Atletico’s reputation damaged as more racism hits Spanish football
May 6- Having made so many friends on the pitch with the quality of their football, Atletico Madrid have suddenly hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons.
More problems for Italy with fan violence and suspicious result
By Andrew Warshaw
May 6- Italian football has suffered a series of further blows to its reputation as Rafa Benitez’s first trophy in charge of Napoli was overshadowed by appalling fan violence.
Andrew Warshaw: Salman breaks cover in bid for total supremacy
The words were worthy enough, the message unequivocal. But the real intentions were cringingly obvious to anyone who has followed Asian football politics.
Last week’s attempt by Asian Football Confederation president Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa’s to mark the first anniversary of his leadership by focussing on his so-called achievements served only to highlight the unedifying rift that continues to divide his increasingly fractious organisation.
Ever since he took over last year,
Gambia hit with two-year ban for playing over-age players
By Andrew Warshaw
May 5 – The Gambia, one of Africa’s smallest countries, has been banned from all international competition for two years for fielding no fewer than five over-age players in a qualifier for the Continent’s under-20 Championship.
Qataris feel pride and passion for 2022, while the Brits turn their noses up
By Paul Nicholson
May 5 – Depending on which part of the world you ask the questions, you will get different reactions and emotions regarding the Qatar 2022 World Cup. Doha-based Agency 222 conducted a survey that found local feeling was that the World Cup was defining and shaping an emerging nation.
FIFA’s $500k a day development arm regulates against ‘bad projects’
By Paul Nicholson
May 5 – FIFA’s revamp of its development programmes in 2013 and the changes in the regulations have made the year a big one for FIFA’s a team that has been responsible for spending $500,000 a day on development activity and corporate social responsibility projects.
Former Army team CSKA Moscow secures sponsorship with Russian Helicopters
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
May 5 – CSKA Moscow has signed a sponsorship deal with one of Russia’s leading aircraft manufacturers, Russian Helicopters.
Copa America Centenario raises importance of Caribbean Cup
By Paul Nicholson
May 5 – Initial reaction to the announcement last week that the Copa America Centenario will be played in the US and hosted by CONCACAF in 2016 has been positive.
IOC President’s team faces the drop in Germany
By David Owen
May 4 – The most powerful man in world sport faces a nervous week as one of his favourite football clubs battles to avoid relegation from the German Bundesliga.
Osasu Obayiuwana: Europe’s clubs need to stop taking and start sharing
With Real Madrid and their noisy but vastly improved neighbours Atletico, earning well-deserved places at this year’s UEFA Champions’ League final in Lisbon, the fraternity looks forward to what is certainly going to be a keenly contested encounter.
But as Europe’s – and undoubtedly the world’s – leading club tournament grows in competitive and commercial strength, certainly helped by the huge global audience it continues to pull, it is a telling reminder, to African club football,
Copa America Centenario poses a challenge to the accepted old world order
By Paul Nicholson in Miami
May 2 – The unveiling of the Copa America centennial tournament to be played in the US and hosted by CONCACAF June 3 to June 26, plants a huge new football tournament right in the middle of what is already a packed sporting calendar with UEFA’s 2016 European Championships in France and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Champagne backs Qatar’s right to host but criticises football’s financial Iron Curtain
By Andrew Warshaw
May 2 -FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne says 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar should be recognised as “innocent unless proved guilty” by the ongoing investigation into the 2018 and 2022 voting process being led by FIFA’s chief investigator Michael Garcia.
Ladbrokes bet on a World Cup but winners take shine off profitsonanza, but too m
By Mark Baber
May 2 – Whilst UK bookmaker Ladbrokes have been laying the foundations for the World Cup the company says that despite a 34% year-on-year increase in football staking, their first quarter profits have been hit by a winning streak by favorites in football matches, leading to big pay outs on accumulator bets.
Battling Chelsea assistant handed six-match ban for misconduct
May 2 – In one of the most severe punishments ever handed out to backup coaching staff in top-flight English football, Rui Faria, assistant to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has been has been slapped with a six-match stadium ban for an altercation with officials during a recent Premier League game with Sunderland.
Asean Super League plan hit with delays and now looking at 2016 kick off
May 2 – In a blow to the development of Asian football, the launch of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Super League could be delayed until 2016 because of administrative issues.