Messi vs Ronaldo as Ballon d’Or top 30 nominees includes Vardy
October 25 – Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo will once again go head to head to win the Ballon d’Or after both were named in the list of 30 nominees for the 2016 award.
Stop playing World Cup politics and focus on FIFA clean-up, warns Prince Ali
By Andrew Warshaw
October 25 – Former FIFA presidential candidate Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein of Jordan says football’s world governing body has got its priorities wrong under Gianni Infantino, the man who beat him to the sport’s most powerful position.
Watford owner Pozzo in fraud probe after allegedly buying club with forged bank letter
October 25 – An English Premier league club is under investigation over allegations of supplying false financial documentation.
FA Cup fills up with cash in £820m international broadcast deal for six seasons
October 25 – The English FA has confirmed an £820 million six-season international broadcast rights deal for its FA Cup domestic competition, the oldest club competition in world football.
Spanish FA fined for letting Real and Atletico sign underage players
October 25 – Six weeks after European powerhouses Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid lost their respective appeals against a FIFA-imposed transfer ban for breaching regulations on the acquisition of non-Spanish minors under the age of 18, FIFA have fined the Spanish FA (RFEF) CHF 220,000 for allowing the pair of them to sign and register underage foreign players.
Real Madrid, Dortmund, Leverkusen and Spurs bank on buying young
October 26 – Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge said at the weekend that his club would not “want to bring some 10- or 11-year-old to Munich like the English do…You could almost speak of kidnapping with them and I would have moral reservations about that.” For Bayern it seems that recruitment begins at 24.8 years old.
Marginalised Euro leagues make power play for voice at UEFA’s top table
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – European leagues are seeking membership of UEFA’s executive committee as part of negotiations to stave off a potential fixture free-for-all next season.
Qatar blindsided by FIFA decision to take central control of World Cup planning
By Andrew Warshaw
October 24 – Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organisers were taken completely by surprise over FIFA’s decision to scrap local organising committees for its flagship event. Earlier this month, as part of its grandiose roadmap for the future, FIFA announced that after Russia the World Cup would be organised centrally as part of its plan take “full control of all money flows”.
Arsenal second in attendance table but where are the ‘ghost’ fans?
October 24 – Five Premier League clubs reported capacities of over 99% and nine over 94.99% in the weekly attendance table. A remarkable attendance rate if everyone had turned up and actually filled those seats. But it is clear in Arsenal’s case that the seats may be bought but not all the fans are bothering to turn up.
Vietnam make history in Bahrain winning World Cup U-20 finals spot
October 24 – Vietnam’s U-19 men created history in a dramatic AFC quarter final 1-0 win over Bahrain to qualify for the FIFA U-20 World Cup to be held in South Korea next weekend.
North Korea wins U17 World Cup shoot-out; Infantino puts changing attitudes on the spot
October 24 – FIFA president Gianni Infantino says more needs to be done to develop women’s football in regions where female players are often prevented from taking up the sport.
China call on Lippi in last minute bid to turn World Cup qualifying around
October 24 – In its determination to become a serious force on the world football stage, China have appointed Italy’s World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi to become its new national coach.
English FA boost budget for Women’s game to build participation and WSL
October 24 – The English FA is to increase its budget for women’s football to £17.7 million, a 16% increase, as the national governing body seeks to increase primary school (up to age 11) participation by girls in the game from its current 40%.
Rummenigge finds a new ‘moral’ compass and says Bayern will not be ‘kidnappers’
October 24 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German head of the European Clubs Association, has accused English clubs of taking on players far too young saying he would have “moral reservations” about doing the same thing at Bayern Munich where he is chairman.
Thais ban drums and flags for World Cup qualifier as country mourns
October 24 – It has been officially confirmed that Thailand’s World cup qualifier against Australia will go ahead as originally planned on November 15 but traditional chanting and vocal support has been banned out of respect for the year-long period of national mourning in memory of the 70-year reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej.