By Paul Nicholson
February 27 - Manchester United, looking to move back into Champions League qualifying position this weekend, have topped the Premier League table of new Twitter followers for the second week running. Arsenal, third last week, have moved up to second, while Liverpool move up a place to third and Chelsea drop from second to fourth.

By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 - The lawmakers of world football are to consider allowing a fourth substitute in extra time and will at last try to get to grips with the contentious so-called "triple punishment" when they convene in Belfast today and tomorrow.

By Mark Baber
February 27 - Ladbrokes has revealed it plans to close 60 betting shops as it revealed its pre-tax profits for 2014 fell from £68 million to £38 million, partly due to its biggest ever football loss on record of £8.1 million on Boxing Day as punters celebrated the favourites winning in the major games.

By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 - Kuwait's Olympic supremo Sheikh Ahmad Al Fahad Al Sabah, one of the most influential powerbrokers in world sport, has formally put his name forward to take up one of Asia's slots on the FIFA executive committee. Ahead of Saturday's deadline, Skeikh Ahmad has been officially nominated by his home football federation, prompting immediate speculation that he may ultimately be setting his sights on the FIFA presidency in 2019.

By Paul Nicholson
February 27 - English Premier League leaders Chelsea have signed a 5-year £200 million shirt sponsorship deal with Japanese tyre manufacturer Yokohama. The deal is the second largest in the Premier League, behind Manchester United's seven year £370 million Chevrolet sponsorship.

February 27 - This weekend's Serie A games will kick off 15 minutes late as the players show solidarity with financially-stricken Parma. Twice former winners of the old UEFA Cup but currently bottom of the league, Parma took the dramatic step of calling off last Sunday's league game against Udinese. Players and staff have not been paid all season and stewarding costs were unable to be met to stage the fixture.

"If you look at the German TV market, it will not be possible any time soon for the Bundesliga to sell its rights for that much money." Christian Seifert, Bundesliga chief executive

Investors looking for safe havens for their money in these troubled times have stampeded into German sovereign debt. The rationale is that the strongest economy in Europe will never default on its borrowings and so there is no risk to the investor's capital. These bonds are so highly valued that in order to lend money to the German treasury the creditor has to pay for the privilege - 0.24% each year for a two-year Bund. There can be no better measure of the strength of the German economy.

Leverkusen's much criticised coach Roger Schmidt, after coming away with the only German victory in this week's Champions League matches, has shifted pressure off himself, and in so doing focused attention on Stuttgart which might be the next club to make a coaching change. But even more unstable than the Bundesliga in Germany's coaching sack race is Germany's second tier.

By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 27 – Fox Sports is continuing its TV rights acquisition march across Europe into Poland where it is considered as one of the leading contenders to acquire the TV rights for Poland's top tier Ekstraklasa. If Fox were win the domestic rights the broadcaster would replace Polish direct-to-home platform nc+ for the 2015/2016 season.

February 27 - FIFA presidential candidate Michael van Praag steps up his campaign bid early next week by unveiling his manifesto on Monday - then flying straight to the Conmebol Congress in Paraguay to lobby for support.

February 27 - A pipe bomb exploded outside the home of a Cypriot referee early today, the latest in a string of threats and attacks against officials and their families.

By David Owen
February 26 - Phil Neville, the former Manchester United, Everton and England footballer turned BBC pundit, swam against the tide this week. While many in the country that invented football were bemoaning the FIFA task force recommendation to stage the 2022 World Cup in November and December, Neville said it might be "the best thing that's ever happened" to England.