Wenger accuses UEFA of “accepting” doping
November 24 – Arsenal’s French manager Arsene Wenger has pointed the finger squarely at Uefa in his latest outburst over doping in football.
World Cup
Russia’s Sorokin questions any 2018 vote deal and trial by ‘finger pointing’
By Andrew Warshaw in Zurich
November 20 – Alexei Sorokin, the man running the 2018 World Cup in Russia, has spoken out for the first time in public about Sepp Blatter’s remarkable claim of a pre-vote deal that cast growing suspicion on how both the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were won and lost.
Russian cash crisis eased with Novatek deal, St Petersburg readies for 2016
By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – The financial crisis that engulfed the Russia’s Football Union (RFU) and saw Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko return as federation president in September, eased slightly with the announcement of gas company Novatek coming on board as a main sponsor. No figure was announced for the deal which will go through until the end of 2018.
Instagrammers line up to make FA Cup photo history
By Tom Parsons
November 11- Will you be following the FA Cup this year? Do you take photographs on Instagram? Well , in a tradition-breaking endeavour by the English FA, your photograph could be used on tickets for this season’s showpiece final.
Volgograd launches 2018 legacy campaign with fan and club initiative
November 11 – Russian sports minister Vitaly Mutko may be facing the hardest few days of his sports career internationally over the doping scandal that has rocked athletics and the Olympic movement, bit at home in Russia World Cup 2018 plans are progressing with an emphasis on bringing more participants and fans into the game.
Spurs tune up digital push with 20 TV markets
By Tom Parsons
November 6 – Tottenham Hotspur have extended their global reach through Spurs TV broadcast deals which will now see them have their content available to over 300 million people worldwide.
Adidas says brand has not been damaged by FIFA crisis
November 6 – Leading FIFA sponsors Adidas have broken their silence over the ongoing corruption scandal by insisting the crisis has not adversely affected its brand.
Safety report rules out Palestine’s hard fought home World Cup qualifiers
By Andrew Warshaw
November 4 – Having been kicked from pillar to post by FIFA, metaphorically speaking, Palestine football authorities have now been told once and for all that they will not be able to play a forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on home soil.
Saints stride on along path of financial virtue
By David Owen
November 3 – Southampton, the south-coast club that has re-emerged in recent times as an established, stylish and widely-admired Premier League outfit, has posted another highly satisfactory set of financial results.
Russia 2018: Luzhniki ahead of schedule, Kazan to open, Nizhny dig deep
By Paul Nicholson
November 2 – Russia’s 2018 preparations are ramping up with reports that the redevelopment of the Luzhniki stadium which will host the opening match and the final is ahead of schedule while elsewhere infrastructure projects are gathering pace with the Nizhny Novgorod regional government announcing it has allocated Ruble 1.9 billion for a subway link to its stadium.
Russia 2018: October Island stadium gets OK but World Cup budgets kept tight
By Paul Nicholson
October 23 – Russia’s Ministry of Sports has agreed on the cost of construction for the Kalinigrad stadium, one of the last to start building. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kaliningrad region, Russia’s Ministry of Sports has agreed on the cost of construction for the Kalinigrad stadium, one of the last to start building. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kaliningrad region, Alexander Rolbinov, the cost should not exceed Ruble18.5 billion ($296 million).,
Russian Central Bank looks to get minted for 2018 World Cup
October 21 – It may not end Russian economic problems when it comes to the ruble to dollar exchange rate, but the Central Bank of Russia is determined to take advantage of the 2018 World Cup in the country and issue commemorative currency.
Russia builds World Cup bases and makes plans for stadium beer sales
October 15 – Spartak Moscow, already playing in a new stadium (the Otkritie Arena) that has been built for 2018 Russia World Cup, is to also get a new training base in Tushine at a cost of RUB1 billion ($16 million), according to the club’s owner Leonid Fedun.
Russia fights 2018 World Cup fires, and puts its stadiums on the map
October 12 – Russia has officially named the 12 stadia in the 11 cities that will host the 2018 World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 – and eight of them are named after the cities in which they will be held.
Qatar sets 2020 completion date for stadia, as Lusail build merges into Doha
By Samindra Kunti
October 6 – Qatar’s infrastructure work for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is progressing with the Al Khalifa stadium expected to be delivered by 2017, while work on the Lusail stadium has commenced.