April 18 – New Zealand captain Ryan Nelsen (pictured) has today called for the country to follow neighbours Australia and leave Oceania to join the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) to give it a better chance of qualifying for the World Cup. and help raise standards.
April 17 – Religious leaders in Israel have criticised plans for the country’s national team, including Liverpool’s Yossi Benayoun (pictured), to play some of its Euro 2012 qualifying matches on a Friday, which is considered in the holiest day in the Jewish calendar.
April 16 – Leeds United chairman Ken Bates (pictured) has rejected suggestions of a takeover bid by Australian Frank Lowy.
April 16 – Parachute payments for relegated clubs would total £48 million over four years if new Premier League proposals are agreed, it has been revealed today.
April 16 – Italy is facing the prospect of losing a place in the Champions League to Germany and falling behind France in the order of Europe’s top leagues, AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani (pictured) has warned.
By Andrew Warshaw
April 16 – Liverpool’s American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett have given in to mounting pressure by agreeing to sell up, ending a long-running dispute over their suitability to run one of the world’s most iconic clubs.
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April 16 – Japan have signed-up another three sponsors as its campaign to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup steps up a gear.
April 16 – The Premier League has confirmed its intention to launch a legal challenge against Ofcom’s price cut for Sky’s premium sport channels.
April 15 – Danny Jordaan (pictured), the chief executive of South Africa 2010, admitted that the number of fans currently planning to attend the World Cup stands at between 100,000 and 200,000 – less than half of the original forecast of 450,000.
April 15 – Essex County Cricket Club have announced ambitious plans to share the London 2012 Olympic Stadium with Premier League West Ham United and Newham Council.
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By David Owen
April 15 - Guus Hiddink (pictured), the internationally renowned Dutch football manager, is to go to Korea at the end of this month as part of his efforts to help the Dutch/Belgian World Cup bid.
April 15 – Singapore have unveiled a new six-year strategic plan which has set the target of the national team being ranked among the top 10 nations in Asia by 2015.
By David Owen in Istanbul
April 14 – Turkey may bid to stage the 2026 World Cup. Orhan Gorbon, manager of Turkey’s current bid for the 2016 European Football Championship, told insideworldfootball exclusively that a campaign for the 2026 tournament was part of a personal “10-year plan”.
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April 14 - Alisher Usmanov (pictured), one of Arsenal’s largest shareholders, is keeping all his options open as speculation over the ownership of the club intensifies.
April 14 – UEFA President Michel Platini today renewed his attack on the Premier League when he claimed that the massive debt being carried by clubs was destroying the sport.