Paul Nicholson, Author at Inside World Football - Page 1818 of 1891

Osasu Obayiuwana: Intrigue in South Africa

When Lord Palmerston, the 19th century British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, made the oft-quoted comment that there are no “permanent friends or enemies, only permanent interests”, in the cold-blooded pursuit of agendas, he certainly wasn’t thinking about the South African Football Association (SAFA).

But he jolly well could have been.

With barely eight weeks to the election of SAFA’s president and executive committee on September 28, the impending polls have reawakened old enmities,

Archive

Zwanziger stuns with comments on Qatar 2022 being a “blatant mistake”

Zwanziger

By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
July 25 – Growing calls for switching the Qatar World Cup to winter – now led by FIFA president Sepp Blatter – have taken a dramatic new twist with Germany’s top FIFA official declaring it was a “blatant mistake” to award to the 2022 tournament to the Gulf state in the first place.

Archive

Clubs to celebrate world’s first football derby

Sheffield FC vs Hallam FC

By David Owen
July 25 – The origins of one of football’s most emotive and universal concepts are to be celebrated in a small town in north Derbyshire, not far from Sheffield, on Saturday.

Lee Wellings

Lee Wellings: When small clubs ruled Europe

Who’s going to win the Champions League this year?

Bayern? Barca? One of the newly rich clubs – a PSG or Manchester City?

Maybe an EPL club – Chelsea? Manchester United?

Or what about one of the teams who came through the second round this week.

Archive

AirAsia lands $1.4m three-year sponsorship with Singapore FA

Tony Fernandes

By Mark Baber
July 25 – Malaysian budget carrier AirAsia and the Football Association of Singapore (FAS) have agreed a S$1.8 million ($1.4 million) sponsorship deal, including the cost of flights for the under-21, under-23 and senior national teams, as well as the National Football Academy’s age-group teams and women’s teams.

Africa

Jordaan appointed as advisor to CAF president Hayatou

Danny Jordaan

By Mark Baber
July 25 – South African Football Association (SAFA) vice-president and respected anti-apartheid activist Dr Danny Jordaan has been appointed to serve as advisor to Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Issa Hayatou.

Archive

Another Milan walk-off re-ignites racism issues in Italy

Kevin Constant

By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – Six months after Kevin Prince Boateng famously walked off the pitch during a winter break friendly because of racist abuse that led directly to strict new anti-discrimination measures by football’s two main authorities, another AC Milan player has followed suit.

Africa

Football back on in Egypt, for a day, to allow Champions League match

Al Ahly vs Zamalek

By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – Egypt’s volatile political situation briefly gave way to football on Wednesday as Al Ahli drew 1-1 with arch-rivals Zamalek in the African Champions League. Domestic Egyptian football is currently suspended.

Archive

Lazio prosecutor demands points, fines and suspensions as trial starts

lazio and genoa

By Andrew Warshaw
July 25 – Italian giants Lazio could start next season with a six-point deduction and be without their captain Stefano Mauri for more than four years following the start of their match-fixing trial.

Archive

New owners impose CSKA Sofia salary cuts as coach attacked by former owner

alexandar tomov

By Alexander Krassimirov
July 25 – Troubled Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia, who are under new ownership, have announced that there will be a salary cap for players and staff, reducing salaries to below last season’s levels. Alexander Tomov (pictured), said that the highest wages of the top players will be about 15,000 leva (€7,500) per month. He said he will be talking to new head coach Stoycho Mladenov in the next few days.

Africa

Critics sceptical of measures to resolve Nigerian club crisis

Bolaji Abdullahi

By Mark Baber
July 23 – A week after an emergency meeting between the Nigerian Minister of Sports, Bolaji Abdullahi (pictured) and board members of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), the League Management Company (LMC) and Nigeria Women Football League (NWFL), doubts are being expressed about the feasibility of the measures promised by the Sports Minister, which included paying players the money they are owed and instituting a minimum wage.

Archive

Putin signs anti-hooligan measures into law

Russian fans

By Mark Baber
May 23 – Russian President Vladimir Putin signed into law Tuesday legislation that increases the sanctions which can be applied to convicted hooligans at sports events. The so-called Fan Law will come into effect on January 19, 2014.

Archive

AFDP provides youth support for Tajik initiatives

AFDP and Prince Ali

July 23 – The Asian Football Development Project (AFDP), chaired by FIFA vice-president Prince Ali Bin Al Hussein (pictured), is stepping up its support of the grass-roots game in less established footballing nations by targeting Tajikistan, with special emphasis on advancing girls’ football.

Archive

Gamers ready for Interactive Gold Cup final live at Cowboys Stadium tonight

Interactive Gold Cup

July 23 – Tonight’s double header semi-finals of CONCACAF’s Gold Cup at the Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, will be split between matches by the final of the CONCACAF Interactive Gold Cup 2013 (CIGC13), played out live on the big screen in the stadium by gamers using Playstation 3 consoles.

Africa

Nigerians ban teams, players and officials over ‘goal-fest’ disgrace

balls

By Andrew Warshaw
July 23 – Players and officials of four Nigerian clubs involved in two promotion play-off games that produced farcical 79-0 and 67-0 scorelines have been thrown out for life by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF).