Barca plead innocence in Neymar tax case, Rosell did it…
February 16 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has pointed the finger for alleged tax evasion over the 2013 signing of Brazilian forward Neymar at his predecessor Sandro Rosell.
Doors will be closed for Egyptian league’s restart after Cairo massacre
By Andrew Warshaw
February 16 – Egypt’s Premier League is set to resume in the wake of the fatal stampede earlier this month that left at least 20 fans dead but there is some confusion as to the exact date matches will start again.
PSG edge out Sao Paulo, Arsenal secure third, at Al Kass Cup
February 14 – Europe edged out South America in the final of the Al Kass International Cup in Doha, Qatar, with Paris St Germain reversing a group loss to Brazil’s Sao Paulo, winning via a dramatic penalty shootout. Arsenal overcame AC Milan to take third place.
Blatter builds on his African platform with development promise
February 16 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter is leaving no stone unturned in his determination to secure the African vote at the presidential election in May.
Garber dumps Vegas MLS bid, while Becks left scratching his beard
By Ben Nicholson
February 16 – Las Vegas’ expansion bid has received a fatal letter from MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Addressed to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman the letter said that the MLS would be unable to consider Las Vegas for an expansion franchise until 2018, due to “the uncertainty as to when we might be able to move forward in Las Vegas”.
Zlat the tatt inks 50 names on to his skin for World Food Programme promo
February 16 – Paris St Germain striker and Swedish national team captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic took his charity support a step further with new tattoos displaying the names of 50 hungry people for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). He removed his shirt after scoring against Caen at the weekend to show the names and raise awareness for the campaign.
David Owen: Why cutting Premier League ticket prices might not be such a good idea
Capitalism and popular culture do not always make comfortable bedfellows, especially when the bed is football. The Premier League’s new £5.1 billion domestic TV rights deal has brought calls for lower ticket prices.
MLS season kick off threatened as players say they are prepared to strike
By Ben Nicholson
February 16 – The MLS is facing a player strike that could result in a delayed start to the season unless the league can appease the MLS Players Union in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the 2015 season. The issue circles around the MLS’ approach to free agency.
US to host qualifiers for Rio 2016 Olympic football tournament
February 16 – The US will host the 2016 Olympic qualifying competition for the CONCACAF region this October 1-13. Eight teams will battle for two automatic qualification spots and a play-off against Colombia for a further entry to the Rio 2016 games.
Bulgaria hit with stand closure for next EURO qualifier against Italy
By Alexander Krassimirov
February 13 – The UEFA Appeals Body has changed the punishment handed out to Bulgaria following the behaviour of fans during the European qualifier against Croatia in October 2014. Four blocks of the National Stadium Vasil Levski will now be closed for the country’s next home game against Italy on March 28.
Italy’s Parma still in crisis despite third new owner this season
By Mark Baber
February 12 – New Parma president Giampietro Manenti, chief executive of the Mapi Group which bought Parma for 1 Euro earlier this week, is confident the club can meet its obligations and pay off all its debts by the end of this month. Damiano Tommasi, president of the Italian footballer’s union the AIC, on the other hand, thinks it is unlikely the debt can be paid and is concerned for the welfare of the players.
Russia cuts foreign suppliers from 2018 World Cup build
February 13 – Russia’ First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, in response to the falling value of the ruble and the increased cost on imported materials, has ordered a review of the supply chain for the infrastructure construction for the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
NOS switches on to Portuguese league title sponsorship
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 13 – The top tier of Portugal’s football league has been renamed the Liga NOS for the next 3.5 years under a new sponsorship signed between the Portuguese Professional Football League (LPFP) and local media company NOS.
Rangers keeper banned for betting on football
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – Rangers goalkeeper Steve Simonsen has been banned for two games, with one of them suspended, after being found guilty of betting on no fewer than 55 matches. The suspension is the latest blow for the beleaguered Scottish giants.
Man Utd profits halved as balance sheet begs for Champions League
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – When Manchester United drafted in Louis van Gaal as manager after their embarrassing seventh-place Premier League finish last May, there was one over-riding priority: to get back into the Champions League.