Lens win last-minute appeal and take spot in Ligue 1
August 4 – Lens have won their fight to gain promotion to the French fop flight that begins this week but will be playing home games elsewhere.
World Football
Futsal makes its CONCACAF club debut in Guatemala
August 4 – A regional club Futsal championship will make its debut in CONCACAF at the end of this month in Guatemala. The draw for the inaugural CONCACAF Futsal Club Championship was held last week with six clubs representing their member associations.
Tavecchio’s latest gaffe turns more Italians against him in race for presidency
By Andrew Warshaw
August 4 – In what will be regarded as, at best, an unfortunate turn or phrase and at worst another disgraceful gaffe, the Italian official at the centre of the latest racism storm in European football says he believes he has suffered more pressure than even former US president John F Kennedy’s assassin.
Bulgarian U19 players arrested after match-fixing tip-off at Euros
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 4 – A Bulgarian national youth team player has been arrested on suspicion of manipulating U19 matches. Although the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU) has not released the name of the 20-year-old player it is known that he is plays in Bulgaria’s A Grupa.
Russian tensions take toll on Adidas plans and share price
By David Owen
August 1 – Shares of Adidas, the sportswear group that recently agreed a record £750 million 10-year kit deal with Manchester United, have been hit hard following a profit warning.
Suarez will return hungrier than ever, reckons Barca star
August 1 – Barcelona defender Gerard Pique says Luis Suarez will be more motivated than ever when he completes his four-month ban for biting at the World Cup.
Moldovan businessman buys Romania’s Rapid Bucharest
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 1 – Moldovan businessman Valerii Moraru has acquired 94.72% of the shares in Romanian club Rapid Bucharest. The full cost of the club to Moraru has not been declared but it has been reported he paid between €2.7 million and €4 million for the 20% stake he purchased from Adrian Zamfir, one of the club’s former co-owners.
Crimean clubs to play in Russian second division from next season
By Mark Baber
August 1 – Meeting in the House of Football, the Russian Football Union (RFU) decided on Thursday to allow Crimean football clubs to play Russian league football from next season.
Ebola virus in Sierra Leone forces Seychelles to pull out of African Nations Cup
By Andrew Warshaw
August 1 – An outbreak of the deadly Ebola virus in Sierra Leone has led to the Seychelles forfeiting Saturday’s African Nations Cup qualifier rather than risk the disease spreading to the Indian Ocean island. Sierra Leone were due to travel to the Seychelles for a second-leg tie only for the game to be called off on the advice of the host authorities.
AFC bans Vietnamese match-fixers as police swoop again
August 1 – The Asian Football Confederation has extended the domestic ban on nine Vietnamese players to confederation level for their role in the country’s match-fixing scandal. The chairman of the AFC Disciplinary Committee took the move following a request from Vietnam’s own national federation.
Honduras to host regional U17s, as women set for World Cup qualifiers
July 31 – Honduras is to host the CONCACAF U17 boys championship in February next year. Meanwhile the confederation has announce that the crucial 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship, the regional qualifier for the FIFA Women’s World Cup in Canada next year will be played in four host cities in the United States: Chicago, Kansas City, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C.
Barca post a record €500m+ performance despite a poor on-field season
By Andrew Warshaw
July 31 – Barcelona may have had one of their worst seasons in recent years by their own high standards – having not won a single trophy – but the Catalan giants have still managed to post record revenues and their second highest profit ever.
High Court pulls plug on Arsenal’s stadium concert business
By Mark Baber
July 31 – The High Court has rejected Arsenal’s appeal against a planning inspector’s decision against their proposal to increase the number of concerts held at the Emirates Stadium from three to six per year, rejecting Arsenal’s contention the inspector had not properly taking into account the benefits of the proposal and its overall accordance with the local area’s development plan.
Capello pledges to build Russian staff as he commits through to 2018
By Paul Nicholson
July 31 – Fabio Capello committed his future to the Russian team through to the 2018 World Cup yesterday. There had been criticism internally of Russia’s failure to make it through the group stages of the Brazil World Cup, as well as of Capello’s reported $12 million salary.
NYC FC staffs up on and off pitch in readiness for MLS debut
July 31 – New York City FC has announced that Hays, a British company providing recruitment and human resources services, will be its official recruitment partner for at least the next three years. According to NYC FC, Hays will help “recruit the off-pitch talent [NYC FC] need”.