Inside World Football - Page 1177 of 2021 - For the Business of Football

UAE Exchange banks on Asian national teams to expand its brand

September 5 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has added a second new sponsor partner in a week in the form of UAE Exchange, a global remittance, foreign exchange and payment solutions provider.

UAE Exchange has signed on for a five-year deal with the AFC who last week added Swiss watchmaker Tag Heuer to its sponsorship portfolio agreeing a four-year deal for the AFC’s national competitions including the 2018 FIFA World Cup Asian Qualifiers Final Round (that starts tonight),

Integrity

The referee is always right, particularly when being told to cover up

September 5 – A highly respected former top-flight English referee has caused widespread alarm by suggesting he was told to cover up seeing controversial incidents between players.

Africa

Uganda break back with return to Africa Cup of Nations finals

September 5 – Uganda have ended almost four decades in the wilderness by qualifying for next year’s Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon.

Europe

Kosovo set for World Cup debut tonight but still wait for six player clearances

September 5 – With only hours to go before their historic first ever World Cup qualifying game, Kosovo were still waiting to discover whether six of their squad could switch nationality and play for them against Finland tonight.

Europe

Rummenigge endorses Champions League changes and European unity

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge_14-12-11

September 5 – UEFA’s decision to amend the Champions League format from the 2018/19 season in favour of the most powerful clubs has, not surprisingly, been widely welcomed by Europe’s leading clubs.

Performance

Will Lallana’s last gasp lucky goal thaw the Iceland horror gripping the English

By Andrew Warshaw

September 5 – New manager, same old England – with one sharp difference. A last-gasp stroke of good fortune which perhaps augurs well for the future in terms of team building and confidence.

Development

AFC’s top coaches back video tech as forum gathers elite in Shanghai

September 5 – Asia’s top coaches have endorsed the use of video replays in matches at the inaugural Elite Club Coaches’ Forum in Shanghai, China. The coaches felt that the use of technology should be expanded and that video replays in particular protected the referees by being able to check decisions, as well as ensuring wrong decisions were corrected.

Finance

David Owen: why Newcastle are laughing in the ‘Looney Toon’ transfer market

wonga-have-been-announced-as-the-new-sponsor-of-newcastle-united-900601391

September 4 – Say what you like about the way newly-relegated Newcastle United have handled footballing affairs in recent seasons, but it is hard not to admire their business acumen.

Europe

Exclusive (2): van Praag warns Brexit issues need addressing immediately

Michael van Praag2

By Andrew Warshaw

September 2 – Michael van Praag says European football’s landscape has changed significantly as a result of Brexit and that he is the only candidate for UEFA president with the knowledge and contacts to tackle the problems that lie ahead.

Finance

China’s Everbright poised to up Liverpool bid to £1 billion

By Paul Nicholson

September 2 – While Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) remain tight-lipped about the possible sale of the club, the Chinese consortium that has made an offer for the club of £800 million is rumoured to be prepared to raise that amount to £1 billion, despite the club’s poor performance last season.

Europe

Dutch lose again as van Oostveen is latest to quit the coaching set up

KNVB shirt

September 2 – The crisis at the Dutch FA, the KNVB, has been exacerbated following the Netherlands’s 1-2 home defeat to Greece and the resignation of director of football Bert Van Oostveen. The KNVB was already struggling to complete its coaching staff.

Uncategorised

Messi puts Argentina back on track. Now it is the turn of the AFA to follow

September 2 – Argentine football is back: the domestic league has resumed and the national team defeated Uruguay 1-0 in World Cup qualifying; but the state of the Argentine FA, the AFA, remains precarious.

Competitions

UAE stun Japan in World Cup qualifying, China rattle Korea

September 2 – Asian qualifying for the Russia 2018 World Cup opened with all 12 teams in action and a shock 2-1 for the UAE over Japan. Australia and Saudi Arabia also had campaign opening wins in the group.

FIFA

‘Football history’: Video ref rules out penalty in Italy vs France friendly

September 2 – Video replays, for years rejected by FIFA as too great a step to take in modernising the game, were used for the first time in an international fixture on Thursday and hailed by FIFA president Gianni Infantino as “football history”.

Champions League

Women’s UCL draw pits Chelsea against Wolfsburg, Bayern face Hibs

September 2 – With the focus of UEFA’s men Champions League turning to clubs naming their squads for the last group qualifying stages, the Women’s Champions league round of 32 draw was held throwing up a rematch of Wolfsburg vs Chelsea clash from last season.