April 14 – Sepp Blatter has apparently told Brazil’s president Dilma Rousseff that the World Cup will be the most successful ever – even though three stadiums are still not ready.
By Paul Nicholson
April 14 – Rangers’ financial turmoil has received a much-need positive boost with the announcement of online gaming firm 32Red as its new shirt sponsor. The three-year deal will start next season. 32 Red takes over from Blackthorn cider.
When UEFA and its member countries take a decision to fundamentally restructure the way in which international football, within its continent, is played, it ought not to concern the rest of the global fraternity.
What European football does within its borders is, in principle, their prerogative.
BUT – and this is a big but, obviously – when a continental decision is taken without any cognisance of the effect that it would have on the WORLD game,
By Paul Nicholson
April 11 – Antiguan clubs are rebelling against their federation, the Antiguan and Barbuda Football Association (ABFA), and calling for FIFA or CONCACAF to step in and take control. They want the ABFA audited and full financial transparency by an independent body.
April 11 – UEFA have issued a warning to Chelsea against trying to seek a fee for loaned out goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois playing them in the Champions League semifinals for Atletico Madrid.
By Mark Baber
April 11 – The ongoing saga of the much-hyped Indian Super League (ISL) begins a new chapter on Sunday as the eight franchises for the new tournament will be unveiled. The organisers including IMG-Reliance, marketing partners of the All India Football Federation (AIFF), are seeking to revolutionise football’s fortunes in the cricket-mad country, whilst the existing Indian clubs are looking on in trepidation, with calls for FIFA to intervene.
By Alexander Krassimirov
April 11 – The Bulgarian Football Union, Bulgarian club Slavia and German investment company IFS have signed a preliminary agreement to build a new national stadium in Sofia. The deal between the three parties was finalised this week.
April 11 – Every senior fixture in England across all four professional divisions will kick off seven minutes later than normal this weekend as football marks the 25th anniversary of the Hillsborough stadium disaster in Sheffield, when 96 Liverpool fans lost their lives at the club’s FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 11 – The most comprehensive revelations to date into the scale and scope of match-fixing and betting fraud will be unveiled next month. The in-depth assessment is a partnership between the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security and the Sorbonne in Paris, with the goal being to influence governments in the fight against corruption in sport.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 11 – A fresh development has emerged in the race for political power within Asian football with the news that Japan’s Tashima Kohzo, Vice President and Executive General Secretary of the Japanese FA, has officially announced he is to seek a seat on the FIFA Executive Committee at regional elections next year.
By Alexander Krassimirov
April 11 – Hakan Sukur’s nameplate in the Istanbul stadium named after him – Sancaktepe Hakan Sukur Stadium – has been removed by municipal workers after he resigned from Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP).
April 11 – Football will be one of the main beneficiaries from a global growth in advertising rates, and commercial television will be the most dominant medium within that growth. For football’s rights holders that is good news as ad-driven TV stations will be able to afford premium rights, and sponsorship values will continue to grow as mass market audiences are delivered.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 10 – Despite continuing consternation by Serbia, Kosovo has broken yet new ground by arranging two more friendlies as it takes advantage of its new found status approved by FIFA.
April 10 – Stenden University Qatar (SUQ) is teaming up with Edinburgh Napier University for a two-year project titled ‘Leveraging the 2022 Qatar World Football Cup for the promotion of green and active living: A multiple stakeholder evaluation of strategic options’.
By Mark Baber
April 10 – The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) is putting forward Rome’s Stadio Olimpico as Italy’s candidate for Euro 2020. As the European football championship marks its 60th anniversary with a tournament to be hosted in 13 cities of the continent Italy will be bidding for a standard package only.