France 1 Germany 1 (5-6 pens)
July 19 – Germany recovered from a 13th-minute red card to knockout France on penalties following a 1-1 draw and set up a blockbuster semi-final against Spain.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 10 – Zbigniew Boniek (pictured), the president of the Polish Football Association (PZPN) and former Polish international with spells at Roma and Juventus, has spurred controversy with a string of negative tweets criticising Never Again (Nigdy Wiecej), a Polish anti-racist association which cooperates with the anti-discrimination group FARE.
By Mark Baber
August 10 – Sunday’s second leg of the historic cup final between Al-Ahly, the top team in the West Bank and Gaza’s champion Shejaia was called off by the Palestinian Football Federation on Friday as Israel denied entry permits to seven of the Gaza party, including four players, whom it demanded be subjected to questioning.
August 10 – It looked lined up to be the Gold Cup final in July, but it never happened once Jamaica knocked out the US in the semi-final. Now the US and local rivals Mexico will have the chance to kick a ball in competitive anger with the winners taking the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup berth.
August 10 – Whether you love him or loathe him, few would argue against Jose Mourinho’s tag as the best manager in the Premiership and Chelsea have been quick to ward off any potential suitors by giving the Portuguese a new contract in his second spell at the club.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 10 – Marseille are looking for a new coach after one solitary game of the new French season. Marcelo Bielsa stunned supporters by announcing his resignation within minutes of their opening-day Ligue 1 defeat by Caen having just started his second campaign in charge.
August 10 – Police in Germany are investigating an unprovoked attack on a Bundesliga team bus which was on its way to pick up players travelling to an away game.
Have we hit peak Sheikh? That was a question being posed in the luxury hotel bars of Kuala Lumpur last week during the 128th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session.
By David Owen
August 8 – Worawi Makudi, the former FIFA Executive Committee member, is to challenge for the Presidency of the Asean Football Federation (AFF), according to local press. Malaysia’s New Sunday Times reported that the 63-year-old President of the Football Association of Thailand would challenge Sultan Ahmad Shah, the incumbent, at elections in Burma this month.
August 8 – Watch Arsenal U19 vs PSV Einhoven U19 LIVE in the Durban Cup final today. The young Gunners and PSV have dominated the tournament and now play off in the final. Watch the match at http://www.insideworldfootball.com/watch-live-football/17602-arsenal-vs-psv-eindhoven
By Andrew Warshaw
August 7 – Former International Olympic Committee director general Francois Carrard (pictured) has emerged as a possible chairman of FIFA’s reform taskforce set up in the light of the unprecedented corruption scandal that has enveloped the organisation.
August 7 – McDonald’s has re-iterated its demand for FIFA to appoint an independent reform commission to help restore the organisation’s credibility.
By Samindra Kunti
August 7 – Today Paris Saint Germain kick off Ligue 1 with an away game to Lille. The question is not if the Parisians will dominate domestic French football, but how far they can progress in the UEFA Champions League?
August 7 – Police made 53 arrests, though only three of them supporters of visiting Southampton, before the English club’s Europa League tie against Vitesse Arnhem on Thursday.