Betway agrees three-year AS Roma deal despite potential gaming sponsor ban in Italy
July 11 – Online bookmaker Betway, which has just added two top-tier LaLiga clubs to its sponsorship roster, has now signed its first Italian club, AS Roma.
News
Man City builds bridge over troubled water issues with Xylem partnership
July 11 – Manchester City have announced a global multi-year partnership with water technology company Xylem. The company will also partner with Man City’s sister club New York City FC and the Manchester City women’s team.
Russians catch the football bug. The world catches the Russia 2018 virus
By Andrew Warshaw
July 10 – Whether Russian football will revert to its pre-World Cup domestic issues of racism and fan violence once the tournament is over remains to be seen. But for the last four weeks the country has bent over backwards to be as welcoming and accommodating to the thousands of foreign visitors attending games.
Facebook adds LaLiga to fast-growing live football rights roster
July 10 – Reports are that Facebook has snapped up its second major European league with a live TV rights deal with LaLiga for the Indian subcontinent.
Transitioning: FIFA/CAF liaison committee meets Ghana FA staff wages
July 10 – The liaison team formed by FIFA and the Confederation of African Football (CAF) to secure a road map for the future of Ghanaian football in the wake of the incriminating BBC documentary that exposed widespread corruption is to pay the outstanding salaries to Ghana Football Association employees according to local reports.
Adidas dependent on Belgium to prevent all-Nike World Cup final
By David Owen
July 10 – Belgium will try to keep the Adidas flag flying at Russia 2018 in St Petersburg tonight.
Chelsea sign Vitality as official health insurance partner
July 10 – Vitality, already the stadium naming partner at Premier League Bournemouth, has become Chelsea’s official health insurance partner.
FIFA warns Vida after Croatian offends Russians with bad Ukrainian ‘joke’
July 9 – In the latest political row involving players at the World Cup, Croatia’s Domagoj Vida has avoided punishment from FIFA after being filmed proclaiming “glory to Ukraine” in the wake of his side’s quarterfinal victory over Russia.
Brazil bid to keep Tite through to Qatar 2022
July 9 – The Brazilian FA (CBF) wants to maintain Tite as head coach of the Brazilian national team until the 2022 World Cup in Qatar even though Brazil crashed out of the World Cup at the quarter-final stage following a 2-1 defeat against Belgium.
US Soccer to build its digital touchpoints with hackathon for new ideas
July 9 – The US Soccer Federation is to hold its first football-specific hackathon on Chicago, July 14-15, at the 1871 – Chicago’s Centre for Technology and Entrepreneurship.
FIFA convenes panel to share diversity and anti-discrimination learnings of Russia 2018
July 9 – One of the big success stories of the World Cup so far has been the welcome the Russians have given to visitors regardless of nationality, colour or religion.
CAF issues life ban to Kenyan ref Marwa over $600 gift sting
July 9 – The rising career of Kenyan referee Aden Marwa has been terminated after the Confederation of African Football (CAF) on Saturday banned him for life.
Serie A says betting sponsorship ban will destabilise Italian football’s economic model
By Paul Nicholson
July 6 – Italian football faces a sponsorship crisis following a government proposal to ban on all gambling advertising, including sponsorship or promotional deals with gambling companies.
Facebook picks up premium Premier League rights market with £260m deal in SE Asia
July 6 – The entry of the giant OTT streaming services into the top tier football rights market is gathering pace with Facebook agreeing an estimated £260 million deal for live Premier League matches in south-east Asia.
SVGFF’s president Coombs banned for touting Brazil 2014 tickets
July 6 – FIFA has slapped St Vincent and the Grenadines Football Federation president Venold Coombs with a two-year ban and a hefty fine after finding him guilty on corruption charges.