FIFA four head for the hustings
February 2 – FIFA have formally announced that four candidates, including present incumbent Sepp Blatter, are in the running to become president at the election on May 29.
Rangers flounder in Old Firm fixture, but Ashley is playing a blinder
By Paul Nicholson
February 2 – The Old Firm matches returned to Scotland for the first time in three years this weekend with Celtic hosting Rangers at Hampden Park in front of a packed house 50,000 crowd in the Scottish League Cup semi-final. But for the majority of Rangers’ shareholders and fans the most important battle currently is not against bitter cross-town rivals Celtic, but against investor Mike Ashley and his financial incursion from the South.
Champagne exits FIFA race, firing his cork at Platini’s politicking
By Andrew Warshaw
February 2 – Jerome Champagne, the first prospective contender to take on Sepp Blatter for the FIFA presidency, is out of the race after angrily accusing his critics of deliberately blocking his bid to gain sufficient backing.
Seven-a-side football dropped from Tokyo 2020 Paralympics
February 2 – The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board has given the boot to the seven-a-side football discipline for the 2022 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, but five-a-side football is staying in.
Corinthians close out 2014 finances with €29.4m headache
By Samindra Kunti
February 2 – Corinthians have closed the financial year 2014 with a €29.8 million deficit. The losses could impact on the club’s presidential elections on February 7.
Mihir Bose: How Blatter has split Europe
Whatever happens in the FIFA Presidential election one thing is already clear. Sepp Blatter has split Europe wide open. The most powerful and richest confederation in world football, whose leagues dominate the game and whose prize competition, the Champions League, is the greatest club competition in the world, cannot agree on a candidate to oppose the Swiss. Already 11 of the 54 national associations of UEFA are publicly pledged to three different rivals of Blatter: Michael van Praag,
David Owen: A tale of two elections
FIFA isn’t the only International Sports Federation (IF) with a Presidential election on at the moment. And, looking at the way the campaign for the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) Presidency has started, it is hard not to conclude that world football’s governing body has a few lessons to learn.
Forget Picasso or Dali, FC Barcelona’s museo is the cool place to visit
By David Owen
January 30 – Barcelona, one of the two giants of Spanish club football, are claiming that the FC Barcelona Museum has again won the title of most visited in Catalonia, outpulling museums devoted to the famous painters Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dalí.
Prince Ali launches campaign with promises of openness, but no detail of backers
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al-Hussein, regarded by many as the most credible rival to Sepp Blatter for the presidency of FIFA, today unveiled his vision for the future of football’s world governing body – but declined to name the five federations who have officially endorsed his candidacy.
Warner faces new look at old charges by Trinidad integrity tribunal
January 31 – The shadow of Jack Warner and his dealings as president of CONCACAF has made a reappearance in Trinidad where a tribunal has been appointed to investigate his assets and registered interests as part of the integrity checks on the island for public officials.
Figo finds favour and joins race for FIFA hot seat
January 30 – Six European federations have formally endorsed Luis Figo’s bid to become FIFA president, sweeping away any doubts about whether Portugal’s most capped footballer will meet one of the strict criteria for standing.
News analysis: deadline signals end to phoney war, let battle commence
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
January 30 – The deadline for applications has passed. But the political manoeuvrings and strategic mind games have only just begun. Welcome to another tactical FIFA election process.
Spanish FA warns it will halt play unless ‘government interference’ stops
By Mark Baber
January 30 – Relations between the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the Spanish Government Sports Council (CSD) and their respective leaders have taken an dramatic turn for the worse as the Federation requested the head of the CSD be removed from all positions in football and on Thursday warned it was prepared to halt football in the country over “government interference”.
Martin Volkmar: Boring Bundesliga? Not at all! Langweilige Bundesliga? Von wegen!
Boring! Only a fantasist would have believed the Bundesliga season would generate a voltage title fight. But experts like Reiner Calmund say the German elite league is never boring, even though the title was virtually secured by Bayern at the halfway point.
All ends in tears for Mali as Guinea get the luck of the draw
January 30 – African football chiefs admit that the system of drawing lots in their major competition must be revised after Mali’s quarterfinal dream in the Africa Cup of Nations was unfairly dashed.