USA 1 Saudi Arabia 0
June 19 – American comedian Rodney Dangerfield used to say, “I don’t get no respect.” The same could be said for the United States Men’s Soccer Team as barely 10,000 fans showed up for a supporter friendly 8.15 pm kickoff versus Concacaf Gold Cup, Group D opponents, Saudi Arabia in a 1-0 win that again raised more questions than answers.
By Samindra Kunti
August 28 – The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have released the calendar for the 2016 Brazilian domestic season: the top-flight Brasileirão will come to a halt for the national team’s World Cup qualifiers, but not for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
By Tom Parsons
August 27 – A Barcelona-based study has found that Real Madrid and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has the strongest social media presence of all athletes in the world.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 27 – FIFA have kickstarted their latest attempt finally forge a workable compromise in the Middle East that satisfies both Palestinians and Israelis.
By Paul Nicholson
August 27 – Euro2016 in France will be the first time the European Championships have been played in the expanded 24 team format. More matches mean more venues and the competition will be played in 10 venues across the country. Will this be the catalyst event that, like the 2006 World Cup in Germany, kick starts French football into a new era of glory?
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 27 – Following the club’s return to Italy’s Serie B, Italy’s second tier, Ascoli Picchio FC has unveiled detail of a planned €12 million stadium redevelopment.
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 27 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have started an educational campaign in a bid to combat the extreme racism of their fans. The club is one of the most frequently fined by the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU). Recently the fines for Bulgarian teams for racist incident, of which there are sadly many, have been increasing.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 27 – FIFA presidential candidate Michael Platini will publish his manifesto in the next six to eight weeks and not, as had been anticipated, at his first session with the international media at the conclusion of Champions and Europa League business in Monaco tomorrow.
By Mark Baber
August 27 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has referred the Batman Petrolspor team to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee after the club released white doves representing peace prior to their first game of the season.
By Samindra Kunti
August 27 – Brazilian football has been in a grim state ever since Brazil’s unforgiving 7-1 defeat to Germany at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but slowly leading club Flamengo is showing the way forward with its sound financial management under chairman Eduardo Bandeira de Mello, resulting in substantial pre-tax profits.
August 27 – CONMEBOL and FIFA are to jointly audit the finances of the Bolivian Football Federation, whose leader was jailed for alleged corruption.
August 26 – Premier League Liverpool have renewed tyre manufacturer Maxxis for a further two year sponsorship, the second time it has extended its partnership with the club.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 26 – FIFA presidential contender Chung Mong-Joon, whose candidacy is in danger of hitting the buffers before it has hardly taken off, has issued a damning and defiant indictment of the entire election process as he tries to grab the moral high ground in the face of persistent speculation about his past.
By Paul Nicholson
August 26 – Consolidation in the betting market is continuing with Irish bookmaker Paddy Power and betting exchange Betfair set to merge in a multibillion euro creating a combined business of more than €1.5 billion annually.
By Mark Baber
August 26 – Bayer 04 Leverkusen have settled the outstanding case with Teldafax following a recommendation from the Higher Regional Court in Cologne, thereby ending a long-running legal dispute with the insolvency receiver involved with the TelDaFax companies.
August 26 – FIFA have denied claims by Indonesia that officials are planning a visit in October with a view to overturning the ban on the country for government interference.