Europe Archives - Page 455 of 511 - Inside World Football

UEFA caught between a rock and a hard place on Gibraltar

Gibraltar

By Mark Baber
April 4 – As the UEFA Congress vote in May on Gibraltar’s football status nears, the Spanish Government has declared that it will back the Spanish Football Federation in trying to block Gibraltar’s full membership. In answer to questions from Ezquerra Republicana de Cataluña (ERC) representative Alfred Bosch in the Madrid Cortes, a Spanish government spokesman said: “At this point in time, the Government does not consider the possible staging of official football matches between Spain and Gibraltar.

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75% supertax looms threateningly over French clubs and players

Noël Le Graët

By Mark Baber
April 3 – The French government remains determined to fulfil its manifesto commitment to bring in a new 75% supertax, despite judicial setbacks. The supertax will apply to companies who pay salaries over €1 million, including football clubs.

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April date for ‘bonfire-gate’ hearing in Zurich

england fans

By Andrew Warshaw
April 3 – England’s fate over the alleged racist abuse directed towards defender Rio Ferdinand and his brother Anton could be heard by FIFA as early as April 10.

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Bonfire song ignites protest from Europe’s racism groups, un-FARE or not?

england fans

By Andrew Warshaw
March 29 – England’s leading fans group and Europe’s anti-racism network are going head-to-head over claims that racist abuse was directed at England defender Rio Ferdinand during the recent 8-0 thrashing of San Marino.

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UEFA empowers referees on racism and demands zero tolerance of match-fixing

uefa flag

By Andrew Warshaw
March 28 – UEFA has joined forces with clubs and players in a unified attack on racism and has re-iterated its position that referees have the authority to stop and abandon matches. European football’s governing body reminded officials they were authorised four years ago to halt games in case of serious racism incidents, a policy that has been largely ignored but rekindled in the wake of Kevin-Prince Boeteng’s walk-off.

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Bosman lawyer warns UEFA Fair Play rules may break EU competition law

jean louis dupont

By Andrew Warshaw
March 28 – The lawyer who helped changed the face of European football has warned that UEFA’s Financial Fair Play system may not stand up in court if challenged. Jean-Louis Dupont (pictured), part of the legal team who brought about the Bosman ruling back in the 1990s, says FFP risks violating competition law and freedom of movement.

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Match-fixing discovered in more than 45 UEFA countries, says security firm

betting on football

Exclusive: by Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
March 27 – A vast majority of countries in Europe suffer from match-fixing with up to 300 games per season rigged, according to the company widely regarded as the world’s leading experts in betting fraud detection.

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UEFA ExCo meetings kick off with 2020 Euros topping agenda

uefa flag

By Andrew Warshaw
March 27 – The bidding process for the groundbreaking pan-Continental Euro 2020 finals dominates the agenda of a two-day UEFA executive committee (ExCo) meeting today and tomorrow.

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Hungarian nationalists use World Cup qualifier to stage violent protest

Hungary fans

By Mark Baber
March 26 – There were disturbances outside the Ferenc Puskas stadium and teargas fired as Hungary and Romania played out a 2-2 draw in their World Cup qualifier behind closed doors. FIFA had ordered the match to be played in an empty stadium following anti-semitic incidents during a Hungary vs Israel friendly in Budapest last August.

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Russians are changing the face of their football, says Rosetti

roberto rosseti

By Andrew Warshaw
March 25 – Ever since Russia was awarded the 2018 World Cup over two years ago, racism and how to deal with it has been a constant thorn in the side of organisers. While Qatar, who clinched the 2022 tournament during that momentous simultaneous ballot, has been all about a winter World Cup, how to eliminate abuse has been a top priority for Russian officials.

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Greek crisis deepens as AEK Athens president arrested over club’s unpaid taxes

Andreas Dimitrelos

By Mark Baber
March 22 – AEK Athens president Andreas Dimitrelos (pictured) has been arrested over €170 million in taxes owed by the Greek top flight club.

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Hull fan drops case, but anti-police demo to still go ahead

Hull police

By Mark Baber
March 22 – The legal action brought by 15 year old Louis Cooper over restrictions placed on fans has been dropped after agreement with West Yorkshire police on a new set of conditions which improve fans’ access to the Huddersfield Town v Hull City football match on 30 March 2013.

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Dyke back in the spotlight with headlining role at the FA

greg dyke

By Andrew Warshaw
March 21 – Greg Dyke, a former BBC director general known for his direct and passionate views, will be the new chairman of the English Football Association in succession to David Bernstein who steps down in July. His appointment is still subject to approval from the full FA council.

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Report shows how the big stay big, and the power of money

March 21 – A CIES Football Observatory report, released today, highlights the issues of player hoarding and how this creates and sustains a competitive imbalance in European football.

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Olympic Stadium freeze-out will put us out of business, says Orient’s Hearn

barry hearn

March 21 – Barry Hearn, chairman of lower-league English club Leyton Orient, says he will give up his fight to move his club to the stadium used for the London 2012 Olympics if he loses a legal challenge into the bidding process.