The FA launch 150th year celebrations
January 16 – The (English) Football Association, The FA, launched its 150th year anniversary at the Grand Connaught Rooms in London today.
Confederations Cup matches are the hot ticket
By Mark Baber
January 16 – The first public ticket sales phase for the FIFA Confederations Cup, which kicks off on the June 15 in Brasilia, has been a great success, according to FIFA, with 399,525 ticket requests received.
Brasileirao clubs launch fan membership scheme
By Andrew Warshaw
January 16 – Eighteen months before staging the World Cup, Brazil’s Serie A clubs are introducing a club membership scheme supported by the league’s corporate sponsors.
Serie A confirm no action will be taken against Boateng for walk-off
By Andrew Warshaw
January 16 – Kevin-Prince Boateng’s now famous walkoff in protest at being racially abused was technically against the rules, but the Ghanaian will not be punished, Serie A’s disciplinary commissioner has ruled.
Manchester United add new Chinese sponsors
By Mark Baber
January 16 – Manchester United has expanded its commerical its links in China with two three-year sponsorship deals with China Construction Bank (CCB) and soft drinks manufacturer Wahaha.
Indonesian football in chaos as Suryo threatens to disband rival leagues
By Mark Baber
January 16 – Indonesia’s new youth and sports minister Roy Suryo (pictured) has threatened to disband Indonesia’s two rival football factions unless a solution is found their row before a FIFA’s imposed March 16 deadline to settle their differences.
Murdoch banks on power of Bundesliga as News Corp takes control at Sky Deutschland
January 15 – Rupert Murdoch’s NewsCorp has taken a majority stake in German pay-TV company Sky Deutschland in a calculated gamble that will use football as the core content for the acquisition of new subscribers, increased revenues per subscriber and ultimately profitability in 2013.
Abete re-elected as head of the Italian Federation
By Mark Baber
January 15 – Giancarlo Abete has been re-elected as President of the Italian Football Federation (FIGC), winning 94.34% of the vote in the FIGC Elective Assembly in an uncontested election yesterday.
Mohun Bagan are back in the I-League after appeal is upheld
By Mark Baber
January 15 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) has lifted its decision to ban Mohun Bagan after the team refused to play the second half of an Indian League match against East Bengal following violence last December.
Agent body slams FIFA transfer proposals
By Andrew Warshaw
January 15 – The Association of Football Agents (AFA) has angrily criticised FIFA’s plans to introduce a new system to reduce the influence of agents, denouncing it as unworkable. The UK-based body represents about 350 agents.
Blatter speaks on reform, World Cups, racism and succession
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 15 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has given his strongest indication yet that he will definitely stand down at the end of his fourth and final term as head of world football’s governing body.
UEFA to meet to discuss FIFA reform proposals
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 15 – All 53 members of UEFA will meet later this month to discuss FIFA’s reform programme which is due to be voted on at the world governing body’s annual congress in Mauritius in May.
Russian FA cleared of criminal wrongdoing over debt
By Mark Baber
January 14 – The Russian FA (RFU) and its former president Sergei Fursenko (pictured) have been cleared of criminal wrongdoing by a state Audit Chamber investigation.
West Asian leaders emphasise womens right to play
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 14 – Senior Asian football officials have stepped up their campaign to give women’s football a greater platform in a vast Continent where the game, in certain areas, is treated very much as a male preserve.
$900 million worth of new football stadia in Istanbul Olympic bid
By David Owen
January 14 – Three new regional Turkish stadia will host Olympic football matches if Istanbul succeeds in its bid to stage the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games.