Dortmund chief Aki Watzke to hang up his jacket
January 9 – Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim ‘Aki’ Watzke is stepping down in 2025 when his contract ends.
Federations
FA Cup draw pitches Man City vs Spurs, giant killers Maidstone drawn away to Ipswich
January 9 – FA Cup holders Manchester City have been drawn against Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur for the upcoming fourth round of the tournament.
FA Cup fever grips Reynolds and McElhenney as Wrexham beat Shrewsbury
January 8 – Three years into their ownership of Wrexham that earned the Welsh club global recognition, Hollywood stars Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney are continuing their love affair with the club – and appear gripped by FA Cup fever.
FA Cup delivers big game kills in the land of the giants
January 8 – Maidstone United from the sixth tier of English football, have progressed to the fourth round of the FA Cup after a giant killing 1-0 win over high-flying League One side Stevenage thanks to a first-half penalty converted by Sam Corne.
North Macedonia capital Skopje angers FC Shkupi after giving cash to city rivals Vardar
January 3 – The city of Skopje in North Macedonia has committed €200,000 in financial assistance to local club Vardar Skopje, angering the capital city’s other top tier team, Shkupi, who are not being financially supported and say the actions of the Municipality of Skopje are discriminatory.
Red Star fury over allegations former coach Barak Bahar is owed wages
January 8 – Serbia’s Red Star Belgrade (Crvena Zvezda) has reacted angrily to reports that the club is to be sued by former coach Barak Bahar (pictured) over unpaid wages.
Russian FA votes to stay in UEFA rather than seek to join the AFC
December 21 – The Russian Football Association has voted against leaving UEFA to join the Asian Football Confederation despite its teams having been banned over the conflict in Ukraine.
Slovenian women’s team wins equal pay deal after summer of discontent
December 12 – The Slovenian women’s national team has achieved equal pay with the country’s men’s team, Fifpro said on Wednesday.
Turkish chaos: Istanbulspor leave the pitch after president protests referee’s decisions
December 20 – Turkish football has been hit with another scandal involving club presidents and match officials.
Report shows rise in referee abuse, England extend bodycam trial
December 19 – Allegations of serious offences against match officials in English grassroots football increased slightly last season compared to 2021-22, figures show.
Sheffield United review of Cusack death finds no wrongdoing but ‘processes’ to be reviewed
December 19 – An external investigation into the events leading up to the death of Sheffield United midfielder Maddy Cusack found “no evidence of wrongdoing”.
FIFA slaps transfer ban on Botev Vratasa for failing to pay Brambilla’s wages
December 19 – Bulgaria’s top tier clubs continue to struggle with financial issues with Botev Vratsa being the latest to break financial rules. FIFA have imposed a transfer ban on the club over its failure to pay the wages of former player, Brazilian Lucas Brambilla.
Ankaragucu’s hard-hitting president Faruk Koca banned for life
December 15 – The former president of Turkish top flight club Ankaragucu, Faruk Koca, has been handed a permanent ban by the Turkish Football Federation for punching a referee that has drawn widespread revulsion.
Turkish SuperLig to return Dec. 19 after attack on referee Meler; government reviews sports laws
December 14 – The Turkish FA (TFF) have said that all its football leagues will resume play on December 19 after matches in Turkey were postponed indefinitely following the assault by Ankaragücü president Faruk Koca on referee Halil Umut Meler after the end of the Rizespor match.
Marinakis quits presidency of Greek Super League warning ‘criminal elements’ are killing the game
December 13 – Evangelos Marinakis is stepping down as president of the Greek Super League following the latest wave of football-related violence and the recent government announcement that matches are to be played behind closed doors for two months until improved safety measures are put in place.