Short pulls out of Sunderland sale talks and commits funds for new season
June 30 – Sunderland owner Ellis Short (pictured) has taken the club off the market after sales talks with potential new German owners broke down.
Author: Paul Nicholson
After 30 years of pain, Hillsborough cops to be charged over death of Liverpool fans
By Mark Baber
June 29 – The UK’s Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) is to charge six people in relation to the Hillsborough Stadium disaster that left 96 Liverpool fans dead. David Duckenfield, the police officer who was the match commander on the day of the tragedy is to be charged with 95 cases of manslaughter by gross negligence.
West Brom owner Lai to build ‘soccer towns’ across China with club as centrepiece
June 29 – West Bromwich Albion’s Chinese owner Guochuan Lai (pictured) and landscaping company Palm plan to construct up to six ‘soccer towns’ across China as part of Lai’s expansion of the West Brom brand across China.
Leeds United get Elland Road back under club ownership
By Mark Baber
Junne 29 – Leeds United have confirmed that their parent company has completed the purchase of the Elland Road Stadium, as had been promised by new Chairman Andrea Radrizzani.
PSG vs Juve, Barca vs Real: Miami prepares to put on a party for Europe’s giants
June 29 – It may be a month to go before the match but Relevent Sports, organisers of the International Champions Cup, are ramping up the promotion of the El Clásico clash between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 29.
ISL wins AFC recognition and an AFC Cup berth
June 29 – The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) has officially recognised the Indian Super League. As a result, India will have two national leagues next season.
Samoura says FIFA is co-operating with WADA and reiterates Russia and Qatar are clear
By Samindra Kunti in Kazan
June 29 – FIFA’s secretary-general Fatma Samoura has said the governing body wants to eradicate doping in the game. Samoura also welcomed the publication of the Garcia report.
David Owen: Transformed bidding climate gives Garcia report the air of a relic
From the vantage-point of today, the Garcia report has something of the air of the Dead Sea Scrolls – an important relic offering vital clues about how life was lived in a bygone era.
Garcia report unmasks a seedy culture open to ‘abuse’, but no smoking gun
By Paul Nicholson and Samindra Kunti
June 28 – The Garcia report into the 2018/2022 World Cup bidding procedures is both as revealing as it is, for the most part, old news. It shows the political depths that the individuals on FIFA’s executive committee would go to solicit favours from bidders; it also shows how far bids will push their people and the rules to win. What it doesn’t do is find the smoking gun that would derail Russia or Qatar hosting 2018 or 2022.
Slovak PM demands UEFA investigate Italy-Germany U21 Euros ‘farce’
By Mark Baber
June 28 – The outspoken Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has written to UEFA requesting an investigation into the circumstances around his country’s exit from the under-21 European Championship.
Leak turns into flood: FIFA publish Garcia’s World Cup bidding report in full
By Paul Nicholson
June 28 – FIFA reacted swiftly to the leak to German media of the Garcia Report into the 2018/ 2022 World Cup bidding process by posting the full report online. It was a smart move by FIFA that immediately took the focus of the media reports away from Qatar – who had been lined-up for a series articles from the report – and brought balance to the wider issues of the bidding process and activity of all the bidding nations.
Mendes denies helping Falcao set up shell companies to avoid tax in Spain
June 28 – Football agent Jorge Mendes has denied that he helped Colombia and Monaco striker Radamel Falcao to evade tax in Spain. Mendes appeared 45 minutes before a judge in a closed doors court hearing in Madrid as part of a probe into whether Falcao could be prosecuted over tax evasion.
DFB and Australia sign MOU for football development
June 28 – The German Football Association (DFB) and Australian Football Federation (FFA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Sochi covering joint endeavours in football development.
Man City and Etihad Airways host community leaders in week-long summit
June 28 – Manchester City invited 50 community leaders to the City Football Academy in Manchester to take part in a week-long summit offering training in community football leadership. The initiative, supported by club sponsor Etihad Airways, completed its activities this week.
Political football: Leaked Garcia report heaps more political pressure on Qatar
By Paul Nicholson
June 27 – The Garcia report into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding, has been leaked to a German newspaper. Until now the report, named after FIFA’s former Ethics chief investigator Michael Garcia, has only been released in summary. A summary that was hotly contested by Garcia.