Lloris elbowed out of leading France and Spurs campaigns until next year
October 7 – France captain Hugo Lloris is out of action until the New Year after dislocating his elbow playing for his club Tottenham Hotspur at the weekend.
Tickets sold out in hours as Iran (almost) opens doors to women
By Andrew Warshaw
October 7 – Iranian women are reported to have snapped up thousands of tickets for Thursday’s World Cup qualifier against Cambodia following pressure from FIFA on the authorities to finally end the draconian ban on female fans attending men’s matches.
beoutQ box seller convicted of fraud in London but is it too little too late for sports rights?
By Paul Nicholson
October 7 – The growth of the beoutQ broadcast piracy operation that has seen the emergence of beoutQ-enabled set-top boxes being retailed in countries around the world suffered a derailment in a London court on Friday with the conviction of a shop owner on two charges of copyright theft and two charges of fraud.
Not their Best moment. FIFA under continued fire for Messi vote count
October 7 – The suspicion that FIFA rigged the vote for its Best Awards to ensure superstar Lionel Messi won for a sixth time refuses to go away, with Sudanese coach Zdravko Lugaroszic re-iterating that he didn’t vote for the Argentine despite FIFA listing him as having done so.
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.