Emotions "ran high" as Ligue 1 side Nantes paid tribute to former player Emiliano Sala on Wednesday in its first game since the Argentine "went missing in a light aircraft over the English Channel." Referee Frank Schneider stopped play in the Ligue 1 match against St. Etienne at La Beaujoire in the ninth minute for a minute of applause during which Nantes coach Vahid Halilhodzic was in tears (REUTERS, 1/31).
La Liga President Javier Tebas said that Paris St. Germain Chair Nasser Al-Khelaifi "should be blocked by the UEFA Congress from taking a seat" on European football's top decision-making body. Tebas "escalated long-running protests about Qatari financing of PSG" by saying that Al-Khelaifi is "too conflicted" to sit on UEFA’s exec committee because of the French club's FFP issues (AP, 1/31).
AFC Asian Cup organizers "are investigating a complaint" by the UAE about the eligibility of two Qatar players from the semifinal. The complaint "adds another layer" to Qatar's "politically-charged" progress to Friday's final. The UAE football federation questioned whether Qatari players Almoez Ali and Bassam Al-Rawi meet FIFA's requirements to play for Qatar (AP, 1/30).
