covid-19.
With time running out, United TTFA chief hunts for help from Asia’s football leaders
By Paul Nicholson
September 1 – Despite calls from clubs, players and government to the ousted TTFA president William Wallace and his board to drop the legal complaint against FIFA in the Trinidad and Tobago courts, Wallace is refusing to back down and has written to confederation presidents and member associations with a plea for support.
100 years since Spain’s first football team took Olympic silver – despite quarter-final loss
By David Owen
September 1 – It is exactly 100 years since, Spain, nowadays one of the powers of the global game, appeared in its first international football tournament.
Racist charges force Hansen to put Salt Lake MLS and NWSL clubs up for sale
September 1 – The owner of a Major League Soccer franchise in the United States is selling up amid allegations of racism.
Rashford hungry for more action on child food poverty
September 1 – England international forward Marcus Rashford, who famously forced the British government into a u-turn over providing school food vouchers to pupils during the summer holidays, is now spearheading a campaign to end child hunger in the country.