Shirt off their backs, England fans baulk at Nike’s replica kit rip-off
April 2 – English football fans have taken to social media to slam the cost of the national team’s new World Cup replica shirt.
Europe
FIFPro study finds mental health issues affect 26% of active players
April 2 – More than one in four professional footballers suffer depression and anxiety according to a new mental health study released today by the world footballers’ association FIFPro. That figure rises to a massive 39% amongst retired footballers.
Vitesse links to Chelsea come under KNVB scrutiny
By Andrew Warshaw
April 2 – Dutch football authorities are launching an investigation into Chelsea’s links with one of their top-flight clubs, Vitesse Arnhem, following sensational – some might say fanciful – allegations in the Dutch press. Chelsea have been using Vitesse as a training club for their emerging players in recent seasons, with four of their younger players currently on loan there.
Russian Premier League struggles to put fans in the stands
By Richard van Poortvliet
April 2 – Former Russia head coach, Valery Gazzaev (pictured) has hit out at the lack of Russian football fans passing through the turnstiles to watch domestic Premier League games.
De Laurentiis threatens to quit Napoli and take the show to England
April 2 – Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has warned that if he doesn’t get his way in negotiations over the acquisition and redevelopment of the club’s Stadio Sao Paolo he will take the players and his manager, Rafa Benitez, and buy a club in England.
Russian players call for stricter limit on foreign imports
April 1 – A group of influential Russian players has put forward a proposal to limit the number of non-Russians in club football to six per club by the start of the 2018 World Cup.
England’s shame: Hillsborough inquest opens in search for truth
April 1 – After a long fight by campaigners, fresh inquests into the deaths of 96 football fans killed in the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster finally got under way today and could take a year to resolve.
Germans frustrated by ‘No’ vote on goalline technology
By Andrew Warshaw
April 1 – Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, German head of the European Club Association, admits he is disappointed by the decision to reject goalline technology in his country’s top two divisions.
French headscarf ban defies FIFA laws and reopens political debate
By Andrew Warshaw
April 1 – French football authorities are upholding a ban on female players wearing headscarves for religious purposes in defiance of the game’s lawmakers.
Inter owner, Roeslani, faces battle to hold shares
By Matt Scott
April 1 – Internazionale risks becoming embroiled in a share wrangle over disputed allegations one of the club’s new owners misappropriated $170 million from a listed company.
Exclusive: Israelis reject FIFA expulsion talk, claiming progress is being made
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
March 31 – Israeli football authorities have broken their silence over the hugely sensitive dispute with Palestine, insisting efforts are being stepped up to improve conditions for Palestinian players and officials in and out of the West Bank and Gaza.
Greek minister drives AEK’s planned €65m new stadium
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 31 – AEK’s plan to build a new €65 million stadium has obtained the backing of Greece’s Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Change Yiannis Maniatis who signed a project proposal intended for the Greek parliament. The document needs a total of four ministerial signatures to be submitted, and the country’s interior minister, culture minister and finance minister have already promised to ink the proposal.
Germans outflanked by Nations League, but Rummenigge sees a silver lining
By Andrew Warshaw
March 31 – Reaction continues to pour in to the establishment of the new Nations League tournament that looks set to become an integral part of European football from 2018.
Conference disasters Hyde are a social media knockout
By Tom Parsons
March 28 – Hyde FC playing in the Skrill Conference Premier haven’t exactly had a season to remember on the pitch but their presence on Social Media has been entertaining to follow. One tongue-in-cheek tweet read: “Hearing reports that Floyd Mayweather has made a $38 million bet on Hyde tonight. Come on The Tigers! #WinItForFloyd”.
FIFPro backs Platini’s demand for global ban on ‘modern day slavery’ of TPO
By Paul Nicholson
March 28 – FIFPro, the World Footballers’ Association has strongly backed UEFA’s president Michel Platini callingfor a worldwide ban on Third Party Ownership (TPO) of players.