Song sung boo: Man City escape UEFA sanctions
November 20 – Manchester City will not face UEFA sanctions for their fans booing the Champions League anthem.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Oulala launch bespoke Leicester City cash-challenge fantasy football game
November 20 – Daily fantasy football platform Oulala.com, which launched its first English language game last month, has secured its first partnership with a Premier League club becoming the Official Fantasy Football Partner of high flying Leicester City.
Russia’s Sorokin questions any 2018 vote deal and trial by ‘finger pointing’
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 20 – Alexei Sorokin, the man running the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has spoken out for the first time in public about Sepp Blatter’s remarkable claim of a pre-vote deal that cast growing suspicion on how both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were won and lost.
Premier League returns with big games, big crowds and La Marseillaise
By Paul Nicholson
November 20 – With clubs across Europe returning to their domestic league programmes after the international fixture window, focus will fall on crowd attendances, particularly in the aftermath and uncertainty of the Paris attacks.
FIFA to trial doping control database system at Club World Cup
By David Owen
November 20 – FIFA is to trial the ADAMS database management system during the Club World Cup in Japan in December, in a move likely to be welcomed by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) as it battles through a challenging period.
US puts its game face on as venues chosen for Copa America Centenario
By Paul Nicholson
November 20 – Organisers of the Copa America Centenario to be played in the US next year have selected 10 metropolitan areas across the country to host matches.
Transparency International report shows just why football is a corruption breeding ground
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – Transparency International has released a report it is calling its Football Governance League Table. While this is strictly not a league table as there is no ranking, the report highlights an uncomfortable lack of public transparency in national federation accounting with 81% of federations having no financial records available.
Chilean FA boss quits and flies straight to New York to help FBI with enquiries
By Mark Baber
November 19 – President of the Chile Football Federation (ANFP) Sergio Jadue has dramatically resigned from his post before boarding a plane at Santiago airport late on Tuesday night to fly to New York to speak to the FBI.
Scala says football corruption is ‘systemic’ and reform must be ‘transparent’
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 19 – Domenico Scala, the FIFA-appointed troubleshooter who has been at the forefront of efforts to clean up the organisation, painted a grim picture today of just how deep corruption runs in football, implying those preaching the opposite message were simply in denial.
Everton report £4.1m loss on record turnover of £125.6m
By Mark Baber
November 19 – Everton have announced a £4.1 million loss for 2014-15 on a record turnover of £125.6 million, largely due to a deficit on player trading. The results leave the club with an overall net debt of £31.3 million.
Blatter questions appeal decision timing, demands a fair hearing, and vows to fight on
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter responded robustly and swiftly to the turning down of his first appeal for a lifting of his suspension by the FIFA Appeal Committee yesterday.
Liverpool launch ‘Signature Collection’ for Christmas market
November 19 – Premier League club Liverpool have ramped up their Christmas merchandise programme with the launch of what is calling its ‘Signature Collection’ – a limited edition selection of garments and luxury leather accessories.
Russian cash crisis eased with Novatek deal, St Petersburg readies for 2016
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – The financial crisis that engulfed the Russia’s Football Union (RFU) and saw Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko return as federation president in September, eased slightly with the announcement of gas company Novatek coming on board as a main sponsor. No figure was announced for the deal which will go through until the end of 2018.
FIFA race: Prince Ali urges federations to vote individually and not as blocks
By Andrew Warshaw
November 19 – Describing himself as the only “world candidate”, the Jordanian prince who took on Sepp Blatter and lost in last May’s FIFA presidential election believes his chances of success second time round are far better now that national federations no longer feel forced into voting for the veteran Swiss.
Scala and Sorokin to lead IFA conference line-up Thursday
By Andrew Warshaw
November 18 – Domenico Scala, the official who has taken centre stage amid the unfolding corruption crisis at Fifa, and Alexei Sorokin, ceo of Russia’s 2018 World Cup organising committee, are the standout speakers at the annual International Football Arena conference in Zurich tomorrow.