Spanish women vote to strike over minimum wage conditions in club game
October 24 – Almost 200 women players in Spain’s first division have voted to strike in a disagreement over pay and conditions.
IFAB working group to target Spring for potential new rule on concussion subs
October 24 – The introduction of so-called concussion substitutes has moved a step closer after the game’s rule-makers set up an expert group to begin looking into whether changes to the laws need to be made.
Flamengo turn on the style at Maracana to set up Copa Libertadores final against River Plate
By Samindra Kunti in Rio de Janeiro
October 24 – Flamengo trashed Gremio 5-0 to reach the Copa Libertadores final. They will meet Argentina’s River Plate, who had previously eliminated Boca Juniors. The winner of South America’s premier club competition will represent the continent at the Club World Cup in Qatar.
Brugge boss Verhaeghe says joint Belgium-Netherlands league talks are back on
By Samindra Kunti
October 24 – Club Brugge president Bart Verhaeghe (pictured) has reignited talk around the formation of a ‘BeNe League’, saying that Belgium and the Netherlands are in discussion on how they join forces to found an 18-team league that could begin play as early as 2021.
Holland’s eDivisie revamps league and brings in DreamHack as platform partner
October 24 – Holland’s Eredivisie is gearing up for the start of the eDivisie’s fourth season on November 11 with a new partnership with DreamHack and an updated competition format.
Dispute over date for re-arranged El Clasico fixture gets royally heated
October 24 – LaLiga is considering legal action after the season’s first El Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid was rescheduled for December 18 by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Spurs probe ticketing protocols after Red Star fans break stadium ban
October 23 – UEFA are reported to be considering whether to join Tottenham Hotspur in launching an investigation into how more than 200 Red Star Belgrade fans “illegally” bought tickets for their side’s away Champions League fixture on Tuesday despite a blanket ban for racism.
English FA boss to push for concussion subs rule at FIFA Council meet
October 23 – English Football Association chairman Greg Clarke wants concussion substitutes to be introduced “as quickly as possible” in the wake of a highly publicised report which found a higher incidence of neurodegenerative disease among former footballers than in the population as a whole.
Three Chelsea fans suspended for racially abusing one of their own
October 23 – Three Chelsea fans are potentially facing lifetime bans for racial abuse – against one of their own.
Real Madrid and Barca outrank Man Utd and Chelsea for home trained players
October 23 – Real Madrid top a ranking of Big 5 league clubs who have the trained the most players active in professional football.
beIN wins French court order to protect TV rights from Saudis as ASO attempts to break contract
October 23 – The sports rights geo-political battle being waged in the middle east between Qatari broadcaster beIN Sport and Saudi Arabian-supported channels and broadcast rights interests, has taken a new twist.
AFC switches 2019 AFC Cup final from Pyongyang to Shanghai
October 23 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has moved the AFC Cup 2019 final from Pyongyang in North Korea to Shanghai.
Comment: A Small Nations World Cup anyone?
By Richard Heller
October 11, 2019 will go down in football history. Andorra won its first match in the European Championships, ending a run of 56 consecutive defeats. Fewer than a thousand fans were at the Estadi Nacional to see Marc Vales head the hosts into a shock lead against Moldova in the 63rd minute. Then the Andorran defence stood tall to protect it, as befits their mountain nation (current population 77,000 or so) which has preserved its independence against powerful neighbours for centuries.
Man Utd ban fan for racially abusing Liverpool’s Alexander-Arnold
October 23 – Yet another incident of racism has plagued English football with Manchester United indefinitely banning a supporter who allegedly directed racist abuse at a Liverpool player in Sunday’s globally televised 1-1 draw between the two fierce rivals.
Infantino insults Mongolian hosts as he meets with banned Buyannemekh
By Paul Nicholson
October 22 – FIFA President Gianni Infantino, on tour in Asia on his way to the FIFA Council meeting in China later this week, has caused controversy in Mongolia following a secret meeting with former Mongolian FA president Ganbold Buyannemekh who was banned by FIFA’s ethics committee for five years in 2014 for soliciting and accepting bribes.