By Paul Nicholson
January 4 – The Asian Cup teams are gathering in the UAE for the start of the 2019 AFC Asian Cup finals but the pathways into the country are proving far from smooth for some officials and media with yesterday the UAE refusing entry to Asian Football Confederation vice president Saoud al-Mohannadi from Qatar, chairman of the organising committee for the championship.
January 4 – The Football Association is asking anyone with information to come forward after an unnamed England international was reported to have been “kicked out of a nightclub for taking cocaine”.
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
January 4 – Uzbekistan’s goalkeeper Ignatiy Nesterov is on the verge of making history at the AFC Asian Cup, posting a new playing record in the Asian football showpiece.
January 4 – Italy’s deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini has condemned as “disgusting” restrictions imposed on women at the Italian Super Cup being staged this month in Saudi Arabia.
January 4 – Asia is striking a blow for the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) system by introducing it in the knockout stages of the Asian Cup that gets under way this weekend.
January 4 – A Chelsea supporter has been banned from attending games for three years after being found guilty of homophobic chants during the club’s Premier League game at Brighton and Hove Albion last month.
January 4 – LaLiga has distributed more than €1.32 billion from broadcast revenue to with Barcelona and Real Madrid taking almost 25% of the pot with a combined €302 million.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 3 – He’s arguably the main man behind Asia’s football development, a low-key understated but highly knowledgable figure respected throughout international football with a contacts book as long as your arm.
By Abdelaziz Abuhamar
January 3 – With just two days to go to the kick-off of the 17th edition of AFC Asian Cup in the UAE, figures show that Qatar hosts the highest number from among the 552 players registered in the Asian Cup 2019.
By David Owen
January 4 – Massive gains on player transfers helped Chelsea, the West London club controlled by Roman Abramovich, to run up a record profit for the year ending 30 June 2018. The club said that the after-tax figure reached £62 million. This was after a profit on player sales of £113 million.
January 3 – For the first time in history eight stadiums will welcome 24 teams from across the Continent for the upcoming Asian Cup, the world’s second oldest continental competition.
January 3 – It is little surprise that eyebrows are being raised across Europe at the progress of the Istanbul club that are currently six points clear at the top of the Turkish league.
January 3 – Drinking alcohol at the World Cup in 2022 is already a highly sensitive subject and now Qatar are set to introduce a 100% tax on all alcohol sales.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 2 – Brand new year, same old rhetoric from FIFA about an expanded World Cup in 2022.
January 2 – No sooner has the January transfer window opened than cash-rich Chelsea are the first to strike, landing Borussia Dortmund forward Christian Pulisic for €64 million though loaning him back to the German club until the end of the season.