Cisse questioned by police over Valbuena sex tape blackmail
October 14 – Former Liverpool forward Djibril Cisse is at the centre of a blackmail investigation in France having been taken into custody and then released.
Europe
Belgium break through to top FIFA rankings and earn big-money friendlies
By Samindra Kunti
October 14 – Last night Belgium’s ascendency to the top of world football culminated in an unprecedented number one spot on the FIFA ranking with a 3-1 win over Israel in Brussels. The result also ensured Belgium will be seeded at the EURO2016’s final draw in the French capital in December. In November the Red Devils will face Italy in Kuwait in a friendly.
Dortmund tops Euro attendance table followed by Barca and Man Utd
By Paul Nicholson
October 14 – Fan attendances at top division matches in Germany, France and Spain have increased for the opening games of this season compared to last. But in Italy and France matchday attendances have dropped, according to data from Benchmark Sports, the data and analysis arm of KPMG’s Sports practice. Overall the ‘big five’ leagues have a combined attendance increase of 1.3%.
Euro support for Platini stutters as it emerges SFr2m contract was verbal
By Andrew Warshaw
October 13 – Revelations that Michel Platini had no written contract over the SFr2m Swiss francs payment that led to his provisional suspension threatens to cause a split among UEFA’s top brass when they meet on Thursday to discuss whether to continue supporting the Frenchman’s bid to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president.
La Liga’s €650m TV share-out has leveled clubs, says Tebas
By David Owen in Monte Carlo
October 13 – La Liga has an unaccustomed look, with Villarreal’s Yellow Submarine having floated to the crest of the wave seven matches into the new season. And Javier Tebas (pictured) thinks he knows why.
FA gets £12m boost as it refinances Wembley Stadium debt
By Mark Baber
October 12 – The FA has announced a new refinancing arrangement which will save at least £12 million a year and which marks a landmark for the FA as the new Wembley turns into an asset rather than a drag on the finances of the FA Group.
Euro qualifiers: Small nations win their place in the France 2016 sun
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – It’s shaping up as the Euro 2016 of the minnows. When Michel Platini decided to expand the European Championship finals from 16 to 24 teams, reaction was mixed with many predicting the quality of competition would be reduced.
Platini appeal backed by French and South Americans, but English told to rethink
By Andrew Warshaw
October 12 – Just like the man he is endeavouring to succeed, UEFA president Michel Platini is appealing against his provisional 90-day suspension imposed by FIFA’s ethics committee while they further investigate his receipt of that infamous SFr2 million payment.
Barca back Messi in tax fraud case and complain they are the real victim
October 12 – Barcelona are standing behind their mercurial superstar Lionel Messi in his fight against being punished for alleged tax fraud.
Albanian fans stone Serbian team coach, but match is played without incident
By Mark Baber
October 9 – Serbia’s team coach was attacked by stones, smashing one of the windows, ahead of Thursday’s Euro2016 qualifier in the central Albanian town of Elbasan. Violence was predictable following the abandonment of the earlier fixture in which a drone with a Greater Albania flag was flown over the stadium in the Serbian capital causing crowd trouble and the Albanian team to refuse to continue the match.
Platini complains of ‘farcical’ charges for suspension and vows to fight on
By Andrew Warshaw
October 9 – Michel Platini has re-iterated his innocence in the light of being suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee as his top brass at UEFA closed ranks and said they were firmly behind their beleaguered president.
Spanish judge rules Messi will stand trail for fraud, jail beckons
October 9 – The world’s best-known and most talented footballer faces a possible jail sentence after a Spanish court ruled that Argentine and Barcelona striker Lionel Messi and his father should stand trial on tax fraud charges, rejecting a request by prosecutors to drop the charges against the mercurial superstar.
AC Milan’s Gualtieri takes a radical approach to developing for the future
By Samindra Kunti
September 8 – AC Milan’s director of academy performance Domenico Gualtieri has indicated that the holistic training approach at the club in the past may have been a mistake, but has stressed that such approaches are flexible of conception.
Tavecchio pushes for Italian stadium investment and cautions on TV cash
By Mark Baber
Ocotber 7 – Speaking to the Italian parliament, FIGC President Carlo Tavecchio argued it would be better for clubs to fix up their existing stadiums rather than build new ones, whilst declaring TV revenue was not a reliable source of income and football’s main problem was employees getting rich at the expense of entrepreneurs.
SV Darmstadt to launch €33m stadium expansion project
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
October 7 – Bundlesliga club SV Darmstadt 98 is planning a €33 million modernisation of its stadium with the renovation targeted to be completedby the end of 2018.