February 9 – Ajax’s international goalkeeper André Onana (pictured) has been banned for one year by UEFA for a doping infraction and is set to miss next year’s African Cup of Nations in his home nation of Cameroon for whom he has 15 caps.
February 8 – UEFA’s plans for a new-look Champions League from 2024 to offset the threat of a breakaway super league are a cause for strong concern, according to the body representing domestic leagues across Europe.
February 8 – In a compromise move caused by the impact of Covid-19, a solution has finally been found for staging the RB Leipzig-Liverpool Champions League last-16 first leg tie, with Budapest selected as a neutral venue after German authorities imposed strict protocols to combat the spread of the pandemic.
By Paul Nicholson
February 8 – Mesut Ozil, no stranger to conflict and controversy in recent years, may not find Fenerbahce the calm and safe haven club he was looking for.
February 5 – Covid restrictions have barred Liverpool from travelling to Germany next week for the first leg of their Champions League last-16 tie against RB Leipzig, prompting a frantic search for a solution.
February 5 – Following months of conjecture, football leagues across the Continent were holding crucial talks virtually today on a new-look Champions League from 2024 that will radically reshape the tournament.
February 5 – France’s professional leagues have been handed a badly needed lifeline to help them over their broadcast rights crisis after Ligue 1 reached an agreement with Canal Plus to screen the remainder of matches this season following the spectacular collapse of a record contract with Mediapro.
February 4 – The British government has threatened social media companies with fines which could amount to “billions of pounds” if they fail to tackle abuse of footballers on their platforms.
February 4 – The great-grandson of Italy’s fascist dictator Benito Mussolini has signed for Lazio – a section of whose supporters are notorious for salutes and racist chants at matches.
February 3 – The British government is coming under even more pressure to ban two English top-flight clubs from official projects promoting Britain overseas because of their links to Russian billionaire oligarchs.
February 3 – It isn’t every day that the manager of a top-flight club openly and publicly criticises the way it operates and offers his resignation.
February 3 – European knock-out ties hit by travel restrictions caused by the impact of Covid-19 could be played as one-off matches at neutral venues under new rules issued by UEFA.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 2 – La Liga chief Javier Tebas has accused Gianni Infantino of privately supporting the launch of a breakaway European Super League despite FIFA steadfastly opposing the project.
February 1 – Reportedly on the verge of bankruptcy with massive debts, Barcelona say they will take “appropriate legal action” against Spanish newspaper El Mundo after it published details of Lionel Messi’s eye-watering contract.
February 1 – Marseille officials have denounced a “frenzy of violence” after their game against Rennes in France’s Ligue 1 on Saturday was postponed when hundreds of protesting supporters broke into the club’s training ground and caused widespread damage.