By Ben Nicholson
February 24 – Minnesota United FC are rumoured to be facing the possibility of changing their name because the MLS is concerned about the presence of three ‘Uniteds’ in the league.
February 24 – FC Bayern Munich’s 2-2 draw at Juventus FC in the UEFA Champions League Quarter Final left the latter more spirited as they came back from a 2-0 deficit. Off the pitch, though, is another story. KPMG’s Football Benchmark team has found that Bayern significantly outperformed Juventus for the 2014/2015 season.
February 24 – Gianni Infantino says FIFA has no future unless it cleans up its image after Friday’s presidential election.
By Paul Nicholson
February 24 – Shaikh Salman Bin Al Khalifa has kept the FIFA political focus on financial issues to the front of the election agenda by repeating his belief that FIFA could not afford the $5 million per federation promise being made by Gianni Infantino.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 24 – The row over voting procedures at Friday’s FIFA presidential election has taken another remarkable step with Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein writing to the entire FIFA membership to explain why he has called on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to consider postponing the ballot unless fairness and transparency can be guaranteed.
February 23 – Shaikh Salman Bin Al-Khalifa, believed to be tied neck and neck with Gianni Infantino to become FIFA president, says rival candidates who have been criticising him are simply getting desperate.
By Mark Baber
February 23 – The Football Supporters’ Federation has called on clubs to create their own secondary ticket exchanges after a BBC Radio 5 live investigation found football ticket-touting laws are being flouted, apparently leaving fans vulnerable to online brokers.
February 23 – Under 21 players are far more likely to be given playing time in France’s Ligue 1 than in any of the other Big 5 European leagues in England, Germany, Italy or Spain. In fact, they are almost three times as likely to get playing time than in England’s Premier League.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein has called on the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to postpone Friday’s presidential election because of a dispute over voting procedures which he believes could seriously jeopardise his chances of victory.
By Ben Nicholson
23 February – The Bank of Montreal (BMO) has added ten years to its agreement with Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment (MLSE), operators of Toronto FC, for the naming rights to its recently renovated stadium.
By Samindra Kunti
February 23 – Mumbai City FC of the Indian Super League and Mumbai FC of the I-League encapsulate the growing schism in Indian football. Halfway the regular season the I-League is again suffering from a lack of exposure.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 23 – First mobile phones and cameras were banned, then a request for transparent booths was rejected. Now, amid intensifying suspicion about voting manipulation, a complaint has been submitted by one of the five FIFA presidential candidates over the number of observers attached to rival teams being allowed to attend Friday’s showdown.
By Paul Nicholson
February 23 – The first concrete signs of dealmaking between candidates in the FIFA presidential election race became evident yesterday following a meeting between South African candidate Tokyo Sexwale and UEFA’s top gun Gianni Infantino, with Sexwale saying he is “open to negotiations and alliances”.
February 23 – Sunday’s big London derby FA Cup clash between Spurs and Crystal Palace – two of the teams that have shown they have the capability to upset the traditional old order in the Premier League – was a battle between two clubs that are investing deeply in players and stadium infrastructure to achieve their improved status. But as well as sharing an ambition to change the accepted English club hierarchy, they also have another commonality in that they either had or have a sponsor relationship with online casino Mansion.
By Mark Baber
February 22 – English Football Pools owner Sportech plc is in talks with its former chief operating officer Ian Hogg over a proposal to set up a new London stock market isted company to buy the institution for £100 million.