By Alexander Krassimirov
January 17 – 583 football clubs will be entitled to vote in the upcoming Congress of Bulgarian Football Union on 14 February, when the elections for a new president of the federation will take place. That was announced after a meeting of the Executive Committee – 137 clubs were excluded because they are not currently engaged in any activity.
January 17 – A new Spanish football anti-corruption unit has been set up to try to combat the scourge of match-fixing and illegal betting. Manuel Quintanar (pictured), director general of the so-called integrity department at the Spanish league, says those found guilty should be given far stronger sentences.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 17 – Scottish football has become caught up in a new betting scandal after Michael Moffat (pictured), a striker with League One club Ayr United, was banned for six games for breaking the rules.
By Alexander Krassimirov
January 16 – German company IFS has reached an agreement with the Bulgarian Football Union to build a new modern stadium in Sofia. The facility will be built on the site of Slavia stadium and will be the national stadium for home games as well as being used by Slavia FC.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 16 – In what might be perceived, somewhat controversially, as a sign that Lionel Messi is losing his lustre, millions of fans have bizarrely left the Barcelona and Argentine superstar out of UEFA’s team of the year.
January 16 – Leeds United, one of the biggest names in English football but struggling to rekindle past glories, have moved a step closer being taken over after Bahrain-based investment company Gulf Finance House (GFH) agreed to sell part of its stake in the iconic club.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 15 – Spartak Nalchik has decided to pull out of the Russian National Football League, the second tier of Russia’s professional football league, due to the club’s ongoing financial woes.
By Alexander Krassimirov
January 15 – The fan clubs of Levski Sofia have told Bulgarian authorities that they will not participate in anti-government protests in the capital. For nearly a year, Sofia the city has been disrupted by protests against the government of the country.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 14 – Kosovan football authorities are celebrating a major breakthrough after FIFA finally cleared the national team and clubs to play friendly matches after a long-running dispute that was in danger of derailing any meaningful progress.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 13 – Poland’s ITI Group has sold Legia Warsaw to Boguslaw Lesnodorski, the club’s chief executive, and his business partner Dariusz Mioduski.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 13 – Spanish football authorities, many of whose clubs are struggling financially, have launched an ambitious new tournament designed to increase brand awareness overseas. The so-called ‘LFP World Challenge’ will see friendly games played in Europe, North and South America and Asia between the 2014/15 and 2016/17 seasons.
January 13 – Lazio and Italy midfielder Stefano Mauri will be back in action on February 2 after his nine-month ban for failing to report match-fixing was reduced on appeal.
January 13 – Barcelona’s signing of Brazilian forward Neymar last June has attracted intense attention from the Spanish courts following a complaint by Barcelona club member Jordi Cases, who wants clarification of how the €57.1 million fee was distributed.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 10 – The controversial French comic whose alleged Nazi-style gesture was copied by former French international Nicolas Anelka, prompting a global outcry by anti-racist groups, was banned from performing this week by the highest court in France – just before he was about to go on stage.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 10 – Poland’s Korona Kielce has signed a sponsorship deal with Kolporter, one of the country’s largest press distribution companies. Under the contract, which will be effective “until at least end of June 2018”, the club’s stadium will be renamed Kolporter Arena.