Indonesian players tell fans how they were forced into match-fixing
August 4 – Eight months after a match-fixing scandal in Indonesian domestic football featuring PSS Sleman and PSIS Semarang, PSS players have spoken out about what happened.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Audi Cup: Ronaldo and Benzema out, but Bale and Modric to face Spurs
August 4 – The opening match of today’s four team Audi Cup will likely see two of Tottenham Hotspur’s old boys – Gareth Bale and Luca Modric – line up against them. The match can be watched FREE and LIVE, kick off 5.15pm UK time on Insideworldfootball’s LIVE match channel at http://bit.ly/1KLQoQ2, please note some territories are geo-blocked.
Romanian FA limits job-hopping officials to two clubs per season
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 4 – In a bid to introduce more transparency into the country’s football league, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) has decided to limit the number of clubs where officials can work to two per season.
Match-fixing mastermind Dan Tan stays locked up after Singapore appeal kicked out
August 4 – Tan Seet Eng, otherwise known as Dan Tan, the suspected mastermind of football’s global match-fixing scourge, has failed yet again to win his case against detention in his native Singapore.
U13 Champions League debuts in CONCACAF
August 4 – CONCACAF have launched an U13 Champions League tournament that kicks off today in Mexico City. The eight-team competition is the youngest official age-group tournament the confederation has ever held and will be played over four days.
Dutch launch stepping-stone league to build pro-club base
By Samindra Kunti
August 4 – The KNVB, the Dutch FA, is implementing a structural reform of its domestic club football. From the 2016/17 season onwards professional and amateur football in the Netherlands will be integrated through a mandatory system of promotion and relegation.
PSG and Arsenal win their super cups: but is competition being strangled?
By Mark Baber
August 3 – The victory of Paris St Germain in the Trophee des Champions has been greeted by predictable headlines regarding the club’s dominance of French soccer, but statistical analysis shows that behind Arsenal’s victory over Chelsea on Sunday lies an historically significant stranglehold on the Community Shield by a small group of England’s top clubs.
WATCH the Audi Cup LIVE on Insideworldfootball Spurs vs Real Madrid, Bayern Munich vs AC Milan
Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur will meet in the first semi-finals of the Audi Cup in the Allianz Arena tomorrow, with a place in the final of the competition on Wednesday up for grabs. They will be followed by Bayern Munich vs AC Milan. Both matches can be viewed free on Insideworldfootball – note some countries are geo-restricted so check your local broadcast schedules. The link to the Real vs Spurs match is http://bit.ly/1KLQoQ2,
Ronaldinho debuts with on-pitch assist and a big marketing boost
By Samindra Kunti
August 3 – Ronaldinho Gaucho marked his winning return to Brazilian football at the weekend with an assist against Gremio. He has a contract with Fluminense until December 2016, but did the Rio club just sign him for marketing reasons?
CSKA Ultras storm pitch and chase Israel’s Ashdod players off
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 3 – There were more scenes of players being attacked by fans in Bulgaria at the weekend at a pre-season friendly between CSKA Sofia and Ironi Ashdod FC from Israel. Enraged CSKA Sofia Ultras stormed on to the pitch in Sofia on Sunday evening and charged at the Israeli players. The fans were angered by a series of hard fouls against CSKA players.
Mutko set to return as boss of Russian football
By Andrew Warshaw
August 3 – Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko, chairman of the 2018 World Cup Organising Committee and a FIFA executive committee member, looks set to cement his power base even further by becoming head of his country’s football federation after his only rival for the position, Igor Lebedev, withdrew from next month’s election.
Hull City’s Allam gets his claws out in Tiger re-naming row
August 3 – A domestic English spat that has gained widespread publicity continues to rumble on. Attempts to change the name of Hull City to Hull Tigers appeared to have been buried for good last month when the English Football Association’s council rejected the name change application for a second time.
Paraguay to put Platini forward for FIFA presidency
By Andrew Warshaw
August 3 – Paraguay has offered to be one of the five official nominees for UEFA boss Michel Platini’s bid for the FIFA presidency, the country’s federation said in a letter sent to FIFA.
Blatter exits International Olympic Committee
By David Owen in Kuala Lumpur
August 3 – Sepp Blatter, FIFA President at least for another six months, has ceased to be a member of world sport’s most powerful club.
Rumours bubble of pressure on Tokyo Sexwale to enter FIFA race
By Paul Nicholson
August 1 – The name of Tokyo Sexwale is being whispered as a potential candidate for the FIFA presidency with business leaders and politicians apparently encouraging the South African businessman to consider running for football’s top job and bring about the global change the organisation needs.