Mane misses Senegal celebration as travel disruption forces him back to Liverpool
January 9 – Senegal’s Sadio Mane has apologised for not visiting his homeland before returning to Liverpool after being named African Player of the Year.
Concacaf get ready for Tokyo 2020 qualifiers with Mexican draw
January 10 – With the AFC’s U23 Championship and Olympic qualifiers in full swing, Concacaf have announced the draw for the eight-team tournament that will qualify their two teams for the Tokyo 2020 game.
No ‘Clasico’ for Spain’s Saudi Super Cup as Madrid teams take centre stage
January 10 – Amid all the criticism over human rights abuses and accusations of sports washing at the address of Saudi Arabia and its hosting of the Spanish Super Cup, Atletico Madrid tore up the script on Thursday in Jeddah by defeating FC Barcelona 2-3 to set up a Spanish Super Cup final against city rivals Real Madrid.
US international Dest quits Ajax training camp in Qatar over safety fears
January 10 – Ajax’s United States international right-back Sergino Dest has left his club’s training camp in Qatar because he does “not feel comfortable” amid rising political tensions between the US and Qatar’s neighbour Iran.
English FA to review TV deal after Bet365 restricts viewing to those with a bet placed
January 9 – English football authorities have agreed to review their decision to allow broadcast rights for FA Cup games to be sold for streaming by betting companies after critics warned the arrangement could encourage gambling.
Barca boss Valverde questions integrity of money-only tournaments
January 9 – Barcelona coach Ernesto Valverde has hit out at the new format of the Spanish Super Cup, saying it is only taking place in Saudi Arabia because of the money.
Le Graët cleared to take UEFA seat on FIFA Council
January 9 – At 78, he would be too old to serve on UEFA’s executive committee yet can still represent Europe at the top table of FIFA.
MLS plan 25th season celebrations but need to complete player contract talks
January 9 – Major League Soccer has unveiled plans to celebrate the league’s 25th anniversary, including a jersey reveal ahead of New York Fashion Week and other events to mark the landmark.
Shame on Serie A: Lazio get off lightly for fans’ racist abuse of Balotelli
January 9 – Lazio have been fined a token €20,000 for their fans’ racial abuse of Mario Balotelli during last weekend’s Serie A fixture at Brescia, avoiding a stadium closure.
BeIN scores twice with Euro 2020 rights in France and US distribution deal
By Paul Nicholson
January 9 – It has been a good week so far for Qatar-based broadcaster BeIN Sports who have secured the rights in France to the UEFA 2020 European Championships, while in the US expanding its free service, BeIN Sports Xtra, on to the HC2 Broadcasting platform.
Mane scoops top African men’s player award, Oshoala wins women’s title for 4th time
January 9 – Liverpool and Senegal’s Sadio Mane – in what is a rare reversal of awards fortune – came out on top of Egyptian and club team mate Mo Salah to win the African men’s player of the year award for 2019. Nigerian and Barcelona forward Asisat Oshoala took the African women’s player of the year.
Advertising regulator orders Betway to pull video featuring West Ham starlet Declan Rice
January 9 – The UK’s Advertising Standards Agency (ASA) has ordered Betway to drop a video promotion that it deems to be advertising and in breach of advertising regulations.
Abramovich pumps £247m into Chelsea as Conte walks away with £26m
January 8 – Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich poured £247 million into the club last season as the club recorded an overall loss of £96.6 million according to latest accounts.
Mbappé and Sterling top player value ranking at over €220m. Neymar plummets to €100m
January 8 – A player valuation ranking by the CIES Football Observatory makes Kylian Mbappé (France and Paris St-Germain) the world’s most valuable player at €265.2 million, with Man City and England’s Raheem Sterling at €223.7 million.
AFC U23 Championship kicks off in Thailand with Tokyo Olympics slots at stake
January 8 – Iraq and Australia kicked off the AFC U-23 Championship in Thailand with a 1-1 draw today. At press time, hosts Thailand were playing Bahrain. The 16 teams are playing for three slots at this summer’s Tokyo Olympic Games.