August 30 – In his 12 years as President of current African club champions, Esperance Sportive Tunis, 67-year-old Mohamed ‘Hamdi’ Meddeb, one of Tunisia’s leading businessmen, has never granted an interview to an international journalist. He speaks to Insideworldfootball’s Osasu Obayiuwana.
August 30 – Glasgow Rangers appear to have still not learned their lesson when it comes to sectarian abuse after being found guilty of a second charge by UEFA.
August 30 -Whilst there wasn’t quite a Group of Death in terms of four equally dangerous teams when the draw was made for this season’s Champions League, Group F came as close as it comes with Barcelona, Borussia Dortmund and a new-look Inter Milan, boosted by the arrival of new manager Antonio Conte, looking particularly mouth-watering.
August 30 – Love them or hate them? Bookmakers – online Asian firms in particular – have ploughed sponsorship money into Europe’s football clubs with AS Roma being the latest to announce a deal. But not everyone is so comfortable taking their money with PSV Eindhoven going to their fans for their opinion on a potential deal.
August 30 – In a rematch of last year’s tumultuous Copa Libertadores final Boca Juniors will play Buenos Aires rivals River Plate in the last four of the competition after eliminating Paraguay’s Cerro Porteno. In the other semi-final, Flamengo will meet Gremio in an all-Brazilian affair.
August 30 – Within days of Bury becoming the first English professional team to go out of business for 27 years, the English Football League have been accused of acting too hastily after an investment company reportedly came up with £7 million proof of funds to take over the League One (third-tier) club.
August 30 – The MLS Cup final will return to a national American network in 2019 with ABC airing the November 10 showpiece match in the US domestic calendar.
August 30 – Liverpool’s Dutch Champions League-winning defender Virgil van Dijk has been named UEFA’s Men’s Player of the Year, edging out regular award-winning duo Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for the prestigious prize.
August 30 – Premier League champion Manchester City have extended their Nigerian partnership with PZ Cussons’ soap brand, Premier Cool.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 29 – Nicolás Leoz, the one-time Paraguayan powerbroker alleged to have been one of the masterminds of the corruption scandal that brought FIFA to its knees but who managed to escape the clutches of US prosecutors, has died at the age of 90.
August 29 – Ahead of today’s draw Ajax Amsterdam, Club Brugge and Slavia Prague have completed the 32-team playing field of the Champions League, a competition whose future format will decide the direction of European football.
August 29 – Supporters groups of four English Premier League clubs have jointly submitted a list of demands to UEFA covering ticket allocation and venue choice following complaints surrounding last season’s Champions League and Europa League finals.
August 29 – Myanmar and Thailand have pulled out of a joint bid to stage the FIFA Under-20 World Cup in 2021, leaving Indonesia to take on the joint bid from Saudi Arabia and the UAE to try and bring the tournament to Asia.
August 29 – The top-flight derby between Nice and Marseille was suspended for 10 minutes on Wednesday following yet another instance of homophobic abuse in French football.
August 29 – The first legs of the AFC Champions League quarter finals in the eastern zone have both ended all square and with all to play for in two weeks.