Fans, who needs them?
September 16 – Home fans in stadia does not create a major advantage for the host team, according to a new report that examined results of matches in the Covid fan-free world.
Performance
Chaos in Paris as PSG lose to OM, 5 sent off and accusations of racist comments
September 14 – France’s most hostile domestic football rivalry resulted in no fewer than five dismissals on Sunday and a claim from Neymar that he heard a racist slur as visitors Marseille upset reigning champions Paris St Germain 1-0.
Mourinho plays the Covid card as Spurs open with loss to Everton
September 14 – Tottenham Hotspur boss Jose Mourinho has revealed that a number of the club’s players caught Covid-19 during the summer.
Liverpool open new EPL season but Manchester and London big guns have them in their sights
By Andrew Warshaw
September 11 – Having won their first English league title for 30 long and painful years, Liverpool kick off the defence of their crown this weekend as they attempt to disprove the old adage that it’s harder to win it second time round.
UEFA report highlights Premier League clubs top academy spends with €6.1m a year
September 11 – European top-flight clubs have invested €870 million for youth development in 2020, according to a study by UEFA. With an average of €6.1 million per club, the Premier League clubs top the list.
Covid leveller: Depleted PSG start season with a loss to Lens
September 11 – A depleted Paris St-Germain, rocked by an outbreak of Covid-19 that ripped through the heart of the squad, kicked off their season in the worst possible fashion on Thursday as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at newly-promoted Lens.
Man City’s courting of Messi ends as he refuses to go to legal with Barca contract
By Andrew Warshaw
September 7 – As footballing u-turns go, they don’t come much more spectacular. Just as millions of fans worldwide were in the throes of anticipating where Lionel Messi might end up after he dropped the bombshell that he wanted to leave his beloved Barcelona, so the Argentine maestro changed his mind and said he was staying after all.
Chelsea greenlights Kai Havertz’s €80m transfer
September 7 – The ongoing pandemic has left a big mark on the world of sports, in general, and football, in particular. When the lockdowns were still in full effect, the Football Association floated the idea of suspending the Premier League season completely – an idea rejected by several English football teams, considering that it would’ve pushed them to the brink of bankruptcy.
Player welfare: Premier League clubs vote against 5 subs rule for second time
September 4 – In contrast to elsewhere in Europe, Premier League clubs have again voted against using five substitutes instead of three in domestic matches next season despite a second attempt by the big boys to persuade the smaller clubs to accept the change.
Five subs rule back on Premier League agenda as clubs reconsider initial rejection
September 3 – English top-flight clubs are split over whether to use five substitutes instead of three, with the issue being debated for a second time at today’s shareholder meeting having already been rejected.
Celtic crash out of Champions League with loss to Ferencvaros
August 27 – Glasgow Celtic crashed out of the Champions League following a dramatic 1-2 defeat at the hands of Hungarian championss Ferencvaros. It was the Scottish club’s earliest exit in the competition in 15 years.
Bayern power play takes 6th Champions League title as PSG left still yearning for 1st
By Andrew Warshaw
August 24 – Teamwork, teamwork, teamwork. While the goal-fest so many neutrals were hoping for did not materialise, Bayern Munich showed the importance of togetherness, steel and spirit as they claimed the Champions League title for the sixth time on Sunday and the first for seven years.
Sevilla make it six with Europa League win over Inter
August 24 – Sevilla remain the undisputed kings of the Europa League, winning the tournament for a sixth time after a dramatic and absorbing 3-2 comeback against Inter Milan in the final behind closed doors.
Covid chaos: Kosovo’s Prishtina to take loan players to fulfil Europa League match
August 31 – Kosovan club FC Prishtina have taken the unprecedented step of signing players on loan from rival teams for a Europa League fixture because a raft of their own squad tested positive for Covid-19.
Koeman unsure if he can keep Messi at Barca
August 21 – New Barcelona head coach Ronald Koeman says he does not know if he can convince Lionel Messi to stay after the Argentine superstar reportedly threatened to quit following last week’s 8-2 Champions League humiliation at the hands of Bayern Munich.