Inside World Football - Page 1708 of 2075 - For the Business of Football

Ref kills player, fans kill ref in horrific amateur league violence in Brazil

da silva

By Paul Nicholson
July 6 – An amateur game in the Maranhão region of north eastern Brazil turned violent last weekend resulting in the death of a player and the match referee. Reports are that 30-year-old Josenir dos Santos Abreu approached the referee, 20-year-old Otávio Jordão da Silva (pictured), arguing about a decision. When da Silva then red carded Abreu, he reportedly threw a punch at da Silva, who then took out a pocket knife he was carrying with him,

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Latest FIFA Rankings – Good for Football Business

fifa-ranking

By Mark Baber
The new FIFA/Coca Cola world rankings, whilst delivering their usual set of surprises and statistical quirks, will be welcomed across the world of football for returning Brazil – still the world’s most charismatic team – to the top ten, following their victory in the Confederations Cup.

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Broadcasters and Sponsors Line up for Concacaf Gold Cup

gold-cup

By Mark Baber
July 5 – The 12th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup kicks off on Sunday at the Pasadena Rose Bowl in California as 12 nations from the confederation that covers North, Central America and the Caribbean compete for the region’s greatest prize culminating on July 28 at Chicago’s Soldier Field.

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Appeal backfires as PSG’s Leonardo misses whole of next season

leonardo

By Andrew Warshaw
July 5 – The nine-month ban imposed on Paris Saint-Germain’s Brazilian sporting director Leonardo for barging into a referee last season has been extended by five months and will now run until June 30, 2014, ruling him out of next season entirely, following a French Football Federation appeals hearing.

Africa

Court orders Togo to pay up

cas

July 5 – The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has ordered the Togo Football Federation to pay former national team coach Jean Thissen 200 million Swiss francs ($400,000) for “abusive termination of contract”. The Belgian was appointed in 2008 and but was ousted in October the following year and went to the CAS citing breach of contract and reportedly claiming $800,000. Togolese officials claimed he had health issues and was no longer capable to work.

Africa

Cameroon football enveloped in turmoil after FIFA ban

iya-mohammed

By Andrew Warshaw
July 5 – Cameroon’s hopes of competing at next year’s World Cup finals have been dealt a potentially damaging blow after the country’s national federation, FECAFOOT, was suspended by FIFA in the latest case of football’s world governing body clamping down on government interference, an issue that shows no sign of abating, especially in Africa.

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Ayre drives Liverpool’s digital footprint – with feet on the ground

Flickr/cherrybombuk

By Paul Nicholson
July 5 – Premier League giants Liverpool have announced a pre-season schedule that will see them play in Indonesia, Australia, Thailand, Dublin and Norway – topped and tailed with an opener in nearby Preston and Steven Gerrard’s testimonial game at Anfield, a fixture that has extra special significance since it will also be the first live match aired on the new BT Sport TV channel.

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Barca’s Iniesta stumps up cash to stave off Albecete relegation

Andres Iniesta and Albacete

By Gareth Messenger
July 5 – Spanish Segunda B division side Albacete Balompié S.A.D. have avoided automatic relegation – courtesy of World Cup superstar Andrea Iniesta. Albacete has now paid all outstanding player wages, the money coming via an increase in the capital of the club, rather than as a loan, thanks to its main shareholder, Barcelona, and Iniesta.

Lee Wellings

Lee Wellings: The Real deal in Bournemouth

How much would you pay to see Real Madrid play your local team?

And I mean Real Madrid, not Real Madrid’s third team, or youth team?

There has been a great deal of debate, as well as excitement, about the confirmation that the first team will come to play Bournemouth, a club on the English south coast who have reached the Championship, one below the Premier League, for the first time in 23 years.

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FIFA re-imposes ban on Iraq hosting friendlies after more bombs and killings

iraq-blast-july-13

By Mark Baber
July 4 – FIFA have re-imposed its ban on Iraq hosting international friendlies following a surge in violence, including bombings aimed directly at players and fans. FIFA notified the Iraqi Football Association (IFA), citing over 2,500 deaths in violence from April through June and at least 123 people killed in the first three days of July.

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Madrid’s galacticos choose unheralded Bournemouth for pre-season opener

Dean Court - Chris Downer

By Andrew Warshaw
July 4 – English Championship club Bournemouth, not so many years ago on the verge of extinction, have managed to pull off a remarkable coup by persuading Real Madrid to visit their modest south-coast home for a prestigious pre-season exhibition game on 21 July.

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Manchester City clinch Thai drinks deal to add fizz to brand awareness

est-cola

By Andrew Warshaw
July 4 – The battle for brand supremacy in Asia has been stepped up with Manchester City announcing they have struck a two-year regional deal with Thailand’s fast-growing est Cola company which will become the Abu Dhabi-owned club’s official soft drinks partner in the country.

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Perform expands growing operation by clinching Opta deal

opta

July 4 – The growing desirability and influence of sports statistics has been underlined by the Perform digital media group agreeing to buy Opta Sports Data for over £40 million ($60 million). The deal is conditional on a successful £120m fundraising. Opta offers statistical information and player performance data from football leagues in Britain, Germany and the Netherlands to media clients and clubs themselves.

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Thailand’s Makudi digging heels in over elections as opponents threaten to go it alone

Worawo Makudi (FIFA/Simon Bruty)

By Andrew Warshaw
July 4 – Controversial Fifa executive committee member Worawo Makudi (pictured) continues to cling to power as boss of Thai football despite growing demands for fresh presidential elections which he, so far, has refused to implement. Thailand avoided being thrown out of world football by FIFA last month after a tiny fourth-tier club agreed to withdrew a lawsuit that threatened to stop the Thai FA (FAT) from holding elections.

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Deutsche Bank signs one-year sponsorship wth Inter Milan

deutsche bank

July 3 – Deutsche Bank have struck a one-year deal with Italian giants Internazionale to become one of the club’s leading sponsors in a partnership which will see the financial service provider become the club’s official bank.