Massive interest continues for Brazil World Cup
The second phase of ticket sales for next year’s World Cup sold out just seven hours after being made available on FIFA’s website on a first-come, first-served basis.
Jordan dreams of slaying Goliath to keep World Cup dream alive.
By Andrew Warshaw
November 12- On paper it’s an impossible task for the underdogs, the ultimate David versus Goliath showdown. Seemingly a foregone conclusion before a ball has even been kicked.
On one side, Uruguay, twice world champions and featuring the likes of Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, two of the most fearsome players in world football.
Barca lose Messi until early next year
November 12- Lionel Messi has been ruled out for the rest of the year with a torn hamstring muscle, with Barcelona’s world player of the year missing at least seven games for club and country.
Matt Scott: Satellite titan should end hostilities before the Sky falls in
“Mr Watson, come here, I want to see you,” Alexander Graham Bell, March 10, 1876
The first words ever spoken down a telephone line might be laced with a menacing undertone were Sky’s chief executive, Jeremy Darroch, to pick up a handset today and repeat them, this time to his counterpart at BT Vision, Marc Watson.
BT Vision is a subsidiary of the British former monopoly telecoms provider,
Bien-Aime becomes first woman on CONCACAF Executive Committee
By Paul Nicholson
November 12 – Sonia Bien-Aime has been appointed to the executive committee of CONCACAF. Bien-Aime is also one of three women on FIFA’s Executive Committee, having been co-opted to the top table of world football at the FIFA Congress in Mauritius earlier this year.
Mexico head for Costa Rica finals after taking CONCACAF U17 Womens title
November 11 – The CONCACAF Women’s Under-17 Championship ended with a penalty shoot-out win for Mexico over Canada in Montego Bay, Jamaica, this weekend. Mexico and Canada will join host Costa Rica as CONCACAF representatives in the 2014 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup, which starts in March.
Premier League players get charitable via Twitter
By Jamie Styles
November 12 – Not all footballers on Twitter cause a storm of controversy. Sunderland striker Connor Wickham used his Twitter following over the weekend to help raise money for charity.
John Yan: The Age of Tuhao 恒大是现象，还难称模式
All eyes were focused on the match, tagged as ‘The Fly to the Top of Asia’. Quite like the Party’s propoganda protocol, a bit like One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest…
On November 9 in Guangzhou, Evergrande were crowned the champions of Asia, grandly. Even though the official TV ratings figures didn’t prove this match attracted a dominant viewership nationally, go through any media outlet, the impression was on that night, nothing could compare to the club’s climb to the top of Asia.
Italian derby abandoned after fan threats turn fixture into farce
By Andrew Warshaw
November 11 – Even by Italian standards, it was surely one of the most bizarre episodes ever to occur in a professional football match. A third division derby was called off on Sunday after visiting side Nocerina, having allegedly received death threats from their own fans, deliberately reduced themselves to six players forcing the game to be abandoned.
BT Sport swoops for the UEFA club competitions in £897m deal
By Andrew Warshaw
November 11 – In UK football’s most far-reaching broadcasting game-changer of recent years, BT Sport has won the UK rights to screen the Champions League and Europa League from 2015 in a staggering £897 million three-year deal with UEFA’s marketing agency TEAM.
Poland’s Ekstraklasa seeks to modify mass events safety bill and increase attendances
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 11 – Poland’s Ekstraklasa is aiming to introduce a number of modifications into the country’s mass events safety bill. The operator of the top tier of Poland’s professional football league outlined the proposed changes in a document entitled Safe Ekstraklasa: shutting down the stadiums, shutting down the opportunities.
Nigeria win fourth U17 FIFA World Cup title in Abu Dhabi
November 11 – So often fraught with controversy, Nigerian football is back in the spotlight for the right reasons after winning the world under-17 championship for a record fourth time, overpowering holders Mexico 3-0 in Abu Dhabi.
Blatter rules out January World Cup and says progress is being made on labour laws
By Andrew Warshaw
November 11 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has ruled out the Qatar 2022 World Cup being moved to January and February because of a potential clash with the Winter Olympics, severely narrowing down the options to switch the tournament from summer. FIFA recently set up a working group to look into alternative dates for 2022 with all the stakeholders involved – medical experts, broadcasters, sponsors, leagues and clubs.
Second ticket window opens for Brazil 2014
November 11 – The second ticketing sales window for the 2014 World Cup Brazil opened today at 12:00 CET / 9:00 Brasilia time. More than 220,000 tickets are available in this sales window for 57 matches and FIFA is warning that demand is expected to be high. Unlike the first sales window, the second window will allocate tickets on a first come first served basis.
Suspended and threatened, Bulgarian ref turns to police for help
By Alexander Krassimirov
November 11 – Police in the Bulgarian town of Shumen have launched an investigation after a series of threats were made against the Bulgarian international football referee Stanislav Todorov (pictured). The referee lodged a complaint at the police station following the threats. Todorov was interviewed for an hour, and also informed the newspaper ’24 hours’ Daily. The police in Shumen have confirmed Todorov’s report of the incident but declined to give further details.