Police fear England fans will spark a Friday night to forget in Prague
October 7 – Police chiefs reportedly pleaded with UEFA to switch England’s Friday night Euro 2020 kick-off in Prague this week amid fears of alcohol-fuelled crowd trouble.
Forty Years On, Barcelona revoke Franco’s medals
By David Owen
October 7 – More than four decades after the dictator’s death, the members of Barcelona – slogan ‘More than a Club’ – have voted to revoke medals given to General Francisco Franco.
No baccy, booze stays, so do Big Macs and Coke. FIFA’s idea of a health kick
October 7 – FIFA and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have signed a four-year memorandum of understanding to promote a healthy lifestyle and ensure tobacco-free environments at football stadiums.
Opportunity knocks for Wenger and FIFA
October 7 – Former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has confirmed that he is considering a technical role at world federation Fifa though he has not ruled out returning to a management job after resigning at Arsenal in 2018.
Management merry-go-round: Spurs go south, Pochettino to go north?
October 7 – With the international break replacing domestic league fixtures for the next two weeks, English football’s rumour mill has swung into action amid growing speculation that Manchester United are considering replacing manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with Tottenham Hotspur’s Mauricio Pochettino.
David Owen: Can Ajax and Leicester gatecrash the super-elite?
I have in the past been critical of the financial impact of the Champions League on European club football, and its role in reinforcing formation of a super-elite based partly on whether clubs happen to be located in one of the most lucrative European national TV markets or not.
New political territory: Saudi Arabia to play World Cup qualifier in Palestine
By Andrew Warshaw
October 4 – New ground is being broken in the world of Middle East footballing geo-politics with Saudi Arabia agreeing to play Palestine in the occupied territories in a World Cup qualifier on October 15.
North vs South: Koreas lined-up for World Cup encounter but doubts over venue
October 4 – South Korea says it is still unsure whether its upcoming World Cup qualifier against North Korea will take place in Pyongyang or switched to a neutral ground.
Brazil revamps domestic calendar to avoid club vs country row
October 4 – In a bid to end longstanding disputes and conflicts between club and country, the Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) has released a 2020 domestic calendar which prevents domestic fixtures from clashing with FIFA dates. That provision will not apply to the 2020 Copa America.
ESPN beefs up ‘MLS Decision Day’ coverage with all 12 end-of-season matches live
October 5 – US broadcast giant ESPN are set to carry a record amount of coverage this weekend for the final round of the regular MLS season.
FA asks to see Man City evidence against Liverpool in player database hacking case
October 4 – Liverpool may have hoped the £1 million paid to Manchester City in 2013 over allegations that the club’s scouts had been spying on the activity of their Manchester counterparts had been brushed away. While the Premier League has shown no investigative interest in the ‘spygate’ row, the FA has asked to see Man City’s evidence surrounding the hacking.
All about the money: Arsenal’s Aubameyang returns Watzke’s comment with interest
October 4 – Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has slammed Borussia Dortmund’s CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke over the motives of his departure from the Ruhr club, calling the German executive a “clown” on social media.
Another day another FIFA $ thief. Equatorial Guinea’s Edjang banned
October 4 – FIFA’s drip-drip series of sanctions of former senior officials has snared another scalp with ex-Equatorial Guinea FA president Domingo Mituy Edjang banned for four years for having “misappropriated FIFA funds”.
LaLiga joins with El Salvador government in new schools programme
October 4 – LaLiga, via its foundation, is to participate in the opening of 262 schools in El Salvador.
Drone flying Armenian separatist flag halts Qarabag’s Europa League game in Luxembourg
October 4 – A Europa League game between Luxembourg’s F91 Dudelange and FK Qarabag of Azerbaijan was temporarily halted on Thursday when a drone was flown over the ground.