Bale teed up for more than a one-year Spurs stopover
September 21 – Gareth Bale could stay at Tottenham Hotspur for longer than the one season loan the club have agreed with Real Madrid, according to his agent.
Logistics supplier GWC become first regional sponsor for Qatar 2022
September 2022 – The first regional sponsor for the Qatar 2022 World Cup has been announced with GWC named as the tournament’s Official Logistics Provider.
FIFA tweaks eligibility laws to allow young players to switch nationality
September 21 – New eligibility rules easing restrictions on switching nationality have been introduced by FIFA with African players, in particular, likely to benefit.
Infantino says focus is still on CAF reform, but pandemic has slowed progress
September 21 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino has blamed the slowdown in the FIFA-led reforms of the African Confederation of Football (CAF) on the coronavirus pandemic.
Gold Cup draw set. Qatar to debut but Trinidad and Tobago on brink of oblivion
September 21 – Concacaf has scheduled its first ever Gold Cup draw for Monday 28 September. AFC Champions Qatar, who will guest in the competition, will be in the fourth pot with the winning three teams from the preliminary qualifiers which will be played the week before the finals start in July 2021.
Rio mayor opens Maracana for Flamengo in bid to keep people off beaches
September 21 – Flamengo vs Athletico Paranaense on October 4 will be the first game with fans at the Maracana after Rio de Janeiro’s mayor Marcelo Crivella greenlighted the return of supporters.
Coronavirus: Rules relaxed to allow 1,000 fans into Serie A matches
September 21 – Italy, where the coronavirus pandemic was once at its most virulent in Europe but where it now appears to have largely avoided a second spike, has agreed to allow up to 1,000 supporters to attend top-flight matches.
Bale returns to London to reignite his, Mourinho’s and Spurs’ ambitions
By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – He’s 31 and is carrying an injury but seven years after leaving for Real Madrid for a then world-record fee, Gareth Bale has turned the clock back by sensationally returning to Tottenham Hotspur in a bid to reignite his career.
Covid conundrum: Welsh club manager turned ‘a blind eye’ for Europa League clash
September 21 – The manager of an unheralded Welsh club beaten in the Europa League has stoked health concerns by suggesting his club deliberately ignored signs of Covid-19.
Villa add LT as sleeve sponsor and Skilling as club partner
September 20 – Aston Villa open their season tonight against Manchester City with a new sleeve sponsor, online gaming brand LT who take over from another betting brand BR88 in a one-year deal. Villa have also announced online FX and CFD trading platform Skilling as a new club partner.
After 146 years of play, court winds up Macclesfield Town
September 21 – While top-flight clubs continue their summer transfer window spending, at the other end of the scale, 146-year-old Macclesfield Town has been wound up over debts totalling more than £500,000.
Leicester City add Landsail Tyres in three-year deal
September 21 – Leicester City have signed Landsail Tyres as their new Official Tyre Partner in a three-year deal.
Infantino, Congress stage to himself, defends Swiss AG meetings as doing his ‘duty’
By Paul Nicholson
September 18 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino, hosting the 70th FIFA Congress and the first virtually, today gave an unconvincing defence and partial explanation of the Swiss investigation into his own conduct and his secret meetings with disgraced Swiss Attorney General Michael Lauber.
Infantino gets a peace of the US action. Club World Cup in Qatar looks off
By Andrew Warshaw
September 18 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino today justified attending this week’s US-brokered diplomatic agreement between Bahrain, Israel and the United Arab Emirates, an arrangement which prompted outrage amongst the Palestinian community.
Trinidad and Tobago suspension looms as ‘United TTFA’ given 4 days to drop court action
By Paul Nicholson
September 18 – FIFA have given the dissident former Trinidad and Tobago FA board until 3pm (AST) on September 23 to withdraw all court claims against the world governing body or face suspension.