By Andrew Warshaw
August 28 – Inter Milan have renewed their sponsorship agreement with Nike by signing a 10-year deal worth a reported €200 million in what has become one of football’s longest established partnerships.
By Mark Baber
August 27 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter is expecting a reply in the next few days from Russian authorities about the recently passed law banning “propaganda” to minors on “non-traditional relations.”
By ‘Alex O’Loughlin
August 27 – Gareth Bale looks set to join Real Madrid before the close of the transfer market for a world record fee in excess of €90 million, and Madrid have already started work on recouping that ooutlay.
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 27 – Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia will lose its main sponsor GLOBUL. The telecommunication company, which is the second largest in Bulgaria announced that it would not continue its cooperation with the club when the current sponsorship contract expires at the end of August.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 26 – Former French international striker Nicolas Anelka is reported to be considering retiring following the death of his agent, Eric Manasse.
By Mark Baber
August 26- Swiss billionaire investor Klaus-Michael Kühne wants to see radical reforms and Felix Magath, known for his tough management style, brought in to run Hamburger SV – and unless he gets his way he will not be putting any more of his money into the club.
By Alex O’Loughlin
August 26 – The Spanish tax authorities will collect almost €50 million from star trio Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi and Neymar for the 2013-14 tax year.
By Alex O’Loughlin
August 23 – Barcelona have become the first football club in the world to boast more than a million YouTube subscribers to its channel.
By Mark Baber
August 23 – Armenian referee Andranik Arsenyan and assistant Hovhannes Avagyan have been handed life bans by UEFA’s Control and Disciplinary Body (CDB) after admitting attempting to manipulate the outcome of a Europa League match.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 23 – The world record fee for a footballer looks set to be smashed in the next few days when Tottenham Hotspur’s exciting Welshman Gareth Bale is finally sold to Real Madrid after a long-drawn-out transfer saga.
August 23 – The future of English football at under-21 level and below has been placed in the hands of Gareth Southgate who is heading back to the Football Association in succession to Stuart Pearce, who left in June after a disappointing group stage exit at the European under-21 finals in Israel.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 22 – English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke has again reiterated his preference for a winter World Cup in Qatar in 2022. Dyke, who succeeded David Bernstein earlier this summer, has already clashed with the Premier League which is leading the campaign to keep the tournament in June and July.
August 22 – An unusual case of discrimination has emerged in Belgium where a top-division player has demanded a public apology and damages following remarks from a television commentator.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 22 – With the transfer window slamming shut on September 2, the international players’ union FIFPro is urging its members to look elsewhere rather than sign for teams in Greece, Turkey and Cyprus because of those countries’ poor record in honouring contracts.
By Mark Baber
August 21 – Beşiktaş has signed a $145 million deal with Vodafone, the club revealed in a statement on the Turkish Stock Exchange. The deal, including shirt sponsorship and sponsorship of the new Beşiktaş stadium which will be named the ‘Vodafone Arena’, is a timely one for the Istanbul club who have debt of about €100 million.