News Archives - Page 1399 of 1745 - Inside World Football

Exclusive: New hope that Belounis could receive Qatar exit visa in days

Zahir Belounis2

By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – Zahir Belounis, the journeyman footballer trapped in Qatar claiming 18 months of unpaid wages, may be on the verge of winning his battle to get out of the country. The plight of the French-Algerian, who says he is a ‘destroyed’ man after being forced to sell all his possessions, has caused outrage among human rights organisations and has added to global concern over Qatar’s notorious kafala employment system that ties migrant workers to so-called ‘sponsors’.

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Clubs offered revenue protection through new player insurance product

player insurance

By Paul Nicholson
November 25 – A new insurance product launched today is providing Europe’s top clubs with the opportunity to insure their players against illness or injury that could affect the club’s performance on the field and hence its financial performance off it. A club could protect up to £100 million of revenue with the cover.

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CFA votes in favour of next steps to Cypriot football’s reunification

Costakis Koutsokoumnis

By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – Football re-unification between Greek and Turkish Cypriots has moved a further step closer with the official Cyprus Football Association (CFA) approving the historic arrangement signed by the two sides at FIFA headquarters earlier this month.

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Private to public: City moves in to take control of Poland’s Slask Wroclaw

Slask Wroclaw

By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 25 – The city of Wroclaw has acquired full control over local football club Slask Wroclaw. Slask currently plays in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of Poland’s professional football league and are currently the league champions.

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Return to Soviet league meets old-style resistence, despite lure of prize money

Nikolai Tolstykh

By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – One of Russian football’s leading officials has opposed the re-establishment of an old-style Soviet league featuring teams from Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet states. The idea of a breakaway plan for a multi-national league of up to 16 teams was first floated a year ago but Nikolai Tolstykh (pictured), head of the Russian Football Union, says the money would be better spent domestically, not least on youth football instead.

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Bulgarian businessman close to landing Rouen deal with players and cash

Balkanian Airways

By Alexander Krassimirov
November 25 – A 25 -year-old Bulgarian millionaire, Daniel Dimov, is in talks to buy third division French club FC Rouen. Dimov would take ownership of a club that has twice been champion of France – in 1940 and 1945.

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Burkina Faso see red over Algerian yellows in 2014 qualifier

Burkina Faso vs Algeria

By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – Burkina Faso, whose dream of a first ever appearance in the World Cup finals was dashed by an away goals playoff defeat by Algeria, say their opponents fielded an ineligible player in last week’s decisive second leg and have taken their complaint to FIFA.

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Simunic claims innocence as celebration triggers fine and FIFA scrutiny

Josip Simunic

By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – Croatia, who this week qualified for the World Cup finals at the expense of Iceland, face a possible backlash over defender Josip Simunic’s controversial celebrations. FIFA have begun disciplinary proceedings into events that followed the playoff second leg after Simunic was fined 25,000 kuna ($4,400) by Croatian public prosecutors for apparent pro-Nazi chants.

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Forget the bombs, we’re here to sort the football coaching problems out

bangalore grassroots instrctor course 3x2

November 22 – “So far the course has been running smoothly despite the bombing that occurred last Tuesday,” said FIFA Development Officer Majed Abweh. He is overseeing a FIFA development course in Lebanon that is training grassroots instructors from around the AFC region.

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EU sends message to Qatar and FIFA with resolution on ‘slave labour’

construction workers 2

By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – The European Parliament is the latest body to denounce Qatar’s treatment of migrant workers with a powerful demand to the authorities to radically improve human rights and put an to end to “forced and slave labour”.

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UEFA names 6 clubs facing FFP scrutiny, but closes book on 25 others

uefa flag

November 22 – Six clubs are to be investigated for possible breaches of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations as European football’s governing body implements its drive to clamp down on over-spending and loss-making clubs.

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Adidas/FIFA deal will push them to 60-year partnership … and no sign of retirement

adidas - brazuca

By Paul Nicholson
November 22 – Adidas has extended its partnership and sponsorship with FIFA through to 2030 in a massive 16-year extension of a deal that first saw them come together for the World Cup in Mexico in 1970.

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Jordan sign off with pride as Brazil 2014 places fill up

world cup

November 21 – Uruguay became the 32nd and final country to reach next year’s World Cup finals on Wednesday at the predictable expense of Jordan. But the underdogs returned home with their heads held high.

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AFC hires Sportradar in battle against match-fixing

alex soosay

By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – The Asian Football Confederation, part of whose territory is home to the illegal betting rings organising the global match-fixing epidemic, has taken on fraud detection experts Sportradar in the fight against the criminal gangs responsible.

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Free kick spray to make FIFA debut at Club World Cup

free kick spray

By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – Vanishing spray, which has been used for several years in South America to stop defensive walls encroaching at free kicks, will be employed throughout next month’s Club World Cup in Morocco.