Man Utd fans march on Woodward’s home and post death threat video message
January 29 – Police are investigating an attack on the home of Manchester United executive vice-chairman Ed Woodward by a group chanting that he was “going to die”.
AFC shifts Champions League home game dates for Chinese clubs as Coronavirus spreads
January 29 – The deadly coronavirus that started in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has killed over 130 people with 6,000 others affected has had an immediate effect on international football with the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) changing the order of home matches to be played by Chinese clubs in the AFC Champions League group stage.
Liverpool and Juve head big league efficiency rankings, Astra Giurgiu lead overall
January 29 – ‘Clinical’ is a word often used by commentators about teams that make the most of their goal chances to win games. The CIES Football Observatory have translated that basic observation into a data model that measures team efficiency.
Concacaf Women’s Olympic qualifiers open with Hall of Femme and empowerment message
January 29 – Concacaf is using the Women’s Olympic qualifying tournament to reinforce its empowerment message with a series of immersive fan zone experiences and a collaboration with Girls Will Be.
Andrew Warshaw: Does Klopp’s FA Cup cop-out take gloss off shiny image?
January 28 – Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp is facing accusations of undermining the game’s oldest domestic cup competition in a row over whether English football’s first winter break is being fairly applied.
Bility battles at CAS for appeal hearing dates as CAF Congress nears and FIFA seeks to delay
By Osasu Obayiuwana
January 28 – The fight of Musa Bility, the former Liberia FA President, to overturn his 10-year FIFA ban, at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS), has taken a new turn, with both parties yet to agree on a hearing date for the appeal.
Saudi sportwashing fails to clean regime’s support of IP theft, EU report highlights
By Paul Nicholson
January 28 – BeoutQ may have stopped satellite transmission but the issues of piracy and the Saudi Arabian support for the rogue broadcaster still remain. BeoutQ’s decoder boxes are still in circulation and providing illegal access to third-party IPTV pirate apps streaming stolen live sports content, including all the world’s major football competitions.
Hero or villain? Whistleblower Pinto named as source of Luanda Leaks
January 28 – Rui Pinto, the Portuguese whistleblower whose string of incriminating revelations shook the footballing world before he was controversially extradited from Hungary to his native Portugal, has now been named as the source of leaked documents about the business dealings of Africa’s richest woman.
Eintracht Frankfurt post-humously strip Gramlich of honorary title over historic Nazi links
January 28 – German top-flight club Eintracht Frankfurt have post-humously stripped their former president Rudolf Gramlich, who was in charge when they won their only league title in 1959 and the following year when they contested the European Cup final, of an honorary title after discovering his involvement with the Nazis before and during the Second World War.
AC Milan unveils plan to open three academies in India
January 28 – Italian giants AC Milan will open three academies in Kerala in a three-year agreement in collaboration with Calicut Sports City LLP, the club has announced.
Amnesty condemn Ashley’s proposed Newcastle deal with Saudis as ‘sportswashing’
January 28 – Amnesty International have criticised the potential £340 million purchase of Newcastle United by Saudi Arabian investment fund (PIF) – a vehicle of Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman – saying the deal is “sportswashing, plain and simple.”
Paddy Power supports ‘Unsponsored Derby’ by removing all its logos and branding
January 28 – Bookmaker Paddy Power is continuing its ‘unsponsor’ campaign by taking its branding off tomorrow’s League Two match between Newport County and Macclesfield Town – now tagged as Paddy Power’s second ‘Unsponsored Derby’ as part of its ‘Save Our Shirt’ campaign.
FOX grabs US rights to Concacaf’s top comps, starting with Japan 2020 qualifiers tonight
January 28 – FOX Sports in the US have swept up a premium package of broadcast rights from Concacaf including the Women’s Olympic Qualifiers that kick off tonight with Costa Rica vs Panama and the US vs Haiti.
Chagos Islands face ‘Group of Death’ at World Football Cup in Skopje
By David Owen
January 27 – Holders Kárpátalja face a typically eclectic group as they bid to win a second consecutive World Football Cup later this year in the North Macedonian capital of Skopje.
Money talks: has Ashley hooked a real £340m buyer for Newcastle?
January 27 – The annual talks of a sale of Newcastle United by owner Mike Ashley have begun again with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) this time round being the buying party for £340 million.