News Archives - Page 968 of 1747 - Inside World Football

News analysis: Of Qataris, Uncle Toms and Asian do-gooders

FIFA vote counting

By James Dostoyevsky

When Saoud Al-Mohannadi, the Qatari official who was disqualified from standing as an Asian member of FIFA’s ruling Council won a landmark appeal – well timed so that he couldn’t run for office next month – the (football) world was mighty surprised. His was a rare, a very rare, case for the FIFA Appeals Committee to overturn the “independent” FIFA Ethics machine, not merely by reducing a sanction but by vacating it entirely.

Football Marketing

Will Toon Army mobilise on social media or will Man Utd continue to paint it Red?

April 25 – Newcastle United’s re-ascent to the Premier League will immediately catapult the club into ninth place in the Premier League social media rankings, but is it a position that perhaps reflects the under achievement of what is undoubtedly one of England’s most passionately supported clubs?

Europe

Olympiacos title confirmed as they and AEK appeal closed-door sanctions

April 25 – Olympiacos have had their Greek league title win, the club’s 44th, confirmed after a hearing into reported fan trouble after a Greek Cup semi-final first leg match against AEK Athens resulted in a four game sanction for both clubs to play behind closed doors.

Europe

Bayern call for Merkel to intervene over ‘brutal actions’ of Spanish police

Bayern Munich fans

April 25 – In an unusual move, Bayern Munich have approached the office of German chancellor Angela Merkel to officially request an official explanation from the Spanish authorities for the behaviour of their police during last week’s Champions League quarter-final in Madrid.

Europe

Portuguese police investigate death of Fiorentina fan trying to flee fighting

April 25 – Portuguese authorities have opened an investigation into the death of an Italian supporter caught up in last weekend’s Lisbon derby between Sporting and Benfica.

Football Marketing

BNN boost Man City mobile content in portfolio that includes Arsenal and Barca

April 25 – Manchester City has expanded its partnership with London-listed but China focussed technology, content and services company BNN. The new deal will see the club deliver coaching programmes and unique content via the Xinhua News mobile app.

Benitez’s Newcastle United bounce back to Premier League. What next for Toon Army?

April 25 – Exactly 348 days after the anguish of being relegated, Newcastle United, one of English football’s most iconic clubs, are back in the big time at the first time of asking.

Russia 2018

St Petersburg stadium debuts as a work in progress

By Samindra Kunti

April 24 – Saint Petersburg’s 69-000 all-seater Krestovsky Stadium has opened two months before the Confederations Cup, but concerns remain over the venue’s readiness.

FIFA

FIFA poised to offer Israel 6-month deal to kill off its six West Bank teams

Israel vs Palestine flags

By Andrew Warshaw

April 24 – The FIFA committee charged with resolving the increasingly intractable Israeli-Palestinian issue looks set to postpone a final ruling once again by giving Israel six months to discontinue playing matches in the occupied West Bank – or face possible sanctions.

Football Marketing

Facebook launches Camera Effects AR platform with Man Utd demo

By Paul Nicholson

April 24 – When Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg launched its augmented reality Camera Effects developer platform last week at its annual developer conference last week in California, Manchester United teamed up as the demonstration guinea-pig to demonstrate the applications.

FIFA

Blatter says he is not a ‘suspect’ and Platini could be cleared for return

Michel Platini and Sepp Blatter

By Andrew Warshaw

April 24 – Sepp Blatter’s colourful and controversial career may be over as a result of his six-year ethics ban but despite speculation to the contrary, the 81-year-old insists he will not end up facing prosecution at the hands of either US or Swiss justice authorities.

FIFA

Makudi wins Thai ‘forgery’ appeal and says FIFA must now lift his ban

worawi makudi

By Andrew Warshaw

April 24 – After the net had seemingly closed in on him once and for all, former FIFA Executive Committee member Worawi Makudi could be about to stage a shock comeback.

Europe

FIFPro warns players away from Romania as pay situation worsens

April 24 – The international players’ union FIFpro has warned its members against signing for Romanian clubs because of the risk they will not get paid.

Football Marketing

KPN upgrades Eredvisie deal to main sponsorship with focus on TV connections

April 24 – The Dutch Eredvisie has signed telecommunications operator KPN in a four-year deal as the league’s main sponsor from the start of next season.

Concacaf

Caribbean boss Derrick disappointed at CFU exco resignations

By Paul Nicholson

April 21 – Caribbean Football Union (CFU) president Gordon Derrick has expressed disappointment at the resignation of two of his executive committee members who demanded he should resign after he lost an appeal at the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) over his exclusion from the CONCACAF presidential elections last year.