Doping scandals fail to halt North Korean Han’s rise to AFC exco seat
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
May 13 – The controversial appointment of a North Korean woman to serve at the top table of Asian football is being viewed in some quarters with considerable scepticism and a backward step in terms of bringing openness and transparency back to the troubled Continent.
Serie A game halted as Roma fans chant racist abuse at San Siro
By Andrew Warshaw
May 13 – Despite a recent crackdown on racism by football’s governing bodies, Sunday’s high-profile Serie A clash between AC Milan and Roma was halted because of abusive chanting by fans. Play was stopped by the referee for about two minutes at the start of the second half after chants were aimed at Milan’s black players from visiting Roma fans.
David Owen: Why Rooney and Europe are the big questions for Moyes at Old Trafford
In 2004-05, the most profitable club in the Premier League was unfashionable Everton.
How did Merseyside’s second club outperform more illustrious rivals such as Arsenal and Manchester United, let alone Chelsea, which ran up a £140 million pre-tax loss on the way to lifting the Premier League title?
Four words: they sold Wayne Rooney, the teenage prodigy who had made Europe sit up and take notice at Euro 2004.
This simple fact reminds us of how long the careers of Rooney and David Moyes,
Ugandan government disbands rival leagues in favour of new Premier League
By Mark Baber
May 10 – The Ugandan Cabinet on Wednesday resolved to step into the dispute between the Federation of Uganda Football Association (FUFA) and the Uganda Super League Ltd (USLL) and disband the two national leagues (FSL and USL) in favour of a new Uganda Premier League (UPL) which will kick off at the start of the 2013/14 season.
BT throw down challenge to Sky with Premier League matches to screen free
By Andrew Warshaw
May 10 – Telecom giants BT have vowed to “give football back to the nation” by announcing that Premier League games will be offered free to its broadband customers next season in a revolutionary move that has taken the broadcasting world by storm.
Kenyan crisis as federation appeals for funds to fulfil fixtures
By Mark Baber
May 10 – Football Kenya Federation has made an appeal for at least 200 million shillings to support the Harambee Stars and enable them to fulfil this year’s fixtures, including world cup qualifiers.
Family trouble for Di Stefano as they seek to stop him marrying 50 years younger
By Alex O’Loughlin
May 10 – The five children of Real Madrid legend Alfredo Di Stefano (pictured with Ronaldo) have filed an injunction seeking to stop him marrying a Costa Rican woman 50 years his junior.
FT/IFA: Big hitters sign up for a blockbuster day at Rio talk shop
By Paul Nicholson
May 10 – FIFA’s top brass and the three CEO’s of the 2014, 2018 and 2022 World Cup organising committees are among the headliners for the FT/IFA one-day conference at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, Rio de Janeiro, June 17. With five weeks to go the speaker line-up for Rio is taking a star-studded shape.
Del Nido calls for fairer split of Spanish TV money and warns of more financial pain to come
By Monica Villar
May 10 – Sevilla president José María del Nido has again spoken out against the LFP, blaming the league for creating the economic difficulties Spanish clubs now face.
Osasu Obayiuwana: Has CAF’s ‘season of vengeance’ begun?
I have wondered, since March, after Issa Hayatou secured an unprecedented seventh term as Confederation of African Football (CAF) president in Morocco – with the ‘luxury’ of having no opponent to challenge him – when retribution will be visited upon those who challenged the controversial changes to the election rules, which made the Cameroonian’s continued stay in power a mere formality.
CAF’s disciplinary committee eloquently answered my nagging question, by handing a six-month ban and a $10,000 fine to Musa Bility,
Seamless takeover as Moyes immediately moves over to United job
By Andrew Warshaw
May 9 – As widely anticipated, David Moyes was appointment Sir Alex Ferguson’s successor today as manager of Manchester United and handed a six-year contract to take over on July 1. The highly respected Moyes, who leaves Everton after 11 years in charge, was the retiring Ferguson’s personal recommendation.
Lee Wellings: The value of giving it a little bit of time to cook
If the case of Sir Alexander Chapman Ferguson doesn’t serve as a warning to trigger-happy football club owners and chief executives, nothing ever will.
Three trophy-less years into Alex Ferguson’s reign as Manchester United manager the fans were restless.
But the board stuck by him in those dark days of 1989.
24 years and a record 38 trophies later – including 13 Premier League titles – it’s just about safe to say Ferguson repaid the club’s faith.
Law’s face is on a stamp, but Fergie’s is stamped all over two football nations
By Andrew Warshaw
May 9 – Of all the present and former greats who have paid tribute to Sir Alex Ferguson in the past 24 hours following the announcement that he is stepping down after 26 years as Manchester United manager, few have Fergie in their hearts as much as United legend Denis Law.
Sporting CP president criticises agents over confidentiality breaches
By Monica Villar
May 9 – Sporting Clube de Portugal President Bruno de Carvalho has struck out at players agents and representatives after newspapers published reports regarding his team’s squad.