Hong Kong supporters jeer Chinese anthem at South Korean tournament
December 18 – Hong Kong fans jeered the Chinese national anthem as the political turmoil that has gripped the former British colony once again spilled over into football.
De Bruyne, Van Dijk, Rashford and Son head MVP club rankings, Messi leads in Spain
December 18 – A data analysis of MVPs in clubs in Europe’s Big 5 leagues for the season to date shows Liverpool’s Virgil van Dijk and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi as again being their clubs key players so far. But the lists also throw up some less well known names.
LaLiga takes on England’s Premier League with 24/7 English-language channel on Sky platform
December 17 – LaLiga is striking at the heart of English Premier League broadcast territory with the country’s first dedicated football channel on the SkyTV platform.
FIFA chase Blatter and Platini for CHF 2m ‘disloyal payment’
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Why now? It’s a question many are pondering after FIFA on Monday confirmed reports last week that it is filing a civil lawsuit against veteran former president Sepp Blatter and ex-UEFA president Michel Platini to recover the CHF 2 million paid to Platini in 2011 on Blatter’s authority, which led to long bans for both of them.
Condemnation over Serie A’s ‘sick joke’ monkey paintings
December 17 – Less than three weeks after Serie A clubs in Italy pledged collectively to combat the “serious problem” of racism, further criticism has rained down from anti-discriminatory bodies following a totally ill-judged campaign featuring paintings of apes.
Charlotte looks set for 30th MLS spot with a $325m buy-in
December 17 – Major League Soccer is set to announce Charlotte as the league’s 30th franchise for a record fee of $325 million.
Lagardère Sports agrees sale to H.I.G. Capital but CAF cancellation cuts €210m+ off price
December 16 – The loss of the Confederation of African Football (CAF) contract has knocked between €210-€240 million off the sales price of the Lagardère Sports.
Siasia, banned for life for match-fixing, complains of abandonment as he battles for ‘justice’
By Osasu Obayiuwana
December 17 – Samson Siasia, the former Nigeria striker and manager of the Super Eagles, has accused the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) of failing to help him fight against the life ban imposed on him in August by FIFA, world football’s governing body, for match-fixing.
Celtic hit with another UEFA firework fine
December 17 – Glasgow giants Celtic have been hit with €16,000 fine by UEFA after fans set off fireworks in their Europa League clash with Lazio in Rome.
Arsenal and Everton head into Christmas clash with managers at top of wish list
December 17 – Arsenal and Everton are both hoping for new managers for Christmas with Mikel Arteta and Carlo Ancelotti respectively emerging as frontrunners.
eSports edges towards Olympic recognition but for simulation games only
December 16 – Olympic esports took a tentative step towards becoming a reality with the IOC suggesting that simulation games based on the actual sport (rather than ‘killer games’) could be included in the Olympic programme.
Juve keep Chinese deals flowing with Ganten renewal
December 16 – Juventus have extended their Official Water deal with Chinese mineral water firm Ganten for another three years, taking them through to 2023.
Forget global league talk, Champions League last 16 pitches Man City vs Real Madrid
December 16 – Manchester City will have to do it the hard way in their quest to break their Champions League duck and finally land the trophy.
Koreas pull out of WWC 2023 hosting race, leaving four bids to battle for rights
December 16 – Bids to stage the 2023 Women’s World Cup are conspicuous by the absence of any application from Korea, both south and north.
China’s state TV channel drops Arsenal game after Ozil condemns muslim crackdown
December 16 – In an unprecedented move that illustrated the country’s sensitivity over human rights issues, China’s state broadcaster pulled Sunday’s Arsenal-Manchester showpiece fixture from its broadcast schedule after Arsenal midfielder Mesut Ozil criticised Beijing’s brutal crackdown on ethnic Muslims.