By Mark Baber
October 5 – Following the murders of an Italian aid worker and a Japanese tourist, which have both been claimed by the Islamic State (IS), Australia’s Football Federation (FFA) has expressed its concern over the security situation in Bangladesh, ahead of a scheduled World Cup qualifier on November 17.
By Paul Nicholson
October 5 – US Ambassador to Switzerland Suzan LeVine (pictured) has emphasised that all those arrested in the corruption scandals engulfing FIFA had US links or US citizenship, seemingly offering an explanation to the Swiss public as to why the US justice authorities have acted so invasively in Swiss territory.
By Samindra Kunti
October 5 – The 2015 ASPIRE4SPORT Congress & Exhibition got underway in the German capital Berlin today. Key stakeholders in the game and performance specialists from clubs and federations are gathering at the summit which has a schedule based on sharing information and experiences of how to create successful structures at the top level of the sport.
October 5 – The English Premier League is only eight games into the new season but the sack race is already up and running. Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers (pictured) and Sunderland’s Dutch boss Dick Advocaat have both left their respective clubs after difficult starts to the new campaign, an uncomfortable reminder of just how impatient chairmen and owners can be and how quickly fortunes can change.
October 5 – Under-fire UEFA president Michel Platini has taken his innocence stance over a 2 million franc payment he received from president Sepp Blatter all the way to government level in his home country France.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 5 – South Korea’s heavyweight candidate Chung Mong-joon has staged a late u-turn and has decided to attend this week’s Leaders in Sport Business Summit in London despite rumours circulating about his FIFA presidential prospects.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 5 – Sepp Blatter’s daughter has expressed her inner fears about her father’s recent interrogation at the hands of Swiss authorities, saying she was worried they would “take him away in handcuffs.”
By Paul Nicholson
October 5 – Aston Villa became the first Premier League club to dip below filling 80% of their stadium capacity this season. The Midlands club, often referred to as a sleeping giant, have struggled to fill Villa Park, apart from their opening game of the season. Results have been poor with the club equal bottom of the league on points.
October 5 – Mexican beer brand Tecate has added a fourth regional sponsorship with the addition of Manchester City from the English Premier League.
By Samindra Kunti
October 5 – Belgium’s proposed new Brussels-based stadium for the EURO2020 finals might be in danger after leading club RSC Anderlecht have pulled out of the project.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 4 – Sepp Blatter has rejected the demands of a string of FIFA’s front-line US sponsors to step down immediately in the wake of the deepening corruption crisis, saying to do so would not help the beleagured organisation.
By Paul Nicholson
October 2 – Speculation that Asian Football Confederation (AFC) president Sheikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa could become a candidate in the race for FIFA’s presidency has been met with a statement from his office saying that his priority is to represent the AFC, and his “obligations are primarily to Asia”.
By Paul Nicholson
October 2 – Manchester United stormed past Chelsea this week to take second spot behind Arsenal in the table of overall Twitter followers. The Red Devils put on a massive 48,707 followers compared to the Gunners’ 26,259 and Chelsea’s meagre, in comparison, 17,769.
By Samindra Kunti
October 2 – Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht is planning to finally deliver the Arena Corinthians on October 16, but the stadium will not be complete. With a number of sectors and areas around the stadium unfinished, Corinthians have expressed concern, but have said they do not intend to open legal proceedings against the builders.
By Paul Nicholson
October 2 – The latest report from Benchmark Sports, the data division of consultants KPMG Sports, compares the popularity of Europe’s biggest football clubs with global fashion brands and finds that while the clubs may be the most popular, the fashion brands have the most money.