‘A German team’ sells out merchandise as (no)name catches on
November 2 – It began because of Borussia Monchengladbach’s long name, became a bit of a joke but has been fully embraced by the German team and taken on a life of its own.
Gold Cup 2025
El Salvador self destruct in Houston as Canada Marsch on
Canada 2-0 El Salvador
June 24 – Fresh from emerging from a Concacaf-imposed timeout, Canadian head coach Jesse Marsch returned to the technical area at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, knowing any more misbehaviour would send him back to the naughty room. He needn’t have worried as their opponents El Salvador simply imploded in a red mist.
Ethics fee revelations masks a deeper FIFA corruption that is focusing investigators
By Andrew Warshaw
November 1 – Gianni Infantino’s insistence that the corruption crisis at FIFA is over looks set to blow up in his face when FIFA’s ethics committee launches a raft a new prosecutions over the next few months that will further call into question the world governing body’s image and reputation.
West Ham’s dream Olympic home should be flattened, says stadium expert
November 1 – West Ham’s new London Stadium, the central venue for the 2012 Olympic Games but which has been the subject of repeated fan trouble, should be knocked down and rebuilt to suit football, according to one of Europe’s most knowledgeable and experienced stadium experts.
Award wars: Will FIFA’s ‘Best’ burst France Football’s Ballon
November 1 – Fans can vote for FIFA’s 2016 world player of the year after the world governing body’s association with France Football’s Ballon d’Or ended earlier this year.
Mexico may go it alone for 2026 World Cup bid
November 1 – Mexico, the first country to host the World Cup twice, now wants to be the first to stage it three times and is prepared to do so alone rather than jointly with the United States.
Real Madrid and Ajax top rankings of clubs turning out players into first teams
November 1 – There are more players progressing into first team squads in Europe’s top leagues from Real Madrid and Ajax than any other clubs in Europe. Real Madrid have trained 41 players now playing at Big-5 league clubs.
Man City launch on Amazon Fire TV platform with CityTV content
November 1 – Manchester City have continued their rapid digital expansion with the launch of a new app for Amazon Fire TV allowing users to stream CityTV videos directly on to a connected TV via the Amazon platform.
Bale and Aguero add ‘excitement’ to Nissan’s brand marketing push
November 1 – Japanese car manufacturer Nissan, global sponsor of UEFA’s Champions League, has added some star power to its ‘Excitement’ advertising theme, naming Real Madrid’s Gareth Bale and Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero as the brands ‘Engineers of Excitement’.
Inter cut losses by €80m as Suning’s new money positions club for Euro push
By Paul Nicholson
October 30 – Internazionale have announced a jump in revenue for 2015-16 of almost €43 million, despite having no involvement in European competition and in particular the lucrative Champions League participation and prize monies, a core target for the new Chinese owners.
David Owen – Has Tebas dropped support for European Super League after all?
In September it was reported that Javier Tebas, showman President of La Liga, had given conditional support to the notion of a breakaway European Super league. Well, to judge by his bravura performance at Sportel Monaco last week, the newly-re-elected Spaniard has undergone an evolution in his thinking.
AFC sets Feb date for second attempt at FIFA Council elections
October 31 – The Asian Football Confederation has rescheduled its Extraordinary Congress to elect candidates for the FIFA Council, postponed in equally extraordinary circumstances in protest at FIFA’s late decision to bar Saoud Al Mohannadi, vice-president of the Qatar Football Association, from standing as a result of an on-going ethics investigation and recommendation of a minimum two-year ban, for February 28 at its headquarters in Kuala Lumpur.
Dutch FA delivers €6.8m profit as member levels hit record high
By Samindra Kunti
October 31 – The Dutch FA, the KNVB, has reported a profit of €6.8 million for the 2015/16 season. The KNVB also revealed that registered members of the governing body had jumped to 1,227157, the highest level in its history.
Gabon players issue strike threat as country readies for 2017 AFCON hosting
October 31 – Gabon, hosts of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, has been threatened by its players who say they are prepared to go on strike in a row over non-payment of salaries. Chief among four main demands is the back payment of salaries dating from present day back to 2013.
Bournemouth launch predictor game app with Deliveroo prizes
October 31 – Premier League Bournemouth have launched a new app with takeaway food delivery service Deliveroo and incorporating a fantasy football and predictor game. The app has been developed by Irish fan engagement company Sportego.
Saudis scupper bomb plot targeting World Cup Qualifier vs UAE
October 31 – Saudi authorities say they foiled a terrorist bomb plot due to have been carried out earlier this month at a World Cup qualifying match.