Leaked memo puts heat on Belgian FA money mismanagement
By Samindra Kunti
February 3 – The Belgian FA, the KBVB, is suffering a financial hangover after posting a financial loss of €206,000 in 2014.
Levski Sofia debt threatens to kill its European dreams
By Alexander Krassimirov
February 3 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia has announced debts amounting to BGN 1.7 million. (€ 850,000) to December 31, 2014. The amount must to be cleared by March this year, to allow the club to acquire a license for next season and compete in European competition.
West Ham in FIFA trouble over playing Sakho with FA Cup spot in jeopardy
February 3 – English Premier League club West Ham are facing a FIFA inquiry over the withdrawal of their Senegalese striker Diafra Sakho from the Africa Cup of Nations.
Lawmakers to rule on 4th sub, sin-bins and ‘stop-the-clock’ proposal
By Andrew Warshaw
February 3 – Football’s lawmakers will consider allowing a fourth substitution in extra-time as well as finally doing away with the so-called “triple punishment” when they hold their main annual meeting later this month.
Tunisian fury over ‘home’ ref ‘fixing’ at AFCON quarter-finals
February 2 – Stand-in hosts Equatorial Guinea may have surpassed all expectations by reaching the semi-finals of the Africa Cup of Nations but the tournament, already criticised for lack of organisation, faces a barrage of fresh anger over both the officiating and player indiscipline.
Transfer deadline day: feeding frenzy as big name deals drive rumour mill
By Mark Baber
February 2 – Across most of Europe today is transfer deadline day with the window shutting at 17:00 GMT in Germany, 22:00 GMT in Italy, Greece, 23:00 GMT in England, France, Austria, the Netherlands and 00:00 GMT in Scotland. Below is a summary of activity and targets for English Premier League clubs.
Malta FA calls for law change to beat match-fixing
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 2 – Bjorn Vassallo, the chief executive of the Malta Football Association (MFA), has called on the country’s authorities to update the laws that deal with sports corruption following its decision earlier this year to set up an experts’ task force to coordinate against match-fixing and organised crime in Maltese football.
Blatter opens with promise on human rights and support for Aussies
By Andrew Warshaw
February 2 – Sepp Blatter has fired the opening salvo in his bid to remain as FIFA president by pledging that countries with poor human rights records would never again be allowed to stage the World Cup as long as he is in office.
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.