World Cup-winner Adil Rami after
he skips training to take part in a
TV reality show.Wednesday August 14
FRANCE: Monaco complete the
signing of Sevilla’s Wissam Ben
Yedder after paying the French
striker’s €40m release clause.
UEFA SUPER CUP: In the first-ever
all-English clash, Liverpool beat
Chelsea on penalties to win the
title for a fourth time.
UKRAINE: Dynamo Kiev sack
coach Alexander Khatskevich
the day after they go out of the
Champions League to Club Brugge.Thursday August 15
CHINA: Guangzhou Evergrande are
held to a 1-1 draw by Chongqing
SWM and fail to set a new CSL
record of 14 consecutive wins.
MOROCCO: Vahid Halilhodzic
is appointed national coach.Friday August 16
REP OF IRELAND: Bottom-of-the-
league UCD are thrashed 10-1 away
at Bohemians.
GERMANY: The new Bundesliga
campaign begins with defending
champion Bayern Munich drawing
2-2 at home to Hertha Berlin
SPAIN: Barcelona lose 1-0 at
Athletic Bilbao in La Liga’s opening
game of the season.Saturday August 17
HONDURAS: At least three people
are killed in violence before
Motagua’s game against Olimpia.
TUNISIA: CS Sfaxien win the
Tunisian Cup for a fifth time, beating
Etoile du Sahel on penalties after a
goalless draw.Sunday August 18
CHINA: Brazilian-born striker
Elkeson becomes the first player
without Chinese heritage to be
called up by the national side when
named in Marcello Lippi’s squad for
September’s Asian qualifiers.
EGYPT: Al Ahly sack coach Martin
Lasarte the day after they are
knocked out of the last-16 of
the Egyptian Cup by Pyramids.
FRANCE: French champions Paris
Saint-Germain suffer a shock 2-1
defeat at Rennes.Monday August 19
GERMANY: Bayern Munich sign
Brazilian attacking midfielder
Philippe Coutinho on a season-long
loan from Barcelona.
ITALY: Juventus reveal coach
Maurizio Sarri is being treated
for pneumonia, having missedPaolo Tramezzani with Thomas
Doll two days after losing 2-1 at
home to Qarabag of Azerbaijan in
the Champions League qualifiers.
ENGLAND: The transfer window
closes with Premier League clubs
having spent £1.4billion.
ITALY: Internazionale pay a club
record fee of €80m for Manchester
United striker Romelu Lukaku.Friday August 9
ENGLAND: Liverpool kick off the
new Premier League campaign with
four first-half goals as they beat
newly promoted Norwich City 4-1.Saturday August 10
ENGLAND: Manchester City begin
their title defence with a 5-1 win at
West Ham United.
FRANCE: Marseille lose 2-0 at
home to Reims in Andre Villas-
Boas’ first game in charge.
PORTUGAL: Porto lose 2-1 at Gil
Vicente in the opening round of
league games.Sunday August 11
CHINA: Elkeson becomes the all-
time leading scorer in the Chinese
Super League with his 103rd goal
as top-of-the-table Guangzhou
Evergrande win 3-1 at second-
place Beijing Guoan.
ENGLAND: Chelsea suffer their
heaviest-ever opening league
game defeat as they lose 4-0
at Manchester United in Frank
Lampard’s first match in charge.
FRANCE: Neymar is absent as Paris
Saint-Germain get their defence of
the Ligue 1 title under way with a
3-0 win at home to Nimes.
GERMANY: Trailing 3-2 to Waldhof
Mannheim in the German Cup,
Ante Revic scores a 12-minute hat-
trick as Eintract Frankfurt win 5-3.
USA: Josef Martinez is the first
player to score in 10 MLS games in
a row, getting both goals as Atlanta
United beat New York City 2-1.Monday August 12
SPAIN: Athletic Bilbao striker Inaki
Williams signs one of the game’s
longest-ever deals, agreeing a
nine-year contract with the club.
USA: USL side Orange County SC
sign 14-year-old Francis Jacobs,
making him the youngest-ever
professional footballer in America.Tuesday August 13
ENGLAND: Manchester City are
fined 370,000 Swiss Francs
(£315,000) but avoid a transfer
ban after admitting they breached
FIFA rules on signing youth players.
FRANCE: Marseille sack 2018said that the club had performed
all its duties at the highest level.
This response caused the K-League
to officially blast the club for its
“blatant deception”, accusing the
Italians of including Ronaldo on the
bench when there was never any
intention to play him, for lying about
taking almost two hours to get
through the airport – when Korean
immigration confirmed it took 26
minutes – and then setting off to
the stadium late.
Fans have been upset by Juve’s
lack of remorse and explanation
but there has also been plenty of
criticism handed out to The Fasta for allowing itself
to be pushed around. A lawyer working for one of
the four firms that are representing fans said there
could be as many as 10,000 lawsuits filed against
the company. The Fasta, who have been advised to
sue Juventus, have had their Seoul offices raided by
police and their CEO, Robin Jang, has been banned
from leaving the country.
But Juventus came out worse, perhaps due to
a misunderstanding of Asian culture. When leaving
a generous host upset and angry, apologies are
needed to maintain harmonious relations. If that
doesn’t happen, the Serie A side – who may not
have liked the fact that their Asians fans seemed
more interested in Ronaldo than the club – risk
the “arrogant” labels sticking permanently.WORLD SERVICEHighest level...
Juventus supremo
Andrea Agnelli