By Andrew Warshaw
August 19 – Russia’s sports minister Vitaly Mutko, who is also head of the country’s 2018 World Cup organising committee, has accused western media of overplaying the anti-gay issue that has caused such a furore among athletes, officials, politicians and activists.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 19 – Former English FA chairman David Bernstein has waded controversially into the Qatar World Cup debate by calling for a revote for the 2022 tournament in preference to any rescheduling. In recent weeks, debate has intensified over a possible switch to winter because of the fearsome mid-summer Gulf heat – an idea Bernstein has long opposed yet one that is supported by his successor, Greg Dyke.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 17 – Metalist Kharkiv’s attempt to be re-instated in the Champions League has been dismissed after the Court of Arbitration for Sport turned down their appeal against a UEFA ban for alleged match-fixing, clearing the way for PAOK Salonika to take their place and face Schalke in the playoff round next week.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 16 – As expected, Metalist Kharkiv are appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against being thrown out of their first ever Champions League campaign by UEFA over a domestic match-fixing case dating back to 2008.
By Mark Baber
August 15 – FTBpro, the fan-generated football media brand, is the new Online Media Partner of the League Managers Association (LMA). FTBpro, which has seen $7.7m invested by its largest shareholders Battery Ventures and Gemini Israel Ventures, will benefit from exclusive interviews with top current Premier League managers as well online training sessions for site users.
August 15 – Fans of Croatian champions Dinamo Zagreb, sanctioned by UEFA last month for racist behaviour, are in trouble again.
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 15 – Former Prime Minister of Bulgaria Boyko Borisov (pictured) has taken a stand on the issue with the Russian energy giant Gazprom and the possible sponsorship deal with Levski Sofia. Gazprom is expected to become a major sponsor of the club in near future, a deal that has been leveraged through a government agreement for a pipeline crossing Bulgarian territory. This has led to a burst of indignation from all other clubs in Bulgarian top flight.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 14 – The match-fixing scourge that continues to plague European football has struck right at the heart of the Champions League with UEFA dramatically booting Metalist Kharkiv out of the competition.
By Jake Gable
August 15 – La Liga president Javier Tebas (pictured) has blasted the Spanish FA for what he believes is a failure to take the current revelations of match-fixing seriously enough. In an attack on FA President Angel Maria Villar, Tebas said: “I believe they should be getting more involved in what is being done. It is not enough to let the public investigators act. The Federation, as much as the league,
By Alex O’Loughln
August 14 – Spain manager Vicente del Bosque has criticised the financial disparities between the ‘top two’ in La Liga and the remaining 18 teams who boast Primera Division status.
By Mark Baber
August 13 – The European Commission is looking into the issue of illegal state aid for Spanish clubs. A complainant, impatient over the delay in the investigation, has followed up with the European Ombudsman who has pressed the Commission for a reply. But there is no truth in the reports that Real Madrid and Barcelona would be forced by the EC to give up their privileged status as member-owned clubs and become plcs.
August 13 – A few hours before the kick-off of a new season in Ligue 1, AS Monaco announced the signing of a partnership contract with Triangle Interim, a temp agency.
August 13 – bwin.party has added another of Europe’s leading and iconic football clubs to its sponsorship roster, signing France’s Olympique de Marseille in a three-year sponsorship deal that will see the bwin brand become OM’s official online betting and gaming partner.
By Mark Baber
August 13 – Turkey’s giant mass housing administration known as TOKI has touted its sports investment programme, which includes the construction of 20 stadiums, as the most comprehensive investment in sports history.
By Matt Scott
August 13 – European clubs have warned FIFA not to push for a winter World Cup in 2022 without due process. Frédéric Thiriez (pictured), the president of the European Professional Football Leagues [EPFL] and president of France’s Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP), has written to FIFA’s president, Sepp Blatter, urging “exhaustive analysis” and “general consultation” before moving to hold the tournament in the Qatari winter.