Football’s money-go-round is market driven, says Blatter

money go round

By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter says FIFA can do nothing to stop spiralling transfer fees following the world record €100 million sale of Gareth Bale to Real Madrid. Meanwhile FIFA TMS (Transfer Matching System), which monitors the movement of players, is reporting $3.4 billion of player sales globally this year (to September 3), a 29% uplift on 2012.

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Spend, spend, spend: English top Europe with record £630m outlay

money bag

By Andrew Warshaw
September 3 – Despite UEFA’s financial fair play regulations, English Premier League clubs spent a record £630 million in the summer transfer window that slammed shut on Monday, according to Deloitte’s Sports Business Group. The new tally easily beat the previous record of £500 million set back in 2008, with clubs able to take advantage of the Premier League’s massive television deal without which spending would have been far lower.

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Teixeira heads for safe haven of Andorra and out of Brazilian reach

Ricardo Teixeira

By Paul Nicholson
September 2 – Ricardo Teixeira, the former FIFA executive committee member and head of the Brazilian football federation (CBF) for 23 years, has applied and, according to reports, been granted residency in Andorra. The landlocked micro-state in the Pyrennees, bordered by Spain and France, does not have an extradition treaty with Brazil, effectively putting Teixeira out of the reach of any potential Brazilian court summons.

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Khoza stands aside in South Africa, opening way for Jordaan or Mazibuko

Danny Jordaan

By Andrew Warshaw
September 2 – Danny Jordaan, the public face of the 2010 World Cup who has waited patiently to fulfil his ambitions amid a myriad political manoeuvring, is one step closer to snaring the most powerful football position in his native South Africa after his one-time ally turned bitter rival, Irvin Khoza, withdrew his candidacy for the presidential election on September 28.

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