Mutko says Russia 2018 build must speed up
By Andrew Warshaw
March 13- They may not be staging the World Cup for another four years but Russian organizers are coming under pressure from within their own ranks to speed up stadium construction.
Bayern fall foul of UEFA discrimination rules
By Andrew Warshaw
March 13- Despite their supremacy on the field, European champions Bayern Munich are in trouble off it – and not only regarding the tax evasion trial of club president Uli Hoeness.
CONCACAF appoints its first Diversity Officers
March 13 – CONCACAF has appointed a team of Diversity Officers who will have special responsibility for ensuring that the recently introduced ‘Protocol for Racist Incidents During Matches’ is implemented.
Krueger goes skating in to Saints’ chairmanship
By David Owen
March 12 – A man who had a hand in Canada’s recent Olympic men’s ice hockey gold medal is replacing Nicola Cortese as chairman of Southampton.
Egypt’s Ultras call for police to be removed from security at stadia
By Paul Nicholson
March 13 – Egypt’s turbulent political situation has become inextricably linked to club football in the country and the political activities of the fans who have been leaders and activists in the revolution and the overthrow of President Hosni Mubarak and the President Mohammed Morsi. Now a joint Ultras statement is calling for removal of the police from all football stadia.
Pardew gets 3-game stadium ban and 4-game touchline ban for headbutt
March 12 – Newcastle United’s Alan Pardew has been handed a seven-game ban, a Premier League record for a manager, for the headbutt inflicted on Hull City midfielder David Meyler that was flashed around the world on television.
FIFA releases 345,000 more tickets for on-line sale
March 12 – FIFA has opened on-line sales for another 345,000 World Cup tickets. Tickets will be sold on a first come, first saved basis.
Swedish fascist knife attack on Malmö fan prompts outpouring of solidarity
By Mark Baber
March 12 – Swedish police have confirmed that three men, charged with attempted murder after an apparently pre-meditated attack on a group returning from a Reclaim the Night International Women’s Day event in the early hours of Sunday morning, are known Nazis belonging to the Senskarnas Parti (Swedes Party).
Ghana police investigate death of assistant referee attacked by fans
March 12 – Police in Ghana have launched an investigation into the death of an assistant referee who was apparently attacked by spectators after a second division game.
Botev Plovdiv to become first Bulgarian club to own its stadium
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 12 – Botev Plovdiv owner Tsvetan Vassilev (pictured) has said he wants to buy the land on which the club’s Hristo Botev Stadium stands, according to the mayor of Plovdiv Ivan Totev. If the deal goes through, Botev will become the first Bulgarian club to own its stadium.
Blatter drops speeches for 2014 opening ceremony
By Andrew Warshaw
March 12 – In a break from tradition, FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reportedly decided to refrain from making a formal speech at the World Cup’s opening ceremony for fears of jeering by protesting fans.
Player bonuses threatened as Nigerian FA appeals asks for more World Cup cash
By Paul Nicholson
March 12 – Nigeria’s seemingly endless struggle and debate over how much and when to pay win bonuses to its national team players and officials has begun for the World Cup already. But while there is a will to pay, there may not be a way with the current budget for the 2014 tournament to be granted by the government expected to come in at only half the requested amount by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF).
Inside Insight: And then there was a Brazil World Cup, after all
‘Tourist shot dead on golf course’. ‘Stadia will never be finished on time’. ‘Political mayhem leading up to World Cup’. ‘World Cup will be a failure, local population protests’. ‘Street violence and lacking infrastructure’.
No.
These are not headlines pre-Brazil.
These, and worse, were the headlines prior to the first ever World Cup in an African country, in South Africa, four years ago.
Arena da Amazonia opens with some glitches, but it will be alright on the night
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – What was expected to be a celebratory landmark occasion in terms of stadium readiness for the World Cup didn’t go completely to plan as another 2014 venue held its first test event.