By Samindra Kunti
October 12 – Nine people remain in police custody in the Belgian corruption and match-fixing investigation following raids across the country on Wednesday. The charges range from criminal organisation to money laundering. Meanwhile all second division matches have been postponed this weekend.
October 12 – AS Roma has reported draft financial statements for last season showing a record revenue of €250.87 million and a reduction in losses to €25 million, compared to the €42 million the previous year.
October 12 – The Deutsche Fußball Liga (DFL) is building an investment portfolio focussed on technology start-ups and SMEs that could have a direct impact on their business.
October 12 – The AFC Asian Cup to be played in the UAE in January next year will introduce the fourth substitution rule in extra time. It will be the first application of the rule by any of the world’s confederations for a senior national team tournament.
October 12 – The transfer market might bring monetary riches (usually for a very few) but on-field success is not created annually in the transfer money market but in the establishment of long serving and stable squads, according to the latest analysis by the CIES Football Observatory.
October 12 – Former FIFA executive committee member Worawi Makudi is fighting his ban from the global game at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). The former Thai strongman is seeking to have the ban lifted as Thai FA elections approach.
October 12 – France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) has expanded its deal with Italian car maker Fiat to include the sponsorship of the LFP’s Ligue 1 Conforama and Domino’s Ligue 2. Fiat has been a partner of the BKT League Cup for the past two seasons.
October 12 – Doha, Qatar, will host the Financial Times Future of Football 2018 conference on Tuesday next week with the CEOs of the organising committees of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, Alexey Sorokin of Russia and Hassan Al Thawadi of Qatar headlining the speakers.
October 12 – Premier League Manchester City have partnered with top esports team Epsilon for the Gfinity Elite Series.
By Samindra Kunti
October 11 – Belgian football has been rocked by a wide-ranging investigation into financial fraud and match-fixing. The federal prosecutor’s office said that 44 searches of premises in Belgium and 13 abroad had been staged by 220 officers in Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Cyprus, Montenegro, Serbia and Macedonia. Club Brugge coach Ivan Leko (pictured) spent the night in jail and top agent Mogi Bayat was also arrested.
October 11 – Cristiano Ronaldo’s lawyer has issues a firm rebuke of the rape accusations against the Portuguese player, saying the documents backing up Kathryn Mayorga’s claims have been “completely fabricated”.
October 11 – With UEFA’s 55 nations entering their second and third rounds of Nations League fixtures the European governing body has announced a 50% increase in solidarity fees and a similar boost in prize money for group winners.
October 11 – Denmark’s Superliga is launching its own esports championship with the top tier clubs set to begin play in the eSuperliga on November 5.
October 11 – Panama broke Mexican hearts with a 2-0 win in the Concacaf Women’s Championship, dashing Mexico’s hopes of qualifying for a third consecutive women’s World Cup. The United States hammered Trinidad and Tobago, consolidating their position of supremacy in the region.
October 11 – Bundlesliga’s VfB Stuttgart is the latest German club to open up links in China, signing a five-year contract with the Chinese Super League club Guangzhou R&F to develop youth players and train coaches.