EZTrader bets higher with new Spurs partnership
January 12 – Tottenham Hotspur have announced EZTrader as its Official Binary Options Trading Partner. Spurs are the sixth football club partner for the binary options broker.
Time for FIFA to have a black president, says Sexwale
By Andrew Warshaw
January 12 – FIFA presidential candidate Tokyo Sexwale says Sepp Blatter’s misconduct should be put into perspective and has praised the work of the outgoing veteran Swiss, currently fighting his eight-year ban.
Spanish giant killers Eibar punch their way into European qualifying position
January 11 – There are underdogs and teams who punch above their weight – and then there is the tiny Basque club of Eibar.
Saudi-Iranian AFC Champions League ties under threat as tensions rise
By Mark Baber
January 11 – Rising tensions between Iran and Saudi Arabia following the execution of Shia cleric Nimr al-Nimr, are spilling over into the political arena, with Saudi clubs keen for their fixtures against Iranian clubs in the Asian Champions League to be moved to neutral territory, whilst the Iran Football Federation (IFF) insists their country is safe to host matches and they are happy to play in Saudi Arabia.
FIFA extend Makudi ban, removing him from Thai FA elections
By Andrew Warshaw
January 11 – From day one he has protested his innocence but the net appears to be closing in on Thailand’s controversial former FIFA executive committee member Worawi Makudi.
Real, Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd, Juve and Spurs have most international players
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – International players account for 90% of the minutes played by Real Madrid last year, compared to a much lower 70% at Barcelona. Europe’s other ‘international’ leaders are predominantly in England with Chelsea, Man City, Man Utd and, perhaps surprisingly, Spurs all at more than 80%.
Wanted: Sales rep. CONCACAF trawl for new rights agency
By Paul Nicholson
January 11 – CONCACAF have issued a request for proposals to agencies to represent their worldwide sponsorship rights. The new agency will take over from disgraced Traffic Sports who held the contract exclusively but whose executives have been at the forefront of paying bribes and kickbacks in the region to secure commercial rights.
UEFA agree HomeAway as vacation rental sponsor for France 2016
January 11 – UEFA and Abritel-HomeAway, a world leader in vacation rentals, are joining forces in the lead up to and during EURO2016 to serve visitors with official fan accommodation for the tournament.
Blatter and Platini start appeals journey; first stop FIFA
By Andrew Warshaw
January 11 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have been given the all-clear to launch appeals against their eight-year bans after FIFA’s ethics committee sent them full written reasons for the judgements.
Spanish prosecutors want Neymar in court to face corruption charges
By Samindra Kunti
January 11 – Spanish prosecutors have taken the next steps in their investigation of Brazilian superstar Neymar and requested that legal action be taken against him over alleged fraud and corruption surrounding his transfer to Barcelona in the summer of 2013.
Chelsea wage bill pushes them £22m into the red despite Lukaku sale
By David Owen
January 8 – Rising payroll costs were partly responsible for pushing Chelsea back into the red last season, new figures have shown. The Chelsea FC company accounts for the year to 30 June 2015 put aggregate payroll costs at £215.6 million, up from £190.6 million, an increase of 13%.
CONMEBOL’s Paraguay HQ raided as US prosecutors pursue computer records
By Mark Baber
January 8 – Law enforcement officials in Paraguay have raided the headquarters of CONMEBOL on Thursday “searching for documentation related to the granting of commercial and broadcast rights for sporting events,” according to a statement issued by state prosecutors.
Argentina and Uruguay unveil plan to bid for 2030 World Cup
By Samindra Kunti
January 8 – South American football powerhouses Argentina and Uruguay will jointly bid to co-host the 2030 FIFA World Cup. State presidents Mauricio Macri (Argentina) and Tabare Vazquez (Uruguay) made the announcement yesterday at a press conference. Uruguay hosted the inaugural edition of the tournament in 1930.
Video refs take a big step towards making football debut
By Andrew Warshaw
January 8 – The 2020 European Championship finals, taking place in 13 venues across the Continent, looks set to become the first major tournament to embrace video replays, arguably the most ground-breaking law change in the history of the game.
Man Utd top Xmas Twitter table but still have gap to close on Arsenal
By Paul Nicholson
January 8 – The last two weeks have seen a huge amount of tweeting by Premier League clubs who, combined, averaged just over 7,000 tweets a week compared to an average of about 4,500 tweets a week, in the four weeks leading up to Christmas.