CONCACAF postpones U15 Boys championship
June 11 – CONCACAF has postponed its U15 Boys Championship originally scheduled to be played in the Cayman Islands and Jamaica this August until further notice.
World Football
Brazilian clubs’ talk of breakaway league forces CBF to cede power
By Samindra Kunti
June 10 – Amid growing discontent with the Brazilian FA, some of Brazil’s leading clubs have revealed a desire to establish a breakaway league. The CBF has responded by proposing an amendement to its statutes, giving greater power to the clubs.
Kentaro raided in probe into Brazil vs Argentina friendly in Qatar
By Samindra Kunti
June 10 – Swiss authorities have raided the offices of Switzerland-based sports rights agency Kentaro, investigating the relationship between a 2010 Brazil vs Argentina friendly and the 2018-2022 World Cup bid contests. Kentaro were, until recently, the agency responsible for marketing the Brazilian national team’s friendly fixtures.
Corruption net tightens as TyC’s Burzaco hands himself in to Italian police
June 10 – The hunt for the missing sports marketing executives wanted for questioning by the FBI in the US in relation to alleged bribes to win and retain commercial and broadcast rights to major championships has flushed out one more, Alejandro Burzaco, who has handed himself in to police in Italy.
Bulgaria renovates Vasil Levski and urges clubs to invest in stadia and youth
By Alexander Krassimirov
June 9 – Bulgaria has started the reconstruction of its national stadium, Vasil Levski. The renovation will pass through three stages, said Bulgarian sports minister Krassen Kralev, who spoke yesterday after an inspection of the stadium.
Manchester United – the first billion dollar brand.
By Mark Baber
June 9 – The annual study by Brand Finance ranking the world’s biggest football clubs by their “brand value” sees Manchester United, whose brand is said to be worth $1.2 bn, displace Bayern Munich from top spot. The list remains dominated by Premier League sides with six English clubs in the top ten.
Messi costs more than two Aston Villas, Hazard leaps over Ronaldo
By Paul Nicholson
June 9 – The CIES Football Observatory has released its top 100 ranking of the highest transfer values for big-5 league footballers. Not surprisingly Lionel Messi heads the table with an estimated value of between €255 and €281 million – more than it would cost to buy half the teams in the English Premier League, Aston Villa is reckoned to be on sale for £100 million.
CSKA Sofia troubles deepen as tribunal awards for player in salary case
By Alexander Krassimirov
June 9 – Embattled Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia, which has so far been refused a license to play next season, was struck another blow when former player Youness Bengelloun was awarded €407,296 (BGN 803 000) in compensation for unpaid salary. The decision was taken by a FIFA tribunal with judges from England, Croatia, Argentina, South Africa and Brazil.
Ekstraklasa minnow to double stadium size as it bids to battle big boys
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
June 8 – Termalica Bruk-Bet Nieciecza, one of the two promoted teams to Poland’s top tier Ekstraklasa for the 2015/16 season, has unveiled plans to double the capacity of its stadium from the current 2,262 to at least 4,500 seats.
Football League toughens insolvency rules and takes stand on discrimination
By Matt Scott
June 8 – Insolvent Football League clubs will face an immediate 12-point deduction following new rules introduced at the competition’s annual summer conference in Portugal on Friday.
ICSS to hold special session on financial integrity and transparency
June 8 – With the international spotlight focused on corruption and money-laundering at FIFA and doping claims in athletics, the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security (ICSS) is laying on a specialist session in Geneva in September to explore how sport, governments and the wider stakeholder community can tackle the issues and come up with ideas for robust reform.
Championship big spenders chase PL riches, as the profitable clubs are relegated
By David Owen
June 7 – Clubs in England’s second-tier Championship paid out more in wages than they generated in revenue for a second straight season in 2013-14, underlining the risks decision-makers are prepared to run to improve their chances of promotion to the promised land of the Premier League.
English clubs to vote on new bankruptcy rules
By Matt Scott
June 5 – English Football League clubs will today vote on a new insolvency policy that, if approved, will overhaul the way administrations are dealt with in the English lower leagues.
SA’s £10m to Warner and Blazer refuses to leave spotlight
By Andrew Warshaw
June 6 – South Africa’s 2010 World Cup boss Danny Jordaan (pictured) is back in the firing line over the infamous $10 million which United States prosecutors allege was a bribe to secure the country the showpiece tournament and which South Africa’s government counters was a perfectly above board World Cup legacy payment.
Brazilian pressure mounts on runaway president Del Nero
By Samindra Kunti
June 5 – CBF president Marco Polo Del Nero is expected to resign during an extraordinary general assembly next week as the crisis deepens in Brazilian football.