Gibraltar bring in Sportradar to deliver match-fixing workshops
April 24 – The war on match-fixing continued this week with a series of workshops delivered in Gibraltar, the home of Europe’s off-shore internet gaming industry.
Europe
Ajax poised to take control of Amsterdam ArenA
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 24 – Ajax Amsterdam aims to acquire a majority stake in the company operating the Amsterdam ArenA where the side plays its home matches. The Dutch club currently has 13% of the shares in the sports facility, while the municipal authorities of Amsterdam hold a 48% stake.
FIFPro meet EU sports chief with player transfer reform top of agenda
April 24 – The president and secretary general of the international players’ union FIFPro have met with the EU’s commissioner for Sport to re-iterate their opposition to the current transfer system.
UEFA get shirty after Guardiola supports ‘Topo’ campaign
April 23 – Despite steering his Bayern side to a stirring 6-1 thrashing of Porto for a 7-4 aggregate Champions League quarterfinal win, Pep Guardiola has fallen foul of UEFA who took exception to a T-shirt he was wearing in the build-up to the game in support of a tragically killed journalist colleague.
Sick new low in racism battle: Silva forced to apologise for being called ‘monkey’
By Alexander Krassimirov
April 23 – CSKA Sofia’s Portuguese winger Toni Silva (pictured) would appear to have been forced into what is a remarkable public statement saying that insulting remarks made to him by the club’s fans (including ‘monkey’ insults) are not racist.
Greeks unmoved by warnings that new sports law will exile their national teams
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – The deepening impasse between Greece and football’s governing bodies has intensified after Greek authorities angrily rejected an ultimatum from FIFA and UEFA to stop interfering with football or risk being thrown out of international competition.
Cash crisis bites deep in Romania as FC Brasov struggles to avoid relegation
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 22 – In another sign of the worsening condition of Romanian football, FC Brasov has entered insolvency proceedings, and shortly after lost its chief executive.
Fitch report rates football infrastructure as a low(er) risk place for investor cash
By Paul Nicholson
April 22 – Credit ratings agency Fitch Ratings has highlighted the current strength of the sports market in its Infra-Read market briefing newsletter issued from its US offices. The newsletter examines the health of a number of infrastructure sectors but leads its editorial with a focus on sports saying that the explosive growth in sports media rights is driving revenue, flexibility and stability.
Beitar Jerusalem ordered to end racist ban on Arab players
By Mark Baber
April 21 – The Israeli Equal Employment Opportunities Commission has demanded that Beitar Jerusalem retract statements the team’s coach made against Arab players joining the team in a move which highlights the failure of the Israeli Football Federation (IFA) to eliminate racist and apartheid practices within its own leagues, just five weeks before FIFA’s annual conference and the debate on the motion to suspend the IFA over its racist policies towards Palestinians.
CSKA Ultras step up abuse and force players to strip off shirts
By Alexander Krassimirov
April 21 – CSKA Sofia Ultras have taken extreme measures after the team suffered loss. Yesterday CSKA lost to Lokomotiv Sofia and after the game the fans summoned the players to one of the stands of Bulgarska armia stadium.
UEFA will back Israel against Palestinian suspension demands, says IFA
By Andrew Warshaw
April 21 – UEFA president Michel Platini has promised Israel he will do everything he can to stave off a Palestinian bid to suspend them from FIFA, according to Israeli media reports.
Real and Barca thump Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea in Euro Twitter league
By Paul Nicholson
April 20 – Real Madrid and Barcelona are not just giants on the pitch, they are social media monsters off it. The two Spanish clubs head Insideworldfootball’s European club ranking in terms of followers, with the English Premier League’s Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea in 3rd, 4th and 5th place respectively.
Leeds Utd row ignites after six players fail to travel for league match
April 20 – Iconic English club Leeds United, back in the news for all the wrong reasons, insist that six players who suddenly withdrew ahead of Saturday’s defeat at Charlton were injured.
Russia commits to investing in sports facilities in Crimea
April 20 – Russian authorities are to build two new sports centres in Crimea in the latest move to cement their influence in the annexed peninsula where UEFA have already barred Russian-administered teams from competing in their competitions or the Russian domestic league.
Bad luck of the Irish as Windsor Park close to breaking point
April 17 – The Irish Football Association has been advised to demolish a damaged stand at the national stadium following a preliminary structural report.