Hoeness admits guilt and expresses remorse, but prosecutor wants jail term
March 11 – Bayern Munich president Uli Hoeness said he “deeply regretted” his conduct on the opening day of his high-profile trial for tax evasion.
Europe
English get ‘serious’ and consider ‘blanket’ football betting ban
March 11 – English football authorities are considering a blanket ban for all players and officials – including club, league and federation officials in the football business – on betting on matches after yet another Premier League player admitted breaking current rules.
Hoeness trial opens as German judiciary line up against Bayern president
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – The tax evasion trial of Bayern Munich President Uli Hoeness gets under way today, the culmination of a scandal that has rocked German football though it has done little to affect the blistering form of the club itself on the field.
Bulgaria’s Lokomotiv fires director for political activism
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 10 – Bulgaria’s Lokomotiv Plovdiv have released their administrative director, Atanas Uzunov, accusing him of “political games”. The board of Lokomotiv claims that he used his official position to “influence the supporters of the club and they participate in political actions against the government of country.”
Ukraine FA sets date for re-start of domestic league
By Paul Nicholson
March 7 – The on-off-on international friendly between Ukraine and the US, switched to a Cypriot venue, ended in a morale boosting 2-0 win for the Ukranians. Now the Ukraine FA has announced that its domestic league will restart on March 15.
Benfica agree fees to play Levski Sofia in centenary match
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 7 – Portuguese giants Benfica have agreed to reduce their fee to €200,000 to participate in an exhibition game against Levski Sofia to mark the Bulgarian club’s 100th anniversary.
Botev Plovdiv unveil new stadium plans for 2015 opening
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 7 – Bulgaria’s Botev Plovdiv has unveiled a new set of pans for the building of the Hristo Botev stadium, where the club will play its home games. The stadium reconstruction should be completed in 2015.
UEFA ready for assault on third-party player ownership, but clubs urge caution
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Third Party Ownership, the dubious process by which companies or individuals own the economic rights of players and take a portion of international transfer fees, may have its roots in South America but is also spreading its tentacles into a “growing” number of European countries according to the European Club Association which represents the interests of more than 200 clubs across the Continent.
CSKA Sofia shares go on sale with first round target of €4.5m
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 6 – Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia has released further details of the club’s capital raising share offer and has formally launched an advertising awareness campaign for the release of the club stock and its entry on to the Bulgarian stock exchange.
Popescu jailed as Romanian judge hammers football fraudsters
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – In his day he was one of the world’s best-known footballers during a stellar career that included spells with Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven. He was even tipped to become president of his national federation.
Kosova* make history with world debut match against Haiti
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Amidst the flurry of high-profile international friendlies played across the globe on Wednesday night, the most symbolic fixture took place in front of 17,000 fans in the divided Balkan city of Mitrovica.
Adidas wary of exchange rates but ready for World Cup boost
March 6 – Announcing quarterly results, Adidas said its income for the quarter was €42 million. This is higher than the average €37.1 million analyst estimated – for the same quarter last year Adidas made a loss of €7 million. But end year figures look likely to be below analyst expectations.
Ludogorets to donate 20% of Europa League gate receipts to charity
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 5 – Bulgarian champions Ludogorets will donate 20% of its ticket revenue to charity from the upcoming home quarter final match in the Europa League against Valencia in Sofia next week. The club has established a foundation ‘Ludogorets for Bulgaria’, which will carry our charity work in all spheres of Bulgarian society.
Romanian league eyes €100 million from new broadcasting rights deal
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 5 – Romania’s league association LPF is currently negotiating a new broadcasting rights deal for the Liga 1 which is expected to total €100 million for the next three years. The negotiations are expected to be completed this March, with several major media players set to bid for the contract, reported local daily Jurnalul National.
Quenelle-gate2; Belgian Futsal international hit with 10-match ban
March 5 – Another ‘quenelle’ controversy has hit European football with UEFA suspending Belgian player Omar Rahou for performing the so-called inverted Nazi salute during the European futsal championships in Antwerp.