Inside World Football - Page 1435 of 2021 - For the Business of Football

John Yan: From Three Stripes to Swoosh 装备赞助，中国足球冲出亚洲

The public attention for Team China’s trip to Australia this January has been very high, even though the topics mostly are not related to the potential achievements of this team in 2015 Asian Cup. Alain Perrin, the French head coach of Team China, selected a reasonably young team, with an average age of 24.5 years old, and laid off quite a few settled international players. However, the stories were all about other issues, like a funny Now We Start departure ceremony held on the sports channel of CCTV,

Africa

Football restarts in Liberia as Ebola infection rates fall

Musa Bility

By Mark Baber
January 8 – As the numbers of new Ebola patients falls off dramatically in Liberia, with just eight new infections reported in 29 December to January 4 reporting period, the Liberian Football Federation has announced the resumption of competitive matches “with immediate effect,” marking a major milestone in the impoverished country’s struggle against the deadly disease which has killed at least 3,471 people in Liberia.

Matt Scott

Matt Scott: Five key events for 2015

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“It is always wise to look ahead, but difficult to look farther than you can see.” Winston Churchill

Last week this column took a look back over what it had predicted for 2014 to see how they had fared in reality. Now, for the first column of 2015, and as one of history’s great men once said, it seems wise to look ahead, at least as far as we can see.

Archive

No Barca panic over Messi, he is staying, but Bartomeu might not

Lionel Messi2

January 8 – Barcelona have been quick to dispel reports that Lionel Messi is unhappy with the way the club is being run and could be on his way out of the Nou Camp.

Archive

Convicted rapist Evans poised to sign new deal despite public outrage

Ched Evans

January 8 – Despite fierce opposition from fans and the general public and a number of sponsors threatening to pull out in protest, an English lower-league club appears on the verge of offering a contract to a convicted rapist who has served a jail sentence.

Archive

Bulgarian football chief accused of tax crimes and issuing a death threat

grisha ganchev

By Alexander Krassimirov
January 8 – Grisha Ganchev (pictured), a member of the Bulgarian Football Union executive committee and owner of Bulgaria’s Litex Lovech is facing court charges, one of which names him as the leader of an organised crime syndicate.

Archive

Tavecchio pushes proposal to reduce Italy’s Serie A and B to 18 clubs

Carlo Tavecchio

By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 7 – Carlo Tavecchio, the president of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), has continued to promote his plans for a reformed Italian league structure that would see both Serie A and B decrease from 20 to 18 teams.

Archive

Ticket sell out for the Cup game that never was

Accrington Stanley

January 7 – The tickets were quickly snapped up but the game never took place. When tiny Accrington Stanley, dubbed in England as the club that would never die after being saved from extinction, had a chance to play mighty Manchester United in the third round of the FA Cup, tickets sold out in 36 hours.

Archive

Rangers cash crisis worsens but club rejects £18m US buyout offer

robert sarver

January 7 – Scottish giants Rangers, striving to edge slowly back to the top flight of domestic football after being totally revamped and starting again in the lower leagues because of soaring debts, have assured the authorities and their followers that they are not heading back into the abyss despite ongoing financial troubles.

Africa

Ghana positive ahead of AFCON 2015 as GN Bank adds to sponsorship roster

Ghana fans

By Mark Baber
January 7 – Ahead of the African Cup of Nations a sense of optimism prevails in Ghana as Ghana National Bank (GN Bank) confirms a new sponsorship deal with the Ghana Football Association, national team manager Avram Grant professes satisfaction with the squad’s preparations and the players insist rows over bonus payments are in the past, with the team “willing to die” for the cause.

Archive

Turks relax foreign quotas to take heat out of soaring fees for local players

Duygun Yarsuvat Galatasary

January 7 – In a move that will re-ignite the club versus country debate and be monitored with interest across Europe, Turkish football authorities have radically reduced limits on overseas imports and will soon allow teams to play with entirely foreign line-ups.

Archive

FIFA takes its 2016 Congress to Mexico

Justino Compean

January 7 – Mexico will host the 2016 FIFA Congress in a year which is increasingly becoming of huge importance for the country and its regional confederation CONCACAF.

Archive

OFC votes in Chung who immediately sets sights on a full World Cup berth

David Chung

January 7 – Oceania Football Confederation President David Chung says obtaining direct entry into the World Cup instead of his region being forced every time into an intercontinental playoff will be a major priority after he was re-elected unopposed to run FIFA’s smallest regional bloc, in terms of footballing stature at least.

Archive

FIFA presidential race: Champagne calls on Prince Ali to deliver a ‘concrete’ manifesto

jerome Champagne

By Andrew Warshaw
January 7 – FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne insists he will not pull out of the contest as a result of Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein’s decision to run – and has called on the Jordanian to reveal the actual changes he wants to implement.

Archive

NWSL appoints Plush to lead expansion as league preps for 3rd season

Jeff Plush

By Paul Nicholson
January 7 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the US has appointed Jeff Plush as its new Commissioner. Plush has a background in soccer having been managing director of Colorado Rapids in the MLS from 2006 to 2011 and a board director of English Premier League club Arsenal with specific overview of the global media business.