By Paul Nicholson
October 2 – The latest report from Benchmark Sports, the data division of consultants KPMG Sports, compares the popularity of Europe’s biggest football clubs with global fashion brands and finds that while the clubs may be the most popular, the fashion brands have the most money.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
October 2 – As a result of increased interest in the home matches played by Estonia’s national team, the country’s government is planning to spend about €5 million with the aim of increasing the capacity of A. Le Coq Arena in Tallinn to about 15,000 seats.
By Mark Baber
October 2 – Under pressure from FIFA to end government interference in appointment of its officials, the Singapore FA (FAS) has delayed the appointment of new council members, promising to put a new election process in place by March 2016.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 2 – South Korea’s heavyweight candidate Chung Mong-joon faces the prospect of being forced to drop out of next February’s FIFA presidential election.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 2 – While the English FA are standing by their man for the time being, the Germans are not so sure whether Michel Platini is still the right man for the job of taking over from Sepp Blatter.
By Jamie Styles
October 2 – In what is believed be football’s first social media sacking of a top division manager, Bosnian side Drina Zvornik have fired their manager Vladica Petrovic over Facebook. If that wasn’t bizarre enough, Petrovic was apparently among the first to ‘like’ the post.
By Paul Nicholson
October 2 – Amsterdam ArenA, the home of Dutch giants Ajax and which will host four matches at the 2020 European Championships, has unveiled a major €50 million renovation project that will radically alter the look of the stadium and upgrade spectator facilities.
By Mark Baber
October 2 – Comparatively poor results by English clubs in the Champions League last season and a disappointing opening to the Champions League groups stage have led to a spate of suggestions England may lose their fourth Champions League place to Italy. However analysis suggests this is unlikely and English club performances in European club football over the past five seasons have been second only to the Spanish.
By Paul Nicholson
October 1 – Premier League attendances for Round 7 topped last week’s figures with the 10 home matches averaging 96.5% stadium capacity, the second highest since the opening day of the season. Stoke City had just one seat unfilled at the Britannia Stadium.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 1 – Michel Platini may have his mind very much on the FIFA presidential election and whether he will actually still eligible as a result of the already notorious and still not fully explained SFr2 million payment he received whilst working for Sepp Blatter several years ago.
By Ben Nicholson
October 1 – The NWSL has extended its partnership with Nike through 2019, thus meaning that Nike will remain as the league’s official club kit, apparel and equipment, supplier of the league balls, and provider for all NWSL teams present and future.
By Ben Nicholson
October 1 – The rivalry between Mexico and the US national teams has reached levels worthy of cinematic production. The upcoming one-off CONCACAF playoff between the pair, which will decide who will go to the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup in Russia, is slated for the big screen in 200 locations across the US.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 1 – England’s Football Association says it will continue to back Michel Platini’s bid to become FIFA president despite the Frenchman being drawn into the FIFA corruption scandal with last week’s revelation that he received SFr 2million for carrying out work on behalf of Sepp Blatter at the time he was his special adviser.
October 1 – If ever proof were needed that all is not quite right at the top of FIFA and UEFA, tomorrow’s annual friendly game between the staff of both organisations has suddenly been postponed – relieving respective presidents Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini of coming face to face.
By Paul Nicholson
October 1 – Brazilian Jose Maria Marin (pictured) and Costa Rican Eduardo Li are the fifth and sixth of the seven FIFA executives arrested in the dawn raids in Switzerland in May to have the next stages of their extradition processes to the US unveiled.