Fenerbahçe drop CAS appeal against UEFA
By David Gold
April 27 – Turkish side Fenerbahçe have dropped a case with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against UEFA over their expulsion from this season’s Champions League.
Europe
Russia will decimate country’s match fixing scourge, says RFU boss
By David Gold
April 26 – The head of the Russian Football Union (RFU) match fixing committee has promised to eradicate match fixing from the country.
Championship clubs face UEFA-like financial fair play rules
By Andrew Warshaw
April 26 – The second tier of English football is adopting UEFA’s break-even model designed to stem haemorrhaging losses and stop clubs spending beyond their means.
Genoa ordered to play behind closed doors after under-fire players remove shirts
By David Gold
April 25 – Serie A side Genoa has been ordered to play two matches behind closed doors following bizarre scenes at the Luigi Ferraris Stadium when players gave in to demands from fans to remove their shirts during the 4-1 loss to Siena on Sunday (April 22).
Rangers’ administrators slam “extraordinary” transfer embargo
By Andrew Warshaw
April 25 – Administrators running ailing Scottish powerhouse Glasgow Rangers have hit out at the club being handed a crippling transfer embargo, saying the move could affect the very survival of the 54-time Scottish champions.
Move to finding buyer for crisis-hit Glasgow Rangers hits stumbling block
By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – Hopes of finding a buyer for beleaguered Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers was further delayed today when administrators said they were still unable to name a preferred bidder.
Brazilian ace Carlos hits back at racists in hard-hitting TV advertisement
By David Gold
April 24 – Anzhi Makhachkala’s Roberto Carlos has told Russian football fans that “while you are throwing bananas I am fighting hunger in Brazil”.
Israeli FA appoint emergency committee following on-field brawl
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – Israel Football Association (IFA) chairman Avi Luzon has commissioned an emergency committee to deal with mounting unrest after the sport reached a new low in the country’s domestic league.
Former director could emerge as saviour of beleaguered Glasgow Rangers
By Andrew Warshaw
April 23 – The future of Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers continues to hang in the balance with former director Paul Murray re-emerging as one of the likeliest parties to table a formal takeover bid.
European football stakeholders sign landmark agreement tightening up player contracts
By Andrew Warshaw
April 20 – The main stakeholders in European football have joined forces to tighten up the rules over contracts for professional players.
Racism in Russian game is new disease, laments former Spartak Moscow player
By David Gold
April 18 – A former Spartak Moscow footballer, Andrey Tikhonov, has claimed that racism in Russian football did not exist a few years ago.
Rangers’ administrators launch £25 million damages claim against former lawyers
By Andrew Warshaw
April 18 – The crisis facing Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers has taken another damaging twist with the news that the administrators currently in charge of the club are to sue the club’s former lawyers.
Bundesliga strikes €2.5 billion media deal with Sky
By David Gold
April 18 – Sky Deutschland has won the rights to show Bundesliga football live for four years starting from 2013, in a deal worth €2.5 billion (£2 billion/$3.3 billion).
FIFA President Sepp Blatter brought to tears over death of Piermario Morosini
By Andrew Warshaw
April 16 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter says he cried at learning of the tragic death of 25-year-old Italian midfielder Piermario Morosini during a Serie B match at the weekend.
Football world shaken as Italy’s Piermario Morosini suffers fatal heart attack on pitch
By David Gold
April 15 – Livorno midfielder Piermario Morosini (pictured) has died after suffering a cardiac arrest during a Serie B game with Pescara.