Sky Sports beefs up web stats with WhoScored.com data
By Tom Parsons
May 1 – Football statistics website whoscored.com has signed an exclusive deal with SkySports to share their unique ‘player characteristics’ on the SkySports website.
World Football
Champions League final boils down to a one-city football fiesta
May 1 – The Champions League Final in Lisbon later this month will be the first featuring two clubs from the same city after Atletico Madrid joined Real Madrid in the showpiece climax to the European club season.
St. Petersburg bids to continue Russia 2018 legacy in 2020
By Richard van Poortvliet
May 1 – Russia’s Minister for Sport, Vitaly Mutko, in his promotion of the bid for hosting Euro 2020 matches, said that “EURO 2020 will be a continuation of the 2018 World Cup.”
Portuguese investor sets sights Poland’s Flota Swinoujscie as a feeder club
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 30 – With several foreign-based investors reportedly eyeing acquisitions of a number of Polish football clubs, a new story has broken on the planned take over of Flota Swinoujscie by a Portuguese investment group.
More woe for Kazan Arena as Russians switch friendly to St Petersburg
By Richard van Poortvliet
April 30 – The Russian Football Union has moved Russia’s friendly match against Slovakia in May from Kazan to St. Petersburg, due to the poor state of the pitch in the capital of Tatarstan.
Fireball Polish fan goes viral as flare ignites security spray
April 30 – Horrific pictures of a Polish fan emerging unhurt after being doused in flames has been picked on up social media around the world and has heaped more concern on a country that has struggled to eradicate spectator violence.
Expanded Euro 2016 will open and close in Stade de France
April 30 – The Stade de France in Paris will host both the opening game and the final of Euro 2016 after UEFA confirmed the match schedule. Host nation France will get the competition under way on June 10, with the climax to the tournament – the first Euros to comprise 24 instead of 16 teams – a month later.
Inside Insight: Another Stanfordian symphony (atonal)
April 29- The Caribbean is one seriously beautiful region in this world.Plush rain forests, beautiful beaches, sunshine all year round – and dirty little tax secrets amid the pebbled and/or sandy beaches.Much of the Caribbean was her Majesty’s property for hundreds of years.
Welsh confident they can nab Euro 2020 spot
April 29- Welsh officials believe their bid to stage group matches at Euro 2020 could be given preference over some of their main rivals.
UEFA keep quiet on FFP rule breakers, but promise names in May
By Andrew Warshaw
April 29- Uefa are refusing to confirm that big-spending Manchester City and Paris St-Germain are facing sanctions for breaching financial fair play (FFP) rules.
Blatter quick to support Alves calling banana incident an ‘outrage’
By Andrew Warshaw
April 29- Fifa President Sepp Blatter has condemned the recent case of racism aimed at Barcelona’s Brazilian defender Dani Alves as an “outrage” and has re-iterated that a policy of zero tolerance will be implemented at this summer’s World Cup.
CONCACAF readies for historic announcement as Webb ponders change
By Paul Nicholson
April 29 – With CONCACAF and South American confederation CONMEBOL readying for their Miami press conference, CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb has hinted that changes to the accepted structures of the regional competitions could be considered in the future.
CFU make history with launch of first Women’s Caribbean Cup
By Paul Nicholson
April 29 – History will be made in the Caribbean next month when the first Caribbean Football Union (CFU) senior women’s tournament will be held. Winners of the inaugural CFU Women’s Caribbean Cup will qualify for both the CONCACAF Women’s Gold Cup and the FIFA Women’s World Cup.
Spartak face sanctions after fans go on rampage in Kazan
By Richard van Poortvliet
April 28 – Spartak Moscow could be in yet more hot water with the Russian Football Union following the behaviour of their fans during their 2-1 defeat at Rubin Kazan on April 20.
ISL runs into fixture clashes as AIFF moots possible merger with I-League
By Mark Baber
April 28 – Following the successful auction of Indian Super League (ISL) franchises, the new competition has run into difficulties with fixture congestion and recruitment of players. With Bollywood superstars have been drawn into popularising the game, the AIFF for the first time has suggested a merger possibility of the new league with the pre-existing I-League.