By Mark Baber
January 28 – Barcelona president Jorep Maria Bartomeu has told Catalan media that the club is considering alternatives to their kit deal with the Qatar Foundation over the worsening “social and political situation” in the Gulf state.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 28 – FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein has reacted with deliberate diplomacy to this week’s announcement by Dutch football chief Michael van Praag that he, too, is vying to take over from Sepp Blatter in May.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 28 – The international players’ union FIFPro is holding a crisis session of its members in Greece today and tomorrow after negotiations to overhaul the transfer system broke down.
January 28 – African countries, keen to maintain the level of developments funding they receive, will remain steadfastly behind Sepp Blatter in the forthcoming FIFA presidential election campaign.
By Samindra Kunti
January 28 – Nasser Al-Khater, the executive director of communications and marketing at the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee repeated his confidence that Qatar will host a good World Cup in 2022, whether it is in the winter or summer. He also rebuffed all criticism aimed at the Emirate, saying it is time to move on.
“Whether it’s a [world] record or not doesn’t really resonate with us. What resonates is an elite player that the manager wants who is going to be a star for Manchester United.” Ed Woodward
Manchester United’s executive vice-chairman, Ed Woodward, has been pretty forthright about Manchester United’s transfer-market punch. His words have coincided with coquettish comments from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi about how uncertain are their futures at Real Madrid and Barcelona.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 28 – Legia Warsaw has collected €2 million from a group of investors with the aim of financing new transfers in the current window. The Polish club aims to repay its investors with the profits which are to be generated once the footballers are transferred to other clubs, according to Dariusz Mioduski (pictured), the majority shareholder of Legia Warsaw.
January 28 – Computer game maker Nordeus has released the 2015 version of its Top Eleven football management game for tablets, iOS and android platforms. The new version has a number of upgrades from 2014 and comes with Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho’s marketing endorsement.
January 28 – UEFA is building its Champions League brand value in the Middle East with the opening of a number of UEFA Champions League Experience concept stores. The first store is scheduled to open in May in the United Arab Emirates in Yas Mall on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.
By David Owen
January 28 – Brazil’s brightest current football star Neymar has said he hopes to help his country win its first men’s Olympic football gold medal at South America’s first Olympic Games next year in Rio de Janeiro.
January 27 – Senegal striker Diafra Sakho says he is “saddened” and “angered” by criticism of his absence from the Africa Cup of Nations.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – The rapid rise of England’s David Gill up the political footballing ladder has been given a further boost after the Englishman emerged as odds-on favourite to become the latest FIFA vice-president.
By Paul Nicholson
January 27 – With Rangers close to running out of cash and being unable to pay wages at the end of the month, the Scottish club has agreed terms for a £10 million loan from companies owned by Mike Ashley, the shareholder a majority of fans are desperate and aggressively campaigning to keep out of the club.
January 27 – UEFA have refused to confirm reports that they are brokering a separate deal for clubs playing in the controversial annexed region of Crimea.
January 27 – Manchester United have signed their first online financial services partner, aimed at exploiting their estimated 659 million fanbase worldwide.