Russia cuts stadium capacity in two cities in run-up to 2018
September 30 – FIFA has agreed to a reduction in capacity for two of the stadiums scheduled to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Shakhtar count human cost as they open CL ‘home’ campaign in Lviv
By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Spare a thought for Shakhtar Donetsk who play their first ‘home’ Champions League game of the season tonight – 600 miles away.
Samba banned for ‘abusing’ racist crowd abusers…really!
By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Russian football authorities, still getting to grips with how to deal with racism, have taken the extraordinary step of banning Dynamo Moscow defender Christopher Samba for the way he retaliated to being verbally abused in a recent top-flight league game.
Serie A kicks-off series of match-fixing education workshops with Sportradar
September 30 – Italy’s Serie A has reacted to prevent recurrence of the match-fixing the league has experienced with the launch of an educational programme that will roll out to all 20 top tier clubs and cover 1,400 players.
Date overlap as FIFA makes 2016 blockbuster events official
By Paul Nicholson
September 29 – After a longer than anticipated wait, the Centennial Cup America has been officially added to the 2016 FIFA events calendar. The dates mean that the oldest international cup competition in the world will overlap with UEFA’s revamped 24-team Euro 2016 championships for 16 days.
NFF President sues security service over harassment ahead of elections
By Mark Baber
September 29 – Ahead of tomorrow’s Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Presidential and Executive committee elections the dispute about their legitimacy rages whilst the outgoing President and other officials are seeking a court injunction against the Nigerian security services (DSS) for harassment.
Watch row keeps ticking as Blatter calls time
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter is distancing himself from the growing row over 65 designer watches donated to many of the world’s leading football administrators as gifts at the World Cup.
Germans draw line at ‘health hazard’ vanishing spray
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Despite being introduced at the World Cup to mark out freekicks and subsequently employed by UEFA, vanishing spray, considered one of the game’s most successful innovations, is facing its first major crisis after being deemed illegal under European law.
FIFA plots pathway to end of TPO
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – After being besieged by constant condemnation of third-party ownership, FIFA has finally agreed to ban the practise – but only after a transitional period has been phased in.
MLS infrastructure: clubs build their stadium bases
By Ben Nicholson
September 29 – With new MLS teams cropping up around the US, and existing teams rejuvenating, the creation and expansion of stadiums has been in the forefront of minds and proposals all round country. Here is an update on the current happenings.
Gibraltar take appeal to CAS after FIFA reject nation status
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – FIFA’s decision to reject Gibraltar’s application for membership has thrown the British overseas territory’s international status into confusion given that it has just started playing official games as the 54th member of UEFA.
Legia adds new money, with Wandzel buying 20% stake
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
September 29 – Polish businessman Maciej Wandzel has acquired a 20% stake in Legia Warsaw from Dariusz Mioduski, the majority shareholder in the club, who now holds 60% of the shares.
Club Protection Programme renewed until 2018
By David Owen
September 28 – FIFA’s ruling Executive Committee has approved the renewal of the Club Protection Programme (CPP) – the scheme designed to remove a longstanding bone of contention by compensating clubs when players they employ are injured on international duty – for a further four years.
David Owen: The broader significance of Gibraltar’s application for FIFA membership
I have to admit I wouldn’t normally dwell on an announcement by FIFA President Sepp Blatter that the FIFA Executive Committee had decided that the football association of a rocky 2.3 square mile enclave at the tip of the Iberian peninsula cannot be accepted as a member of FIFA.
Torpedo Moscow hit with stand closure after racist chanting
September 26 – Leading Russian club Torpedo Moscow have been ordered to close a section of their stadium for one match following racist abuse aimed at rival Dynamo Moscow’s English defender Christopher Samba.