Barca build for the future as members vote through Nou Camp revamp
April 8 – Barcelona’s planned €600 million redevelopment of the iconic Nou Camp stadium will go ahead after more than 27,000 of the Spanish club’s members voted in favour.
Archive
Confederations Cup ‘added $4 billion to Brazil GDP’, says study
By David Owen
April 8 – The Brazilian government has fired a numerical salvo in the direction of critics who continue to argue that hosting sporting mega-events such as the 2014 FIFA World Cup is not in the country’s best interests.
Qatari chief says World Cup is bringing change to a ‘football-nuts’ region
By Andrew Warshaw
April 7 – The head of Qatar’s 2022 World Cup organising team says his country is “committed to positive change” despite the latest outpouring of adverse publicity over the treatment of migrant workers. Hassan Al-Thawadi admits he is “hurt” by the barrage of negative reporting, much of it emanating from the British media, and insists the World Cup will act as a catalyst for doing away with some of Qatar’s antiquated laws.
Former Romanian club owner ready to invest to save Rapid Bucharest
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 7 – Marian Iancu, the former owner of Poli Timisoara, has announced plans to become a shareholder in Rapid Bucharest as the troubled football club is struggling to stay financially afloat and return to the top tier of Romania’s professional football league.
Cellino wins appeal and declared ‘fit and proper’ to takeover at Leeds
By Andrew Warshaw
April 7 – English football’s guidelines designed to prevent anyone with a suspect or unscrupulous background taking over its clubs have been plunged into farce after Italian entrepreneur Massimo Cellino was cleared to complete his takeover of Leeds United.
US sack Sermanni ahead of Women’s World Cup finals in Canada
By Andrew Warshaw
April 7 – After just 15 months in the job, Tom Sermanni has been sacked as coach of the United States’ women’s team just a year ahead of the World Cup finals in Canada.
Nissan takes over from Ford at Champions League to drive up market share
By Mark Baber
April 7 – Nissan confirmed it has agreed a four-year global partnership with the UEFA Champions League including the UEFA Super Cup. The agreement represents the Japanese manufacturer’s largest ever sponsorship deal and will establish Nissan as an official partner worldwide from 2014/15 to and including the 2017/18 seasons.
CONCACAF debuts its first Beach Soccer training course
April 7 – CONCACAF is holding its first ever Beach Soccer coaching course starting this week in Fort Lauderdale, Miami. The course is the next extension of the confederation’s development programme led by CONCACAF’s director of development Hugo Salcedo.
Webb and Platini sign for a more co-operative future in Cayman
April 7 – CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb hosted UEFA president Michel Platini in the Cayman Islands this weekend. The two confederation chiefs signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) “for mutual co-operation towards the development of the game”.
Costa Rica breaks records with hosting of U-17 Women’s World Cup
By Paul Nicholson
April 4 – The final of FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Costa Rica takes place tonight with Japan and Spain competing for the top honour. Italy and Venezuela will face off for the bronze medal.
British government acts to shake-up English football’s transparency
By Mark Baber
April 4 – A bill passing its way through the British Parliamentary system will increase transparency in football club ownership and remove the protection so-called ‘football creditors’ have when clubs fall into financial difficulty.
Man City leads Premier League’s digital drive with top end stadium wi-fi
By Tom Parsons
April 4 – Following Liverpool’s move last year to introduce Wi-Fi to its 12,000 seater Centenary Stand, Manchester City has become the first Premier League Club to install free Wi-Fi throughout their whole stadium.
New evidence prompts more arrests as English spot-fixing scandal deepens
April 4 – The spot-fixing scandal that rocked English football at the back end of last year has escalated with the revelation that seven more professional players, all from the north of the country, have been arrested taking the number suspected to 13.
Barca say there will be ‘no change’ and searches for whistle-blower
By Andrew Warshaw
April 4 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu (pictured) says the transfer ban imposed by FIFA for signing under-age players is “unjust” and is standing firmly behind the Catalan giant’s system of nurturing some of the world’s biggest stars.
Blatter confirms Uruguayan team will be in Brazil despite federation suspension
By Andrew Warshaw
April 4 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has stepped into the Uruguayan crisis by declaring the country will not be kicked out of the World Cup – even though the federation has now been suspended by Conmebol, the confederation that runs South American football.