July 9 – One of the big success stories of the World Cup so far has been the welcome the Russians have given to visitors regardless of nationality, colour or religion.
July 9 – The rising career of Kenyan referee Aden Marwa has been terminated after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Saturday banned him for life.
By Paul Nicholson
July 6 – Italian football faces a sponsorship crisis following a government proposal to ban on all gambling advertising, including sponsorship or promotional deals with gambling companies.
July 6 – The entry of the giant OTT streaming services into the top tier football rights market is gathering pace with Facebook agreeing an estimated £260 million deal for live Premier League matches in south-east Asia.
July 6 – FIFA has slapped St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation president Venold Coombs with a two-year ban and a hefty fine after finding him guilty on corruption charges.
July 6 – After describing Colombia’s World Cup loss to England as a “monumental theft” and being wrapped over the knuckles by FIFA, for whom he is a well-paid ambassador, Diego Maradona has apologised for the comments he made about the refereeing during the last-16 tie.
By David Owen
July 6 – There is World Cup history attached to both of Friday’s quarter-final match-ups in Russia. In the case of France versus Uruguay in Nizhny Novgorod, I do not see it having any particular bearing on this week’s outcome; in that of Belgium versus Brazil, it very well might.
July 6 – On the eve of their World Cup quarterfinal against the host nation, Croatia have been fined CHF70,000 for violating media and marketing rules at the tournament.
July 6 – Hard on the heels of Betway having announced two new club betting sponsorship in LaLiga, Marathonbet has taken its first Spanish steps becoming the main sponsor of Girona FC.
By Paul Nicholson
July 5 – Spain’s LaLiga is the latest football rights holder to condemn the on-going copyright theft by pirate satellite broadcaster BeoutQ that is transmitting sports content it does not own. Separately world tennis’s various governing bodies and major tournaments have combined to issue the strongest demands yet, calling for the “immediate closure” of the channel.
July 5 – Claims that embattled former Barcelona chief Sandro Rosell illegally bought a liver for French international defender Eric Abidal have been vehemently denied by the club and roundly condemned.
July 5 – FIFA has apologised on behalf of Diego Maradona for comments he made about the officiating in England’s last-16 World Cup tie against Colombia.
By David Owen
July 5 – Manchester City have more World Cup survivors at the quarter-final stage than any other club.
July 5 – Betway appears to be mopping up shirt sponsor deals in LaLiga. Deportivo Alavés has become the European bookmaker’s third Spanish club in a two-year deal.
July 5 – Football trade show Soccerex has announced it is taking its main winter event, until this year generally held in Manchester, England, to Miami in the US, in partnership with regional confederation Concacaf.