By Nan Sato, Shimin Law
The Communist government in China has long had an uncomfortable relationship with gambling, but the mounting interest in sports betting may make the country’s leaders rethink some of its policies.
August 1 – William Hill has agreed a two-year partnership with Premier League Everton to become its new official betting partner, offering exclusive odds to Everton fans.
July 28 – As anticipated, German football supremo Wolfgang Niersbach has decided to appeal his one-year ban over the scandal surrounding possible vote-buying during Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid.
By James Dostoyevsky
July 27 – UEFA is finally moving to replace Michel Platini as its president. In mid-September, the European football’s governing body, which organises some of football’s financially most profitable competitions, will have to chose between three men from three different backgrounds.
July 27 – FIFA have confirmed the worldwide extension of the two-year ban imposed on the vice-president of the Equatorial Guinea Football Association, Gustavo Ndong Edu, for match-fixing.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 26 – The career of German football supremo Wolfgang Niersbach (pictured), not so long ago touted as a possible UEFA president in succession to Michel Platini, has been halted firmly in its tracks after he was banned for one year by FIFA’s ethics committee in the first sanction resulting from the investigation into Germany’s 2006 World Cup bid, throwing into question his position on the top tables of both FIFA and UEFA.
By Paul Nicholson
July 22 – Tomorrow the Caribbean Football Union (CFU) will vote in what has become an increasingly politicised vote with the regional governing body CONCACAF and its new president Victor Montagliani having inserted themselves into the election hustings with funding for one of the candidates through an exclusive-invite Trinidad conference, and the leak of CFU financial information to the press in an attempt to discredit the current leadership.
July 15 – Under Armour has moved aggressively in China to protect its brand from Uncle Martian, a low-end Chinese copycat of Under Armour, filing suit in the High People’s Court of Fujing Province.
July 14 – Euro 2016 semi-finalists Wales have moved above England and up to 11th in the FIFA world rankings.
July 14 – Panathinaikos will play their first home game of the new Greek Super League season behind closed doors as punishment for crowd disturbances in a playoff match last season against PAOK Salonica.
July 11 – Within days of the shock custodial sentence handed down to Lionel Messi and his father even though they won’t in all probability actually go to jail, a Spanish court has dismissed a fraud and corruption case against his Barcelona superstar teammate Neymar – and his father too.
By Andrew Warshaw in Paris
July 8 – A former FIFA ticketing partner says he is suing the organisation for $40 million “for business losses” in a dispute over World Cup packages.
July 8 – Seven people suspected of match-fixing – including players, coaches, agents and club presidents – have been arrested in Brazil.
July 7 – The dismissal of the appeal by Klubi Sportiv Skenderbeu to have their Champions League ban lifted by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) could prove to be a landmark decision in the battle against match-fixing.
By Andrew Warshaw
July 6 – FIFA’s appeals committee has cut the suspension of former secretary general Jerome Valcke (pictured) from 12 years to 10 and reduced Asian football powerbroker Chung Mong-joon’s ban from six years to five, though both moves represent only partial success for the two senior officials who served under the Sepp Blatter regime and were determined to clear their names.