Delta lands first Gold Cup sponsorship
May 25 – This Summer’s Gold Cup, to be played in the US, has added another sponsor with Delta becoming the Official Airline. Last week CONCACAF announced Sprint as its official wireless provider.
Brazilian clubs look to fan membership and ticket sales to drive revenue
By Samindra Kunti
May 25 – Brazilian top-flight clubs are moving away from a business model with TV rights as a main revenue stream, towards fan membership schemes and ticketing as now generating the bulk of the money. Major clubs Internacional and Cruzeiro highlight this evolution.
PSG keeps up international brand push with new 16-language video game
By David Owen
May 22 – Paris Saint-Germain has opened a new front in its international brand-building initiative, launching a video game for mobile phones.
Greeks survive expulsion, focus turns to criminal cases
By Matt Scott
May 25 – Greece will not be thrown out of international football, clearing the way for the national team to continue qualification for Euro 2016 and, for now at least, Olympiacos to take their place in next season’s Champions League.
Man Utd prints off partnership extension with Epson
By David Owen
May 25 – Manchester United, the Premier League football club, which rounded off its season today with a goalless draw at Hull City, has extended its partnership with Epson, the Japanese printer manufacturer.
AFC draw line through pre-congress gathering
By Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – The Asian Football Confederation, rocked by allegations of a cover-up within its own ranks which is currently being investigated, appears to have cancelled a gathering of its national associations on the eve of next week’s FIFA congress in Zurich.
AS Roma in talks to buy Poland’s Korona Kielce
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
May 22 – Italy’s AS Roma is rumoured to be in negotiation with the owners of Korona Kielce on the potential acquisition of the Polish club. The Rome-based side began talks with the municipality of Kielce, which owns Korona, three months ago, according to local reports.
David Owen: How UEFA’s cash rules keep CL domination to clubs from big rich countries
A week when we learnt that UEFA may soon fine-tune its much talked-about Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations seems a good time to highlight an aspect of the European football body’s payment distribution system that is anything but fair – and which we now know we are stuck with until at least 2018.
Platini says FFP is staying, but rules will be modified
May 22 – UEFA president Michel Platini insists financial fair play (FFP) is still working and “here to stay” despite the decision to tweak the project in the face of legal challenges.
Prince Ali convinced he will split Asian vote as he tweaks manifesto
By Andrew Warshaw and Samindra Kunti
May 22 – Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein insists it not a foregone conclusion that his own confederation will vote against him at next week’s FIFA presidential election.
Man Utd announce Quakes date in California to complete US shakedown
May 22 – Manchester United have announced the Kabam Field at the California Memorial Stadium as the venue for their US pre-season tour against San Jose Earthquakes. The stadium is on the campus of the University of California in Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay area.
Russia prepares St Petersburg welcome for 2018 World Cup Preliminary Draw
May 22 – Russia is warming to its World Cup 2018 task and preparing to welcome FIFA’s 208 federations to St Petersburg for the Preliminary World Cup Draw on July 25, the first major world event in the country running up to the finals.
Van Praag admits ‘gang of three’ were in collusion and shows hand of Platini
By Samindra Kunti and Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – Michael van Praag says it was always the plan to end up with one candidate to go against Sepp Blatter for FIFA president and that it gradually became apparent he could not poll as much global support as Prince Ali bin al-Hussein.
Gent rise from financial ashes to take first Belgian league title
By Samindra Kunti
May 22 – In July 2013 KAA Gent chairman Ivan De Witte inaugurated the Ghemlanco Arena with the promise that his club would become champions within the next five seasons. It was perceived as grandiloquence and bluff, bordering on megalomania, but yesterday’s 2-0 victory against Standard de Liege, propelling De Witte’s club to a first-ever title, proved De Witte was not bluffing. Gent’s success is the result of the modernisation of a once troubled club.
Liverpool to debut Gerrard’s last kit in last game, but keep fans waiting
May 21 – Premier League Liverpool are to unveil their third new kit for the final game of the season this Sunday against Stoke at the Britannia Stadium. But neither the club nor their new kit partner New Balance are giving away any preview of the design before the match kicks off.