Portuguese, Polish investors eye Lechia Gdansk
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
December 17 – The majority shareholder of Lechia Gdansk, currently playing in the Ekstraklasa, is planning to sell its stake in the Polish football club.
Europe
Battle of the big guns: CL draw lines up high flyers and higher spenders
December 16 – Big-spending Manchester City’s reward for reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time is a mouth-watering clash with four-time winners Barcelona, while holders Bayern Munich face Arsenal for the second year in a row in the other big tie of the last 16 following today’s draw.
Valencia on the sales block as Sevilla seek new president
December 13 – Valencia, struggling with €300 million of debt, has run into further trouble with Bankia, who holds most of the debt, saying there will no refinancing available for the club.
Zenit condemns fans after another night of Champions League turmoil
December 13 – Zenit St Petersburg have admitted their Champions League fixture against Austria Vienna this week was almost called off because of their fans. The Macedonian referee had to stop play for several minutes in the first half of Zenit’s 4-1 defeat when a number of flares were thrown from the visiting Russian supporters.
Levski Sofia stadium build put on hold as money drys up
By Alexander Krassimirov
December 13 – Bulgarian club Levski Sofia has put the reconstruction of its Georgi Asparuhov stadium on hold which new money is sought to complete the build.
Welsh look to future and declare hosting ambitions
By Andrew Warshaw
December 13 – Wales could be a surprise bidder for the 2026 World Cup in partnership with England and/or other British federations. Cardiff has already been selected to host next year’s UEFA Super Cup, only the second time it has not been staged in Monaco, and Wales First Minister Carwyn Jones said his country was keen to use the opportunity to further its credentials.
UEFA sees yellow and calls on IFAB to ease the ‘triple’ troubles
By Andrew Warshaw
December 13 – UEFA wants football’s lawmakers to scrap the so-called “triple punishment” rule that many in the game feel is too draconian.
UEFA proposes 11-point plan for match-fixing sanctions
By Andrew Warshaw
December 13 – UEFA have responded to the latest wave of match-fixing by drawing up an 11-point plan which they hope will be applied by all 54 member federations. The draft plan, which calls on the membership to agree to the same sanctions on a consistent basis, will be put before the UEFA Congress in Kazakhstan next March for approval.
Barca rule out full naming rights deal as Intel signs on as tech sponsor
December 12 – With Barcelona considering their options on whether to revamp the Nou Camp or move to a new site and build on land owned by the University of Barcelona, the club has landed US IT company Intel as a new sponsor.
Celtic await imminent UEFA ruling on Green Brigade banners
December 12 – Scottish champions Celtic will find out on Friday what sanction they will face over outlawed banners displayed by fans during last month’s Champions League clash with AC Milan.
Violence and recrimination in Italy mars last round of Champions League
December 12 – The culmination of the Champions League group phase was marked by an ugly outbreak of fan violence in Milan where three Ajax supporters were stabbed prior to their decisive fixture with AC Milan. The fans were apparently attacked in three separate incidents close to the San Siro stadium with one of them in a “serious” condition after being stabbed in the stomach.
Rosetti quits as Russian refereeing supremo
By Andrew Warshaw
December 12 – Just over a year after declaring that the level of officiating in Russia needed a radical overhaul, Roberto Rosetti has resigned as head of refereeing at the Russian federation.
Sky Deutschland keeps Champions League and football lead
December 12 – Rupert Murdoch’s German satellite broadcaster Sky Deutschland has retained its right to screen Champions League games until 2018.
Exclusive: Belounis in England to talk to clubs on next move
By Andrew Warshaw
December 11 – Zahir Belounis, the footballer whose story of being “trapped” in Qatar against his will made him an international cause celebre, was in London today for preliminary talks with unidentified clubs over possibly extending his career in the English league.
Poland’s Ekstraklasa eyes launch of own TV channel
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
December 11 – Poland’s Ekstraklasa is planning to launch its own television channel. Under the plan, the channel will hold Polish league football broadcast rights and resell them to digital platforms and cable operators.