Celtic superfan nominated for Scottish Goal of the Month
By Jamie Styles
February 12 – Scotland could see an unlikely winner of January’s Goal of the Month competition, with a young Celtic fan with Down’s Syndrome among the nominees.
World Football
Morocco ‘stunned’ by CAF rulings and vow to fight for rights
By Andrew Warshaw
February 12 – Moroccan football authorities have come out fighting by refusing to accept the sanctions imposed on them by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for pulling out of hosting the recent Africa Cup of Nations.
Court sends Real Madrid plans for Bernabeu back to the drawing board
By Mark Baber
Februaty 12 – The £260 million redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabéu has been brought to a halt by the High Court of Madrid. The plans had included new hotel facilities, a shopping centre and a redesign of the exterior which had met a mixed response when architects images were revealed at the end of January.
Spanish clubs threaten to halt play unless TV cash is shared
February 12 – While English top-flight football basks in the affluence of its new record-breaking television deal, in Spain, another of the so-called ‘big five’ European leagues, the situation could not be more different with clubs desperate to adopt a similar collective bargaining deal – and prepared to stop playing to make it happen.
1. FC Köln and Deutsche Post team up in €1.5m deal
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 11 – 1. FC Köln and Germany’s postal operator Deutsche Post have signed a new sponsorship contract that will run through to 2017, with plans to collaborate on jointly introducing a suite of innovative new communications technology products.
Ivory Coast puts up houses and cash bonuses for Toure and AFCON teammates
By Mark Baber
February 11 – The president of the Ivory Coast, Alassane Ouattara has awarded over €3 million ($3.4 million) in bonuses to his country’s 2015 Africa Cup of Nations winners according to the Ivorian Sports Ministry.
BSkyB shares plummet as investors switched off by mega TV deal
By Matt Scott
February 11 – As the champagne corks were being swept from the floors of Premier League club boardrooms this morning, Sky shareholders were scrambling for the exit.
Martens quits Belgian FA after financial losses trigger questions
By Samindra Kunti
February 10 – Steven Martens has resigned as CEO of the Belgian FA after a reign of four years. His position had become untenable after allegations of financial mismanagement.
Egypt: blame game begins as the fans bury their dead
By Mark Baber
February 10 – Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El Sisi issued a statement of sorrow for the deaths of Zamalek fans outside the Air Defense stadium on Sunday, extending his condolences to the families of the victims.
Chinese Wanda waves its wonga and buys €1bn Infront sports rights agency
By David Owen
February 10 – Another high profile Chinese investment in international sport has been unveiled, with the announcement on Tuesday that Wang Jianlin’s Dalian Wanda Group has reached a deal to acquire Infront Sports & Media from the private equity firm Bridgepoint for €1.05 billion.
Qatar target AFC seat on FIFA exco
By Andrew Warshaw
February 10 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup chief organiser Hassan al-Thawadi, who failed in 2013 to win a seat on FIFA’s executive committee, has decided not to stand again.
Mutko poised to impose foreign player quotas on Russian clubs
February 10 – Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has said that he will be submitting a bill on quotas of foreign players this week. The draft law will outline eligibility criteria for players which will include age, proof of standard of the player and terms of their employment and length of stay in Russia.
Russian Roublette: clubs face FFP meltdown
By Paul Nicholson
February 10 – Russian clubs hoping to get a break in the financial fair play rules because the ruble has effectively halved in value over the past five months have been told by UEFA there will be no concessions in the regulations.
Death toll mounts as Egyptian government suspends Premier League
By Mark Baber
February 9 – Egypt’s government has ordered the suspension of all Egyptian Premier League matches in the country after at least 22 fans were killed and many more injured outside the Air Defence stadium on Sunday, prior to the game between Cairo clubs Zamalek and ENPPI. Some reports now put the death toll at over 40.
Romanian club crisis deepens as Petrolul Ploiesti is sixth club to go bust
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 9 – Petrolul Ploiesti has filed for insolvency as the Romanian club’s financial base has become unstable following the arrest of its owners and management. The side is representative of a wider trend plaguing Romania’s football, with five other major clubs filing for insolvency earlier.