By Alexander Krassimirov
March 10 – Bulgaria’s Lokomotiv Plovdiv have released their administrative director, Atanas Uzunov, accusing him of “political games”. The board of Lokomotiv claims that he used his official position to “influence the supporters of the club and they participate in political actions against the government of country.”
What do the following international football matches have in common: Brazil 0 Portugal 2 on 6 February 2007; Nigeria 1 Ghana 4 the same night; and Australia 3 Canada 0 on 15 October 2013?
Right, they were all played in London.
So was an extraordinary encounter last week pitting the Socceroos, once more, against Ecuador, France’s future World Cup opponents. While Roy Hodgson’s England were labouring to beat Denmark at Wembley,
Charity, they say, is supposed to begin at home. Or, at least, in your continent.
But I am wondering whether it is an adage that officials of Libya’s government and the football federation have ever taken to heart.
At the recent laying of the foundation stone, at a stadium to be built in Tripoli, the country’s capital, ahead of the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations they are to host – assuming the war-torn country is peaceful enough –
By Paul Nicholson
March 7 – The on-off-on international friendly between Ukraine and the US, switched to a Cypriot venue, ended in a morale boosting 2-0 win for the Ukranians. Now the Ukraine FA has announced that its domestic league will restart on March 15.
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 7 – Portuguese giants Benfica have agreed to reduce their fee to €200,000 to participate in an exhibition game against Levski Sofia to mark the Bulgarian club’s 100th anniversary.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – There have been more indications – this time from the clubs – that no decision on moving the 2022 Qatar World Cup from the heat of the Gulf summer will be taken until next year.
March 7 – The English Football Association is reported to be considering whether to appeal against the five-match ban imposed by an independent commission on former French international striker for his infamous ‘quenelle’ gesture on the basis that it was too leniant.
March 7 – A Vietnam international defender has been handed what is reported to be record 28-game ban for an horrendous tackle that broke the leg of an opponent in a domestic league match.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 7 – Carson Yeung, the Hong Kong barber-turned-businessman who appeared to have amassed a fortune when he moved into English football by buying Birmingham City, has been jailed for six years for money laundering.
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 7 – Bulgaria’s Botev Plovdiv has unveiled a new set of pans for the building of the Hristo Botev stadium, where the club will play its home games. The stadium reconstruction should be completed in 2015.
March 7 – Mexican top tier club Gallos Blancos de Queretaro looks certain to be caught up in a government investigation into a corporate money laundering. The chief executive of Oceanografia, an oil services company being investigated by Mexican authorities, is the owner of the Gallos Blancos.
By David Owen
March 6 – The financial consequences of a disastrous 2012-13 season for Queens Park Rangers, the west London club majority-owned by Tony Fernandes and partners, have been spelt out in grisly detail.
This is how the Swiss national football team lines up, proudly ranked as one of the eight top ranked teams for the World Cup in Brazil…
By Paul Nicholson
March 6 – Less than a year after FIFA ordered the Antigua and Barbuda FA (ABFA) to re-run its elections, the Caribbean federation has again landed itself in trouble and been sanctioned for financial impropriety. This is not the first time the federation or its officials have found themselves in trouble over money.
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Third Party Ownership, the dubious process by which companies or individuals own the economic rights of players and take a portion of international transfer fees, may have its roots in South America but is also spreading its tentacles into a “growing” number of European countries according to the European Club Association which represents the interests of more than 200 clubs across the Continent.