July 9 – England manager Sarina Wiegman has downplayed the consequences of defeat against the Netherlands, but England are starring down the barrel in a must-win game.
By Duncan Mackay
June 13 – Australia is hoping that hosting the 2015 Asian Cup will help the country generate new business and trade opportunities across the continent, particularly in Japan.
By Duncan Mackay
June 13 – Manchester United seem set to abandon their plan to list the club on the Singapore stock exchange, preferring to do it in the Unite States instead, according to report.
It can be so easy to jump on a bandwagon, particularly when it comes to race relations. Once the tide of popular opinion gets rolling, why not hop on and enjoy the ride alongside the rest of the onions in the cart.
The huge uproar at the outrageous anti-semitism, blatant homophobia and openly held Nazi ideals exhibited and highlighted in the Ukraine and Poland has rightly been condemned.
In classic tabloid journalism style,
From Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – Violent clashes between rival Polish and Russian fans led to over 100 arrests tonight in the worst outbreak of hooliganism so far at the European Championships.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – Crisis-torn Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers, one of the most iconic names in European football, seem certain to go out of business in their current guise after tax authorities rejected an offer to buy the ailing club by a consortium headed by former Sheffield United supremo Charles Green.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – Exactly two years before the start of the Brazil 2014 World Cup, FIFA general secretary Jérôme Valcke, back in his role as the tournament’s chief trouble-shooter, has spoken of the “rising anticipation” through South America.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – UEFA is to investigate yet more alleged instances of racist behaviour at the 2012 European Championship, this time during the group match between Spain and Italy.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – The French sports marketing rights company Sportfive has signed a 28 million rand (£2.1 million/$3.3 million/€2.7 million) three-deal deal with South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC) to screen South Africa’s competitive away qualifiers until 2015.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – The full extent of why Europe’s clubs are so anxious about their players getting injured at the 2012 European Championship can be explained by figures just released by the European Club Association (ECA).
By Andrew Warshaw
June 12 – Nigerian police have freed Italy-based international Christian Obodo unhurt a day after gunmen kidnapped the midfielder and demanded a ransom.
By Duncan Mackay
June 11 – Hyundai have announced a major partnership with the Chinese Football Association (CFA) becoming the sport’s biggest sponsor in the country.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 11 – Polish football officials admit tomorrow’s Euro 2012 encounter between the joint hosts and Russia could potentially erupt into nationalist fervour.
By Andrew Warshaw
June 11 – Jordanian Football Association President Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein, the forward-thinking new vice-president of FIFA, has taken the unusual step of criticising the standard of refereeing after his country were controversially trounced 6-0 by Japan in a World Cup qualifier.
Racist chanting, fans clashing with police, Governments threatening a boycott over Ukraine’s human rights record – and all manner of other negative publicity on an almost daily basis. Nobody can say European football’s governing body weren’t warned.
Later this week, I am travelling to the 2012 European Championship to try to see for myself just how risky UEFA’s decision was in granting the tournament to Poland and Ukraine.
In all likelihood,
By Andrew Warshaw
June 11 – UEFA have sanctioned two more countries for falling foul of the rules at Euro 2012 – this time nothing to do with racism.