Cameroon FA trawls Europe looking for new players
December 30 – Cameroon football authorities are on a mission to Europe to try and boost their World Cup hopes.
Archive
Brazilian prosecutors demand $2m over Recife ticketing shambles
By Andrew Warshaw
December 30 – Brazilian prosecutors want FIFA and the organising committee of last summer’s Confederations Cup to settle $2 million worth of claims for alleged ticketing irregularities during the World Cup warm-up tournament.
Anelka’s Nazi ‘salute’ enrages fans and politicians worldwide
December 30 – Nazi salute or innocent gesture? Whichever it was, former French international Nicolas Anelka has caused uproar in both sporting and political circles for his unusual celebration after the first of his two goals for West Bromwich Albion during last weekend’s 3-3 Premier League draw at West Ham.
Fan dies as Malawi Super League finale ends in violence
By Paul Nicholson
December 30 – The deciding game of the Malawi TNM Super League championship was abandoned after 61 minutes after fan violence leading to the death of one fan and many others left injured, six in a serious condition, on Saturday.
Fluminense cling on to Serie A status after Portuguesa appeal turned down
December 30 – Fluminense have been spared the embarrassment of being the first team in Brazilian Serie A history to be relegated the season after having won the championship.
Platini sticks to his guns to free the game of ‘cheating, violence or injustice’
By Andrew Warshaw
December 30 – UEFA President Michel Platini admits some of his policies, not least financial fair play, have made himself and his organisation unpopular but that he will not waiver from his determination to put European football on a healthier path.
Festive cheer as Premier League fans pack stadia for Boxing Day feast
By Paul Nicholson
December 27 – Proof that the English love their Christmas football was shown on Boxing Day in the Premier League with eight out of 10 clubs filling their stadiums to more than 97% of capacity, two stadiums being more than 99% full and only one stadium being below 90% in occupancy.
Malaysian Tan moves in on Bosnia’s Sarajevo while facing protests in Cardiff
By Andrew Warshaw
December 27 – Controversial Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan (pictured) has extended his European operation by agreeing to take over FK Sarajevo in Bosnia’s top division.
Brasilia leak will not hold up the 2014 party, says Secopa
December 27 – Brazil’s World Cup preparations were dampened with another infrastructural setback with the revelation that the 73,000-capacity national stadium in Brasilia has a leaking roof less than eight months after it was completed.
David Owen: What Luís Suárez has in common with Diego Maradona
Hands up everyone who thought that Liverpool would be top of the Barclays Premier League at Christmas.
In truth, the Merseysiders are precariously perched: their next two games are away at Manchester City and Chelsea respectively. Lose those and they would probably be back below local rivals Everton and out of the Champions League places before the year-end. A New Year’s Day engagement back at Anfield against newly-promoted Hull then has the look of an ideal fixture with which to stop the rot – until you remember that the Tigers claimed their first-ever win over Liverpool on Humberside less than a month ago.
UEFA sanctions clubs over FFP rule breaking
December 23 – UEFA has enforced its Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules with sanctions of fines and exclusion from European competitions for five clubs and a reprimand for a sixth. The sanctions all relate to overdue payments and were handed down by the UEFA Club Financial Control Body’s adjudicatory chamber.
Balkanian Airways opts for Tours FC connection in France
By Alexander Krassimirov
December 23 – Bulgarian airline company Balkanian Airways has become one of the main sponsors of second tier French side Tours FC. The club and the company have signed a cooperation agreement. The Balkanian Airways logo has already put on the team’s shirts and stadium as well.
Schalke 04 extends sponsorship deal with Bet-at-home
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
December 23 – Schalke 04 has extended its sponsorship deal with betting operator Bet-at-home until 30 June 2016.
Blame games: Qatar labour issues and a never-ending supply of workers
By Paul Nicholson
December 23 – Human rights abuses in Qatar have made the Gulf state the whipping boy of the western media. If there was no World Cup planned for 2022 in Qatar then probably the rest of the world might not be so interested – perhaps a comment on the west as much as the Qataris. But the World Cup will be in Qatar and the world has been drawn into the story.
Malaysians ban 8 for life for fixing domestic league matches
December 23 – Malaysian authorities have imposed lifetime bans on five players and three officials for match-fixing in their domestic league.