Stoichkov offered return to Litex after CSKA fall out
July 12 – Litex Lovech owner Grisha Ganchev has opened the way for the possible return of former European European of the Year Hristo Stoichkov to the four-times Bulgarian champions.
Europe
Giggs and Neville combine to launch football-branded hotels and cafés
By Mark Baber
July 12 – Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville have announced their GG Hospitality company will be launching hotel and café brands with the intention of building a hospitality empire, both UK and overseas, to enable fans to sleep, drink and eat football.
AEK Athens new owner takes Greek giants back to basics
July 12 – The new owner of Greece’s third biggest club, AEK Athens, has pledged to restore its tarnished reputation following bankruptcy and demotion to the third tier of the country’s football league.
Drogba and Eboué put weight behind Istanbul Olympic bid
By David Owen
July 12 – Last week Buenos Aires won the right to host the 2018 Youth Olympics with a little help from Lionel Messi, who was given a prominent place in a promotional video shown to International Olympic Committee (IOC) members before the decisive vote. Now Istanbul is attempting to harness the power of football to help its bid for the 2020 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Racing Santander issue match fixing denial but Tebas unconvinced
By Gareth Messenger
July 12 – Racing Santander have denied an allegation their 3-0 home win against Hercules on the final day of the second-division season was fixed and said they will co-operate fully with a probe by Spanish and European football authorities. Despite their victory on June 8, Santander were relegated to the third tier of Spanish football making it their second consecutive relegation.
Leonardo quits PSG after French boost barging ban to 14 months
July 11 – Paris St. Germain’s Brazilian sporting director Leonardo has caved in to the pressure of his 14-month ban and is to resign from the Qatari-owned club.
Italian clubs face match fixing sanctions as court date looms
By Andrew Warshaw
July 11 – Lazio and Genoa face starting next season in Serie A with a points deduction as a result of the latest revelations in Italy’s match-fixing scandals. The two top-flight clubs, plus Lecce, face sanctions as do eight players accused of “sporting fraud” by the Italian football federation, allegedly involving sums of up to €500,000 in bribes.
Messi in but Iniesta out as German clubs lead the ‘best player’ nominees
July 11 – Five nominees from the Bundesliga are included in UEFA’s initial shortlist of ten players for the 2012-13 Best Player in Europe Award, reflecting the success of Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund in reaching last season’s Champions League final.
Italian FA hands out two more match-fixing sanctions as focus on cheats intensifies
July 10 – Two Serie A players have been banned for three months and 10 days and fined €10,000 each in the latest development in Italian football’s long-running match-fixing scandal.
Stoichkov quits CSKA citing “endless lies” as takeover looms
By Andrew Warshaw
July 9 – Bulgarian icon Hristo Stoichkov has quit as coach of CSKA Sofia a week after 15 fans were detained following an attack on the headquarters of the Bulgarian FA in protest at the debt-ridden club facing the prospect of being plunged into obscurity.
Appeal backfires as PSG’s Leonardo misses whole of next season
By Andrew Warshaw
July 5 – The nine-month ban imposed on Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian sporting director Leonardo for barging into a referee last season has been extended by five months and will now run until June 30, 2014, ruling him out of next season entirely, following a French Football Federation appeals hearing.
Barca’s Iniesta stumps up cash to stave off Albecete relegation
By Gareth Messenger
July 5 – Spanish Segunda B division side Albacete Balompié S.A.D. have avoided automatic relegation – courtesy of World Cup superstar Andrea Iniesta. Albacete has now paid all outstanding player wages, the money coming via an increase in the capital of the club, rather than as a loan, thanks to its main shareholder, Barcelona, and Iniesta.
Perform expands growing operation by clinching Opta deal
July 4 – The growing desirability and influence of sports statistics has been underlined by the Perform digital media group agreeing to buy Opta Sports Data for over £40 million ($60 million). The deal is conditional on a successful £120m fundraising. Opta offers statistical information and player performance data from football leagues in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands to media clients and clubs themselves.
Deutsche Bank signs one-year sponsorship wth Inter Milan
July 3 – Deutsche Bank have struck a one-year deal with Italian giants Internazionale to become one of the club’s leading sponsors in a partnership which will see the financial service provider become the club’s official bank.
adidas gets shirty after Götze springs an unpleasant surprise
By Mark Baber
July 3 – adidas is to Bayern, as the Oktoberfest is to Munich, whilst Nike are adidas’ main competitor in the global soccer apparel market, having consolidated that position with the sponsorship of the England, French and Brazilian national sides. So adidas officials were not amused when, at the official unveiling of his new adidas Bayern Munich shirt in Munich, Bayern’s new 37-million-euro man, Mario Götze wore a T-Shirt featuring a giant Nike Swoosh logo.