Crowdfunding comes to Kettering’s rescue
By David Owen
October 16 – A 141-year-old English football club may have been saved from closure thanks in part to the generosity of fans from as far afield as Iceland and Vietnam.
Europe
Balotelli supported by the Italian FA in face of ‘excessive’ media pressure
By Mark Baber
October 15 – After a clash with paparazzi in Naples, Mario Balotelli has been defended by the Italian FA after journalists used the incident to spark a storm of criticism against the Milan striker.
Bulgarian club hits rock bottom but players agree to play on unpaid
By Alexander Krassimirov
October 15- The players of Bulgarian first division club Neftohimic Burgas have agreed to play without wages in an attempt to save the club from bankruptcy.
French protest playoff seedings after dropping down the rankings
By Andrew Warshaw
October 15 – As the World Cup qualifying programme reaches a nail-biting climax, a row has broken out over the seeding system being used for next week’s playoff draw.
Rosell trumpets record revenue and reduced debt at Barca
By Gareth Messenger
October 14 – Barcelona president Sandro Rosell has praised his own financial management of the club after an annual general meeting predicted record revenues.
Götze told to pull his socks up after second adidas/Nike sponsor spat
By Mark Baber
October 14 – Bayern Munich wunderkind Mario Götze has put his foot in it again, as he was snapped wearing Nike products, this time whilst on duty with the adidas-sponsored German national team.
AC Milan and adidas look to future, signing 10 year extension
By Mark Baber
October 14 – Four years prior to the expiry of their current deal, AC Milan and adidas have agreed to extend their partnership for ten years. The new contract means the club and brand, who first joined forces in 1998, will celebrate 25 years together.
PAOK owner Savvidis builds his business in Thessaloniki
By Panos Bletsos
October 12 – The future for Greek side PAOK looks increasingly bright as its Greek-Russian entrepreneur, Ivan Savvidis, has made clear once again that he has come to stay in his land of origin, expanding his business interests in the region.
Levski chaos continues with row spilling over on to national TV
By Alexander Krassimirov
October 11 – The day after the battle scenes and chaos at Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia club, emotions are still running hight. The former sports director Nasko Sirakov (pictured) attacked the club’s owner Todor Batkov in an interview on national television in Bulgaria. Just a few hours later, Batkov responded by saying he now accepts Sirakov’s resignation, handed in on Tuesday.
Juve chief Agnelli says Italy must drive harder to regain power
By Andrew Warshaw
October 11 – Italy, rocked by an ongoing match-fixing scandal, no longer has the same standing in European football as it used to, according to Juventus president Andrea Agnelli. And unless there are improvements on and off the field, it will stay that way.
FFP risks protecting the big against the little in the UEFA playground, says Buck
By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – UEFA’s financial fair play rules risk being counter-productive by hitting smaller clubs harder rather than creating a level playing field, according to the American chairman of Chelsea, Champions League winners the season before last.
Big clubs Euro breakaway is a reality, says Galatasaray chief
By Matt Scott
11 October – Real Madrid, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain are among “15 to 20” leading clubs actively plotting the introduction of a closed European super league. Those are the explosive claims of Galatasaray’s chairman, Ünal Aysal. He said that a wholesale restructure of the Champions League is a “reality” that’s five years away.
Petev quits Levski after 24 hours and losing his shirt
By Alexander Krassimirov
October 10 – Supporters of Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have won their fight to get rid of new coach Ivaylo Petev, who has resigned just 24 hours after his appointment.
Gazza bursts on to twitter scene in typically startling fashion
By Tom Parsons
October 10 – One of England’s finest footballers has joined twitter, racking up 275,000 followers in the first 24 hours he was part of the social community. Fans and friends joined in welcoming the former England star to twitter, with @GazzaOfficial promising to show us “the real Gazza” on the social network.
Dyke bangs the drum for English players in England
By Andrew Warshaw
October 9 – New English Football Association chairman Greg Dyke had another dig at the influx of foreign players in English football today and said the importance of a successful national team should not be under-estimated.