Debt crisis raises threat of relegation for Red Star Belgrade

Red Star Belgrade

By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 4 – Red Star Belgrade is being threatened with automatic relegation to the Serbian second tier as a result to its continuing financial woes. Sources close to the club’s management say that such a decision could be taken by the country’s football federation which is monitoring the situation at the club.

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Transfers: Suárez, Fabregas, Sigurdsson, Alonso and Lovren are the big wins

Suarez

By Paul Nicholson
March 3 – Buying the wrong player at the wrong price is the biggest mistake a club can make financially. CIES statistics show that the clubs who traded best in the transfer window for the start of the season (in terms of number of best performing players) are Real Madrid and Hoffenheim, followed by Barcelona, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid, Southampton, Leverkusen and Napoli.

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English FA wants Great Britain teams at Rio Olympics

Rio 2016

By David Owen
March 2 – The Football Association is keen for Great Britain teams once again to participate in the Olympic football tournament at next year’s Games in the football-besotted city of Rio de Janeiro. This follows the appearance of both men’s and women’s teams at London 2012, when it was felt desirable that the host nation should be represented if possible in every sport. Prior to that, no British team had played at any Olympics for more than half a century.

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Feyenoord’s banana skin on another night of crowd shame

Feyenoord-Roma-banana

By Paul Nicholson
February 27 – Dutch fans of Feyenoord are desperately taking to social media to insist that the inflatable plastic banana thrown on to the pitch during the Europa League match against Roma was not a racist act. Just an unfortunate choice of fruit? Equally unfortunate that it appeared to be aimed at Roma’s Gervinho?

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Poland is next frontier as Fox eyes up Ekstraklasa TV rights

Ekstraklasa

By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 27 – Fox Sports is continuing its TV rights acquisition march across Europe into Poland where it is considered as one of the leading contenders to acquire the TV rights for Poland’s top tier Ekstraklasa. If Fox were win the domestic rights the broadcaster would replace Polish direct-to-home platform nc+ for the 2015/2016 season.

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Serie A giants delay kick offs in solidarity with Parma brothers

Parma fans

February 27 – This weekend’s Serie A games will kick off 15 minutes late as the players show solidarity with financially-stricken Parma. Twice former winners of the old UEFA Cup but currently bottom of the league, Parma took the dramatic step of calling off last Sunday’s league game against Udinese. Players and staff have not been paid all season and stewarding costs were unable to be met to stage the fixture.

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