By Mark Baber
January 27 – The news that FIFA is in the process of gathering information and documentation regarding the signing of 51 underage players at Real Madrid has led to speculation that the club may face a transfer ban, similar to that imposed on Barcelona, as FIFA continues its effort to ensure the regulations regarding transfers of minors are firmly adhered to.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 27 – The rapid rise of England’s David Gill up the political footballing ladder has been given a further boost after the Englishman emerged as odds-on favourite to become the latest FIFA vice-president.
By Paul Nicholson
January 27 – With Rangers close to running out of cash and being unable to pay wages at the end of the month, the Scottish club has agreed terms for a £10 million loan from companies owned by Mike Ashley, the shareholder a majority of fans are desperate and aggressively campaigning to keep out of the club.
January 27 – UEFA have refused to confirm reports that they are brokering a separate deal for clubs playing in the controversial annexed region of Crimea.
By Samindra Kunti
January 26 – The Dutch FA, the KNVB, and the Dutch parliament want to tighten the application of the ‘football law’ (Law MBVEO). The proposed amendments are aimed at further reducing violence and incidents at Dutch football grounds.
January 26 – A compromise between UEFA and Russian football authorities over the future status of clubs in annexed Crimea could be about to take shape.
January 26 – A row has broken out between former German FA president Theo Zwanziger and Bayern Munich, after a Bayern blog on its official website accused Zwanziger of double standards over his criticism of the club for its friendly against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
By Paul Nicholson
January 26 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has launched his first serious rocket in the race for the leadership of the governing body and his fired it in the direction of Nyon and its grandees at UEFA, and what he sees as their behind the scenes manoeuvring.
January 25 – Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has officially stepped down from his club duties, being replaced by Andrew Umbers until at least April 10 when Cellino’s ban will have been served.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 23 – Poland’s Stomil Olsztyn is close to bringing on board a new investor with the aim of putting club’s finances into order and prevent the club going bankrupt.
By Mark Baber
January 23 – Billionaire fan of Hambrg SV, Klaus-Michael Kühne, has become an official investor in the Bundesliga club, converting his latest loan of €18.75 million ($21.8million) into a 7.5% stake and buying the naming rights for the club’s stadium which will revert to its old name of the ‘Volksparkstadion’ (People’s Park Stadium) in July 2015.
By Paul Nicholson
January 23 – The pressure on Scottish club Rangers’ board to call an extraordinary general meeting is mounting, despite the board’s resistance to convene shareholders for a vote that would determine whether they maintained their positions or not.
By Mark Baber
January 23 – The Deloitte Money League for 2013/14 shows the richest clubs are getting richer – with the top 20 clubs seeing an increase in combined revenue of €6.2 billion in 2013/14, an increase of 14% on the previous year, but also indicates the advantages of a more equal distribution of wealth within a league. All 20 Premier League teams made the top 40 globally.
January 23 – Scottish giants Rangers have organised a tribute match for their former Dutch international Fernando Ricksen at Ibrox this Sunday. Ricksen was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease in 2013. He played for the club for six years between 2000 and 2006 – a golden time for the club that is currently embroiled in the bitterest of boardroom struggles for control.
By Andrew Warshaw in Brussels
January 21 – Harold Mayne-Nicholls, the Chilean who ran FIFA’s technical inspection team that examined the credentials of all 2018 and 2022 World Cup candidates, says he will press for the finals to be increased from 32 to 36 teams as part of his presidential election manifesto – if he decides to run.