August 12 – A Major League Soccer derby between northwest rivals Portland Timbers and Seattle Sounders has burst into controversy ahead of a potentially politically-motivated clash between right-wing and left-wing activists on August 17.
August 9 – A Gambian-born midfielder is reported to be playing in Germany with a falsified name and age.
August 8 – Two of the leading figures behind the campaign to expose sexual abuse by Afghan officials have gone back on the offensive accusing FIFA of not doing nearly enough and calling for far more concrete action.
August 7 – Leading English Premier League club Chelsea have apologised for the “terrible past experiences” of some former youth players following a damning 252-page report into child sexual abuse at the club that has made headline news across the UK and shocked the country.
August 7 – Yet another racism row has struck at the heart of German football with Clemens Toennies, president of top-flight club Schalke 04, forced to step down for three months following a hearing into controversial comments he made last week.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 6 – Almost three years after opening an investigation, Swiss prosecutors have indicted three of German football’s most prominent former administrators over suspect payments linked to the 2006 World Cup which the country hosted.
August 6 – Gaming and betting giant GVC Holdings is donating club sponsorship assets from 42 to its UK clubs to GambleAware’s ‘Bet Regret’ campaign.
August 5 – Philadelphia Union captain and US international Alejandro Bedoya has called on US Congress to “end gun violence” after 29 people were killed in two mass shootings in Texas and Ohio over the weekend.
July 26 – A Premier League player is suing the world anti-doping agency (WADA) for £13 million over claims a drug-test blunder wrecked part of his career.
July 25 – In a stark example of the effect of homophobia in football, a Twitter user who claimed to be a player in England’s second-tier Championship, and who intended to come out as gay, has appeared to change his mind after admitting he is “not strong enough to do this”.
July 24 – Incidents of discrimination in English football, both at grassroots and professional level, rose significantly last season, according to a report by the anti-discrimination organisation Kick It Out.
July 23 – After weeks of speculation over an incident that allegedly occurred a decade ago, US prosecutors have announced that Cristiano Ronaldo will not face criminal charges of sexual assault because the case cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
July 22 – Half of the Premier League’s shirts will display a gambling company’s logo during the 2019-20 season, rekindling the debate about betting in sports.
July 22 – Bulgaria have been ordered by UEFA to play their next two home Euro 2020 qualifiers in a partially-closed stadium due to racist behaviour by their supporters.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 19 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed an appeal by the outspoken head of Palestinian football Jibril Rajoub against his ban for “inciting hatred and violence” toward Argentine superstar Lionel Messi.