Thomas Cook collapse hits fans booked to follow English clubs in Europe
September 24 – Hundreds of fans are awaiting news on whether packages for upcoming games will be valid following the collapse this week of the Thomas Cook travel company.
Leo bests Ronnie, Rapinoe bests the lot with inequality speech at FIFA Awards
September 24 – Same old, nothing new. Lionel Messi, with almost weary predictability, won the top men’s player prize at the Best FIFA Football Awards in Milan on Monday as Juventus’ Cristiano Ronaldo and Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk, the two other short-listed nominees, missed out – the former staying away from the glittering but stuttering ceremony that somehow managed to lurch on to national broadcaster TV screens last night.
Trinidad FA canvases stakeholders with aim of restructuring national game
September 24 – The Trinidad and Tobago FA has begun a roadshow via its National Football Committee to canvas opinion and recommendations for a restructuring of the game within the country.
New Balance battle to keep Liverpool kit deal in face of £70m+ Nike offer
September 24 – New Balance are battling to hold on to their kit deal with Liverpool and have filed a High Court to do that, though has said that it hopes a resolution to the dispute can be found outside of court.
Shutting out racists: UEFA slaps stadium bans on Romania, Hungary and Slovakia
September 24 – Clearly having lost patience with the scourge of racism throughout European football, UEFA has hit Romania, Hungary and Slovakia with stadium bans that could have serious consequences for their Euro 2020 qualification hopes.
Time runs out for Cuper and Uzbeks make changes for next round of World Cup qualifiers
September 24 – Hector Cuper has been dismissed as coach of Uzbekistan. The Argentinean will be succeeded by Vadim Abramov.
Two jailed for hacking CCTV of Sala post-mortem
September 24 – Two people who illegally accessed CCTV footage of Argentine footballer Emiliano Sala’s post-mortem examination and who were “driven by morbid curiosity” have been jailed.
Infantino threatens Iran saying FIFA will no longer wait for women to allowed in stadia
By Andrew Warshaw
September 23 – Gianni Infantino says FIFA “cannot wait any more” for women to be allowed into Iranian stadiums to watch men’s matches and that he has been “assured” the authorities will relent when the country hosts its next international match.
Infantino vows to keep pressure on for Women’s World League until it is approved
September 23 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino says he will not be deterred in his quest to create a Women’s World League despite having his initial plan blocked.
Calendar clash: Tite underfire from clubs as he calls up domestic players for Brazil’s Asian friendlies
By Samindra Kunti
September 23 – Brazil coach Tite has called up seven home-based players for the October friendlies against Nigeria and Senegal, reigniting the debate about Brazil’s club and international calendar.
Eupen get more Qatari help with airline shirt sponsorship
September 23 – Qatar Airways have expanded their portfolio in football, becoming the shirt sponsor of Belgian club KAS Eupen, despite a $639 million loss in the 2018-19 cycle for the airlines.
Another ‘off’ day for VAR? Spurs fans furious at game-changing 1.6cm
September 23 – Another footballing weekend – another string of video assistant referee (VAR) controversies, this time in the English Premier League where Tottenham Hotspur and Chelsea were both penalised for the most marginal of offside decisions.
Liverpool paid Man City £1m after scouting database was hacked
September 23 – Liverpool reportedly paid Manchester City £1 million in September 2013 to end allegations that the club’s scouts had been spying on the activity of their Manchester counterparts.
Rule makers table proposal for 10-minute ‘concussion subs’
September 23 – In a radical development, 10-minute “concussion subs” are set to be introduced by football’s lawmaking body to mirror the success of similar changes in rugby in an attempt to improve player safety.
WADA windfall: budget set to rise 55% by 2022
By David Owen
September 23 – The overall budget of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) is set to rise to $46.6 million by 2022. This will represent an increase of around 55% in the space of seven years.