By Andrew Warshaw
June 28 – FIFA has lifted Franz Beckenbauer’s ban from all football-related activity for failing to assist the investigation of alleged corruption into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup votes, according to his manager.
By David Owen
June 27 – European teams finally began performing to their potential in the last round of World Cup group matches, running up an impressive eight victories and enabling UEFA to snatch second spot in the race to be the best-performing confederation at Brazil 2014.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
June 27 – American businessman Paul Bragiel is looking at acquiring a stake in Poland’s Slask Wroclaw. The troubled football club is looking for new partners to fill the financial gap left by its previous majority shareholder, the city of Wroclaw.
By David Owen
June 27 – Adidas teams enjoyed a storming final round of group-stage matches at the World Cup in Brazil, as those supplied by rival Puma wilted. With 75% of Brazil 2014 games now completed (even if the most important are still to come), the company, which expects to sell more than 8 million World Cup team replica shirts and 14 million ‘Brazuca’ footballs, has taken a grip on the World Cup Battle of the Brands.
June 27 – The peculiar feeling of a rest day has settled around the world before the World Cup gets down to last 16 business, the calm before the storm begins again. The opening two knockout matches are all Latin American affairs featuring two of the most exciting teams in the World Cup so far, Colombia and Chile. Brazil are playing as well. As are a toothless-looking Uruguay.
By Alexander Krassimirov
June 27 – The construction of top Bulgarian club Botev Plovdiv’s new stadium has been halted after financial issues surrounding problems with Corporate Commercial Bank AD (CCB Plc). The club announced that the construction has only been stopped temporarily.
It was a simple message from the President of their Confederation, Jeffrey Webb, but it said it all:
Very proud of @CONCACAF teams and their quality of play at #WorldCup. Let’s keep going #WeAreCONCACAF
This incredible World Cup of action is likely to end with a South American narrative. It is their tournament, it is their backyard. It is Brazil and Argentina I expect to be there at the end.
June 27 – The Wall Street Journal has published its own findings on divers and writhers at the world cup. In an article that laments the nuisance of ‘injuries’, they have tallied up all the incidents in which a team’s player has seemingly feigned hurt, accumulating the total time spent portraying the absent agony, which they have dubbed ‘writhing time’.
June 27 – The Chinese are finding ways to use the 2014 FIFA World cup to circumvent local gambling laws. In general gambling is illegal in China, but in instances where the proceeds are donated to charity, exceptions are allowed. Alibaba and Tencent Holdings, two of China’s dominant Internet companies, have linked up with provincial lottery centres so as to allow betting on world cup matches.
June 27 – The complex match-fixing scandal that rocked Turkish football is set to be reopened after an Istanbul court ordered the retrial of several convicted individuals, including Fenerbahce chairman Aziz Yildirim.
June 27 – New Zealand is the latest country to pull out of the running to host the 2019 Women’s World Cup, a blow to the Oceania region, the smallest of FIFA’s six confederations.
By Andrew Warshaw in Brazil
June 26 – Luis Suarez was plunged into international disgrace today when the Liverpool and Uruguay striker was banned by FIFA from all football-related activity for four months for his already infamous bite on Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini at the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw in Brazil
June 26 – Sulley Muntari and Kevin-Prince Boateng, two of Ghana’s best-known and most experienced players, were expelled from their World Cup squad for alleged indiscipline prior to the nation’s final group game which they lost to Portugal 2-1 last night.
June 26 – The last of the group games complete with the conclusion of Groups G and H. The US vs Germany clash is holding most attention, while Ronaldo will have to produce something extra special to prevent ceding bragging rights this World Cup to Messi. An exciting Algeria will be looking to overcome a dour-looking Russia.
June 26 – From hero to zero to hero. Suarez provides reasons to be pious as Colombian keeper Mondragon provides inspiration for the older generation.