Betsafe puts its money on Man City partnership to grow UK sign-ups
October 16 – Manchester City has added online gaming company Betsafe as an official betting partner for both the club’s men’s and women’s teams.
Archive
Police swoop to arrest Nepal national team players in match-fixing investigation
By Mark Baber
October 16 – Three current and two former Nepal national team players have been arrested in Kathmandu Valley as part of an investigation into match-fixing involving bookies in Malaysia and Singapore.
Germany says €6.7m FIFA payment was not 2006 vote buying
October 16 – Concerns over yet another possible FIFA cash-for-votes scandal have been dismissed by the German Football Association (DFB) which says it has found no indication of wrongdoing in the bid process for the 2006 World Cup which it hosted.
Serbs plan €250m new national stadium in Belgrade
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
October 16 – Following Serbia’s unsuccessful campagin to qualify for the Euro 2016 finals in France, the country’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has announced that his government will allocate €150 million to the construction of a new national football stadium in Belgrade.
Bayern fans to stage ‘latecomers’ protest over Arsenal ticket prices
October 16 – Bayern Munich fans are planning a protest at their Champions League clash at Arsenal next week over how much they have been forced to fork out for tickets. The Bayern fans say they will not enter the Emirates stadium for the first five minutes because of the “excessive” £64 ticket price.
Mourinho calls fine a ‘disgrace’ as he complains of witchhunt
October 16 – Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho has branded his Football Association fine a “disgrace” – landing himself in danger of a further sanction.
English stage u-turn as FA ‘suspends’ backing for Platini
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – UEFA’s unconvincing attempt to speak with one voice in favour of Michel Platini’s bid for the FIFA presidency has been blown to bits by the English Football Association announcing it has put its support for the Frenchman on hold because of the unexplained payment that led to him being suspended by FIFA’s ethics committee.
Sheiking things up: Salman poised to declare entry into FIFA presidential race
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – The FIFA presidential race has taken another decisive twist with Asian football chief Sheik Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa staging a u-turn to stand to take over from Sepp Blatter in February. The Bahraini had originally given his backing to Michel Platini but has taken a timely strategic gamble to run himself following Platini’s suspension and the likelihood that Europe will have no other credible candidate who Asia could get behind.
Nevada bans fantasy games as calls for robust policing for football games intensifies
By Paul Nicholson
October 16 – The fantasy sports scandal in the US where an employee of DraftKings won $350,000 on rival site FanDuel using insider information, has sparked a wave of calls for regulation of a business that is based on betting real money on imaginary sporting outcomes.
Rocha’s hopes for extradition to Nicaragua smashed as Swiss send him to US
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – Julio Rocha – another of the un-magnificent Zurich Seven – will be extradited to the United States and not to his native Nicaragua as he had hoped, Switzerland’s Federal Office of Justice (FOJ) has announced.
UEFA hold the line and stick by Platini, but say FIFA election must go ahead
By Andrew Warshaw
October 16 – European football’s governing has urgently called for the investigation into Michel Platini to be cleared up by mid-November so that he can still run for FIFA president – but left the door open for a backup candidate to stand instead in case the UEFA chief’s 90-day provisional suspension turns into a longer ban.
Russia builds World Cup bases and makes plans for stadium beer sales
October 15 – Spartak Moscow, already playing in a new stadium (the Otkritie Arena) that has been built for 2018 Russia World Cup, is to also get a new training base in Tushine at a cost of RUB1 billion ($16 million), according to the club’s owner Leonid Fedun.
Prince Ali submits presidential nomination with rallying cry for FIFA’s future
By Andrew Warshaw
October 15 – With precision strategic timing, Prince Ali bin al-Hussein has formally submitted his candidature to take over from Sepp Blatter as FIFA president – 11 days before the deadline for nominations.
Survey finds ticket costs stable or falling, but replica shirts aren’t cheap
By Mark Baber
October 15 – The BBC’s fifth annual 2015 Price of Football survey reveals the cost of watching football in the UK has dropped or remained the same for the majority of fans.
Saints and sinners: Mourinho penalised for penalty outburst
October 15 – Chelsea’s outspoken Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho, increasingly under pressure after his team’s dismal start to the season by their own high standards, has been slapped with a suspended one-match stadium ban and fined £50,000 by the English Football Association for comments made about match officials.