Nike sign 5-year deal with South African FA
By Andrew Warshaw
January 30 – South African football has been given a major boost to its damaged reputation on and off the pitch by signing a wide-ranging, five-year sponsorship deal with Nike.
Turkish police arrest more fans after anti-government match-day protests
By Alexander Krassimirov
January 30 – Seven Fenerbahce fans were detained following their teams’ Spor Toto Super League game against Konyaspor on 27 January. More than a dozen fans were taken to the police office in the Sukru Saracoglu Stadium after the game. After interviews, police detained seven of the fans, taking them to a nearby police station.
ICSS adds German partnership to growing European roster
January 30 – The Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS), whose remit is becoming increasingly relevant in terms of both match-fixing and stadium safety, has announced a partnership with Germany’s football league to enhance operations at event venues round the world,
Russia expects 1 million visitors for 2018 World Cup
January 29 – While attention and nervousness surround preparations and fast-approaching deadlines for the 2014 Brazil World Cup, the Russians are more quietly and methodically making their preparations for 2018.
TPO: A threatening or liberating force in football’s financial structure?
January 29 – Third party ownership of footballers’ economic rights is a hot issue that raises questions of integrity, money being siphoned out the game, and unbalancing of the football market. The big European nations generally hate it, the South Americans, in particular, embrace it. Lawyer Pāvels Tjusevs examines the business and draws some uncomfortable conclusions for football.
Exclusive: Inside the Champagne FIFA presidential bid
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
January 29 – Just over a week after announcing he was running for FIFA president, Jerome Champagne has given the strongest hint yet that he will withdraw rather than stand against Sepp Blatter – and that he would readily accept a new position under his former boss if he fails to land the top job.
Bundesliga model breaks revenue records as top clubs move into black
By Andrew Warshaw
January 29 – The English Premier League maybe the most watched televised league globally but German football is still the best attended and continues to set an example when it comes to economic stability and collective responsibility.
Polish legend Boniek recruited to Ekstraklasa board
By Paul Nicholson
January 29 – The President of the Polish Football Association, Zbigniew Boniek, has joined the Supervisory board of Poland’s Ekstraklasa, the country’s top league.
CONCACAF inserts first Diversity training into development courses
By Paul Nicholson
January 29 – The first diversity training sessions have been held in St Lucia as part of the CONCACAF grassroots development programme. The confederation plan is to include similar sessions in future grassroots and similar development courses.
Qatar splits 2022 duties as LOC takes shape
January 29 – The local organising committee for the 2022 World Cup has been formally activated following a shake-up of the board of the directors that, until now, had been known as the Qatar 2022 Supreme Committee.
Matt Scott: From Russia, with love. A financial history of Chelsea’s 10 Abramovich years
“Is any of the opposition around?” “Not in any condition to be worried about.” Donald ‘Red’ Grant in conversation with James Bond, From Russia With Love
When Roman Abramovich pitched up at Stamford Bridge with his whirlwind takeover in 2003, few people outside Siberia or the oil-and-gas sector of industry and banking had ever heard of him. But in the decade since his unlikely transformation from governor of Chukotka to guv’nor at Chelsea,
No opportunity lost, Platini keeps AARs in view
January 28 – UEFA boss Michel Platini has taken another opportunity to promote his preferred system of additional assistant referees (AARs) to help with contentious calls.
Russia and Georgia to end stand-off if drawn in same 2016 group
January 28 – Russia and Georgia have agreed to end their footballing stand-off and play each other if paired together in next month’s draw for the Euro 2016 qualifying tournament.
From Quakers to safecracker to ‘crowdfunding’; Darlington fight back
By Paul Nicholson
January 28 – Darlington FC, one of England’s oldest football clubs, is staging a financial comeback, allbeit on a small scale. The club has introduced a ‘crowdfunding’ initiative to raise an initial £50,000 with further targets of £150,000 as the next steps.
Fans of Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia launch supporters trust
By Alexander Krassimirov
January 28 – Dissatisfied with the management of Levski Sofia fans decided to create a supporters’ trust. The association will be named Blue Bulgaria, and its purpose will be to raise funds that will be invested in the club, but only under certain conditions.