Stakeholders will have time to make 2022 case, says Shaikh Salman
September 15 -Asian football chief Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa says there will be no rush to agree on an exact date for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Author: Paul Nicholson
Central America’s finest gladiators rock The Coliseum
By Paul Nicholson in Los Angeles
September 15 – A piece of Central America came to Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night with the finals of the Central American Cup played out in front of a passionate and vocal Latino crowd approaching 50,000.
Diacre’s Clermont register first league win
By David Owen
September 14 – Another small slice of football history was made on Friday night, as Corinne Diacre’s Clermont Foot beat Le Havre in the second division of the French championship.
David Owen: Twilight of the agents?
Given the number of times I read that football agent Jorge Mendes won the summer transfer window, it is ironic that his profession stands technically to be legislated out of existence before the end of the 2014-15 season. If world governing body FIFA gets its way, a new regulatory system dealing not with licensed agents, but with “intermediaries” will take effect on 1 April 2015. Some, including agents I have spoken to who predict that the new rules will produce chaos,
FIFA to double women’s development funding
By David Owen
September 12 – In a further positive step for women’s football, FIFA has announced that it is to double its development funding for this fast-growing arm of the sport over its next four-year cycle, culminating with the World Cup in Russia in 2018. The governing body has earmarked $21 million for this purpose in 2015-18, up from just under $10.3 million in 2011-14.
Garber signs up for five more years as MLS continues expansion
By Ben Nicholson
September 12 – Don Garber has signed a contract to continue on as MLS Commissioner for another five years. The deal will keep him as the head of US’s premier professional league until 2018, which would mark his twentieth year in the job.
John Yan: Mr Perrin, there are only 42 kids in the younger age group… 四十二个孩子
Alan Perrin started his career as the head coach of China national team formally, and played two friendly matches during the FIFA international match week. China didn’t lose these two, which were a victory against Kuwait and a draw against Jordan, both played at home. The Frenchman’s first mission will be taking Team China to next year’s Asian Cup held in Australia.
China to dominate the Asian Games – but not the football
By Mark Baber
September 12 – China has finished top of the Asian Games medal table every year since 1990, and in the last edition in Guangzhou picked up 199 gold medals – three times as many as runners up South Korea, but Asia’s most populous country remains a rank outsider in the football.
TPO ‘is a monster’, says Sporting chief as Rojo case heads for court
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – The president of one of Portugal’s leading clubs has lashed out at Third Party Ownership despite the country being one of those where the practise is commonplace.
Welsh charged over Andorra pitch invasion
September 12 – UEFA has charged the Football Association of Wales (FAW) for a pitch invasion following their late winner in this week’s 2-1 win in Andorra.
Nike swoops to oust Umbro with new Norway deal
By Mark Baber
September 12 – Nike and the Norwegian Football Association have announced a new partnership that sees Nike become the federation’s official apparel sponsor, taking over from Umbro.
No turning back: Allam stands by his word, and name, putting Hull up for sale
September 12 – The symbolic Hull City name change saga that has generated interest way beyond English shores has taken a potentially decisive turn with owner Assem Allam revealing he put the club up for sale several months ago.
Balotelli buy is proof of Liverpool’s new stability and competitiveness
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre says the club have learned valuable lessons on and off the field in terms of long-term sustainability.
Moscow World Football Forum adds Smertin to FFP panel line-up
September 12 – The World Football Forum 2014, to be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow, November 13, has added former Russian footballing legend Aleksei Smertin to the panel discussion on the implications of UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFP). Smertin will be on the panel led by the Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club, Ron Gourlay. Chelsea were one of the clubs Smertin played for.
FIFA to dip into solidarity fund to help Ebola-hit associations
By David Owen
September 11 – FIFA plans to dip into its solidarity fund to help three impoverished West African nations – Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone – stricken by the deadly Ebola virus. The governing body said that at its next finance committee meeting in two weeks’ time on September 25 it would propose using solidarity fund resources to “support the member associations” of these three countries in the fight against the disease.