PSV sign 10-year €22.5m stadium naming deal with Philips
By Samindra Kunti
November 13 – Leading Dutch Eredivisie club PSV Eindhoven have agreed a new ten-year sponsorship deal with Philips. The agreement is worth €22.5 million.
Europe
Swiss not decided on whether Figueredo sent to US or Uruguay
November 12 – Former FIFA vice-president Eugenio Figueredo, one of the ‘Zurich Seven’ arrested in May as part of the US-led probe into $150 million worth of financial corruption stretching back 24 years, has instigated a tug of war between the United States and his native Uruguay for his extradition.
Rauball takes charge in Germany but warns crisis will take time to repair
By Andrew Warshaw
November 12 – Germany’s ‘s joint interim FA chief Reinhard Rauball has warned of a long road ahead to pull the country out of its off-the-field political crisis.
‘Many’ opponents have used performance-enhancing drugs, claims Arsenal boss
By Mark Baber
November 11- In the wake of the World Anti-Doping Agency’s (WADA) bombshell revelations about doping in Russian athletics, Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger has suggested that many opponents, both past and present, might have used performance- enhancing drugs, adding to worries about whether football might be drawn into the ongoing scandal.
Benzema to take legal action over sex video claims
November 11- Real Madrid’s French international striker Karim Benzema, placed under formal investigation in connection with an alleged sex tape blackmail plot, is to take legal action after a French radio station published extracts of phone taps that could incriminate him, according to his lawyer.
Police raid Maltese FA, Mifsud has memory failure
By Andrew Warshaw
November 11- Police have raided the offices of the Malta Football Association in connection with allegations that Germany secured the rights to host the 2006 World Cup after paying financial inducements to several Fifa members including then MFA boss Joseph Mifsud.
Euro clubs in relegation dogfights must outspend rivals to stay up, finds report
By Paul Nicholson
November 11 – English Premier League clubs pay more than any other clubs in Europe on staff wages to retain their top league status – on average 40% higher than clubs in Italy’s Serie A and thumping five times more than clubs in Spain’s la Liga. The average wage bill of the English team one place above relegation between 2011/12 and 2013/14 seasons was €72.6 million, and it getting higher.
CIES study unveils crisis in youth training in Europe
By Mark Baber
November 10 – The November issue of the CIES Football Observatory monthly report suggests that youth training in Europe is in crisis based on an analysis of the presence of club-trained players in 460 teams of 31 top division leagues in UEFA member associations. The report shows that the percentage of home-grown footballers in squads has decreased for the sixth consecutive season to reach a new record low of 19.7%.
Russian doping crisis raises questions over handling of 2018 samples
By David Owen
November 10 – FIFA faces the prospect of having to ship anti-doping samples outside the host-country for analysis for a second World Cup running in 2018, as part of the possible fallout from this week’s devastating report into alleged doping practices in Russia.
Niersbach quits as German FA chief over €6.7m slush fund allegations
By Andrew Warshaw
November 9 – Wolfgang Niersbach, one of the leading voices in European football administration and touted by many as a future president of UEFA, succumbed to what had become almost insurmountable pressure by resigning today as head of the German FA (DFB) over the 2006 World Cup slush fund scandal.
Rome and Lazio Ultras boycott derby at Stadio Olimpico
November 8 – One of Europe’s most famous derbies was played out in front of thousands of empty seats on Sunday as fans of both Roma and Lazio boycotted the game in protest over increased security measures at the Olympic Stadium.
Inter Milan President elected to key Olympic post
By David Owen
November 8 – The President of three-times European Cup winners Internazionale has been elected chairman of the Indonesian Olympic Committee.
Kirch cash for Bayern rights lured FIFA voters to German 2006 bid
By Andrew Warshaw
November 8 – Secret documentation obtained by Insideworldfootball appears to contradict the assertion of a senior German 2006 World Cup official that no financial inducements were paid to land the tournament.
Benzema now a formal suspect in sex tape blackmail case
November 6 – Real Madrid’s French international striker Karim Benzema has been placed under formal investigation in connection with a sex tape blackmail plot according to French reports – but his club are standing by him.
Hungary’s MTK launches €20 million stadium project
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 5 – Hungary’s MTK has signed a deal with a construction to build the club’s new stadium under a HUF 6.3 billion (€20 million) project. The Nándor Hidegkuti stadium is to be completed by the end of August 2016, two months later than initially planned.