Zwanziger focuses in on Platini with Qatar 2022 criticism
March 9 – Germany’s outgoing FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger is back on the offensive over the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Villa pitch invasion and violent fans spark FA investigation
March 9 – English football authorities are investigating disgraceful scenes at the end of an FA Cup quarterfinal between arch-rivals Aston Villa and West Bromwich Albion that were reminiscent of the dark days of the domestic game.
New Rangers board call for fans to return now Ashley has been sidelined
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – Rangers’ new board had a slow start to their tenancy with a lifeless 0-0 draw away to Cowdenbeath on Saturday. Now the directors are hoping their promised revolution will get a kick start with a packed Ibrox this Tuesday in their first home Championship match under the new regime against Queen of the South.
Exclusive: Ker-ching! 2013-14 was a barnstorming year for Premier League profits
By David Owen
March 8 – The 2013-14 season is set to go down as a major milestone in the business annals of the Premier League, with the 20 clubs on course to record an aggregate pre-tax profit – perhaps a substantial one – for the first time in over a decade.
Man Utd top Twitter table for third week, Chelsea move up to second
March 6 – For the third week running Manchester United have topped the Insideworldfootball Premier League Twitter ranking putting on more than 43,000 new followers. Chelsea, who were third in the table last week, showed (perhaps depressingly) that fans behaving badly (racism and sexism incidents) do not effect popularity when it comes to putting on followers, but a League Cup win does. Chelsea put on 5,000 fewer fans than Man Utd, but 2,000 more than overall Twitter table topper Arsenal.
FIFA ‘monitoring situation’ as court decides fate of Kenyan football
By Mark Baber
March 6 – The Kenya Football Federation (FKF) initiated injunction against the Kenya Premier League (KPL) was extended until March 13 at Thursday’s High Court hearing and this morning it was ruled that the attempt of Sammy Sholei and Dan Shikanda to be enjoined to the case has been successful. Meanwhile a FIFA spokesperson has told Insideworldfootball the world governing body is monitoring the situation.
Spit spat leaves Cisse and Evans in pool of trouble
March 6 – Newcastle United’s Senegalese striker Papiss Cisse faces a lengthy ban after accepting a charge of spitting at Manchester United defender Jonny Evans in the midweek Premier League fixture.
English FA steps into sexist abuse row as Chelsea fans, again, go toxic
March 6 – England’s Football Association is calling on fans to report sexist abuse after being shown unpleasant scenes of female officials and staff being subjected to obscene chanting – some of it again involving Chelsea supporters.
Guinea’s monsoon season clashes with World Cup and AFCON 2023 scheduling plans
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Africa’s elite players could be forced to play two major tournaments in the space of a month if FIFA rubber-stamps the recommendation to switch the Qatar 2022 World Cup to winter.
Messi’s missing millions: doubts cloud charity games
By Rafael Buschmann and Michael Wulzinger
March 6 – Where did the money go from six benefit football matches played by Lionel Messi and friends? The world famous football player says they went to charity. Tax investigators believe they went to the players. Documents have emerged that are fueling those suspicions.
Borbely takes over FIFA ethics hot seat promising independence and confidentiality
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – FIFA’s new chief ethics investigator insists he will not be influenced or sidetracked by anyone within the heirarchy of football’s world governing body when it comes to making independent decisions – including FIFA president Sepp Blatter.
Celtic swap Nike for New Balance in record kit deal
By Paul Nicholson
March 5 – Scottish giants Celtic have traded Nike in for another US firm, New Balance, in a new kit deal estimated to worth $5.8 million per year, the biggest ever for the club and easily the largest sponsorship in club football in Scotland.
David Owen: Three cheers to the FA for its Olympic ambitions
I don’t often say this, but three cheers to the Football Association (FA) for signalling its desire to continue sending teams to the Olympic football tournament. I just hope that at some point it becomes possible once again for a Great Britain Olympic squad to be genuinely British.
Fulham and Arsenal fans top poll of Londoners’ attitudes
By David Owen
March 5 – A new YouGov poll suggests that football fans have a better reputation than is sometimes suggested – in London at least. The poll indicated that Londoners had a broadly positive impression of fans of all but three of the UK capital’s top teams – West Ham, Chelsea and Millwall.
Martin Volkmar: When experts talk like dopes
When it comes to serious doping allegations at the highest levels of the sport there has to transparency and the presentation of as much information as possible. Performances like that of the legendary Mehmet Scholl witnessed on German television this week are surely counterproductive.