Fan violence in Madrid leads to death of Deportivo fan
December 1 – Spanish football is reeling from the death of a Deportivo La Coruna fan after violent clashes ahead of the weekend visit to champions Atletico Madrid.
Europe
Rangers to return to market to raise further £8m investment
November 28 – Scottish club giants Rangers are seeking new investment to plug an anticipated £8 million requirement over the next year, but cash is likely to be needed as soon as January. The club said it will seek the funds via a fresh share issue after announcing an operating loss of £8.3 million for the year to 30 June 2014.
Spurs face UEFA inquiry after third pitch invader halts Europa League game
November 28 – UEFA seem likely to sanction Tottenham Hotspur for inadequate safety measures after three bizarre one-man pitch invasions interrupted their Europa League match against Partizan Belgrade on Thursday.
Brandao headbutt on Motta lands him a month in French prison
November 28 – In one of the harshest rulings meted out for an on-the-field offence, Bastia’s Brazilian striker Brandao has been handed a one-month jail sentence in France for headbutting Paris St-Germain midfielder Thiago Motta in the players’ tunnel back in August.
Belgian clubs ownership reshuffle as Coucke targets bigger Lille stake
By Samindra Kunti
November 28 – Lille OSC is ending its partnership with Belgian satellite club Mouscron-Péruwelz. The French club will dispense of its 51% share in the Belgian Jupiler Pro League club before Christmas to avoid a conflict of interest for Lille shareholder Marc Coucke.
Seifert interview: Bundesliga is more valuable than ever
November 27 – In an interview with German sports channel SPORT1, Bundesliga chief Christian Seifert covered a range of issues from winning championships to value of media rights. Follow the link to watch the video. Interview by Martin Quast, text by Martin Volkmar
Romanian authorities launch probe into owners of Petrolul Ploiesti
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 27 – Romanian prosecutors from the Directorate for the Investigation of Organised Crime and Terrorism (DIICOT) have launched a probe into the two main shareholders of the Petrolul Ploiesti club, Daniel and Nicolae Capra, and Marius Bucuroiu, the side’s general manager. The three club officials were arrested together with four others on the suspicion of tax evasion and money laundering.
Torpedo Moscow hit with another ban for racist fans
November 27 – In what has become an almost routine ritual in Russia, Torpedo Moscow have once again been sanctioned for racism by fans, with its stadium ordered to be partly closed for three games.
Irish troubles: Delaney apologises for singing Republican song
November 26 – Football Association of Ireland chief executive John Delaney (pictured) has apologised after a video of him singing an Irish Republican song in a Dublin bar was broadcast on Youtube. Delaney was part of a group singing a song about Northern Irish man Joe McDonnell who was one of the IRA hunger strikers who died in 1981.
Efbet adds Levski Sofia to its Bulgarian portfolio
By Alexander Krassimirov
November 26 – Sports betting company Efbet has continued its sponosrship expansion into the top tier of Bulgarian football with the addition of Levski Sofia to its portfolio. Efbet now has a sponsorship lock on almost all the leading teams in the Bulgarian championship – CSKA Sofia, Lokomotiv Sofia, Slavia, Lokomotiv Plovdiv and Botev Plovdiv.
Greeks to resume league after promises to stamp out violence
November 25 – Top-flight games in Greece will resume this weekend after the Hellenic Football Federation (EPO) announced it was lifting the suspension imposed in the wake of a leading official being violently attacked.
Councillors approve €70m SC Freiburg stadium project
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 25 – The municipal council of Freiburg has approved the project to build a new stadium for SC Freiburg. The cost is estimated to be about €70 million.
Seifert leads German call for World Cup boycott
By Andrew Warshaw
November 24 – The chief executive of Germany’s Bundesliga is the latest high-profile figure to enter the debate over Fifa’s handling of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup anti-corruption investigation, saying coordinated action was needed from Europe to reform world football’s governing body.
Only in Croatia: biggest fixture called off over blacklist protest
November 24 -Croatia’s so-called “Eternal derby” between Hajduk Split and arch-rivals Dinamo Zagreb was scrapped at the weekend after dozens of blacklisted Hadjuk fans were barred – and their players, remarkably, protested in sympathy.
Nimes boss quits over matchfixing claims
November 24 – The president of French League 2 club Nimes has quit following allegations of matchfixing in the latest scandal to rock French football. Jean-Marc Conrad, who has led the ‘Crocodiles’ since April, is under formal investigation along with Caen chairman Jean-Francois Fortin and four others on suspicion of fixing the result of a fixture between their clubs.