Barca plead innocence in Neymar tax case, Rosell did it…
February 16 – Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu has pointed the finger for alleged tax evasion over the 2013 signing of Brazilian forward Neymar at his predecessor Sandro Rosell.
World Football
Doors will be closed for Egyptian league’s restart after Cairo massacre
By Andrew Warshaw
February 16 – Egypt’s Premier League is set to resume in the wake of the fatal stampede earlier this month that left at least 20 fans dead but there is some confusion as to the exact date matches will start again.
PSG edge out Sao Paulo, Arsenal secure third, at Al Kass Cup
February 14 – Europe edged out South America in the final of the Al Kass International Cup in Doha, Qatar, with Paris St Germain reversing a group loss to Brazil’s Sao Paulo, winning via a dramatic penalty shootout. Arsenal overcame AC Milan to take third place.
Garber dumps Vegas MLS bid, while Becks left scratching his beard
By Ben Nicholson
February 16 – Las Vegas’ expansion bid has received a fatal letter from MLS Commissioner Don Garber. Addressed to Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn Goodman the letter said that the MLS would be unable to consider Las Vegas for an expansion franchise until 2018, due to “the uncertainty as to when we might be able to move forward in Las Vegas”.
Zlat the tatt inks 50 names on to his skin for World Food Programme promo
February 16 – Paris St Germain striker and Swedish national team captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic took his charity support a step further with new tattoos displaying the names of 50 hungry people for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). He removed his shirt after scoring against Caen at the weekend to show the names and raise awareness for the campaign.
MLS season kick off threatened as players say they are prepared to strike
By Ben Nicholson
February 16 – The MLS is facing a player strike that could result in a delayed start to the season unless the league can appease the MLS Players Union in the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) for the 2015 season. The issue circles around the MLS’ approach to free agency.
Bulgaria hit with stand closure for next EURO qualifier against Italy
By Alexander Krassimirov
February 13 – The UEFA Appeals Body has changed the punishment handed out to Bulgaria following the behaviour of fans during the European qualifier against Croatia in October 2014. Four blocks of the National Stadium Vasil Levski will now be closed for the country’s next home game against Italy on March 28.
Italy’s Parma still in crisis despite third new owner this season
By Mark Baber
February 12 – New Parma president Giampietro Manenti, chief executive of the Mapi Group which bought Parma for 1 Euro earlier this week, is confident the club can meet its obligations and pay off all its debts by the end of this month. Damiano Tommasi, president of the Italian footballer’s union the AIC, on the other hand, thinks it is unlikely the debt can be paid and is concerned for the welfare of the players.
Rangers keeper banned for betting on football
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – Rangers goalkeeper Steve Simonsen has been banned for two games, with one of them suspended, after being found guilty of betting on no fewer than 55 matches. The suspension is the latest blow for the beleaguered Scottish giants.
1% of matches are fixed… Is this just the tip of the ice-berg?
By Paul Nicholson
February 12 – As many as 1% of sports events could be the subject of betting-related match-fixing, according to leading sports betting monitoring services firm Sportradar. That most likely includes football, the figure could be higher.
Celtic superfan nominated for Scottish Goal of the Month
By Jamie Styles
February 12 – Scotland could see an unlikely winner of January’s Goal of the Month competition, with a young Celtic fan with Down’s Syndrome among the nominees.
Morocco ‘stunned’ by CAF rulings and vow to fight for rights
By Andrew Warshaw
February 12 – Moroccan football authorities have come out fighting by refusing to accept the sanctions imposed on them by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) for pulling out of hosting the recent Africa Cup of Nations.
Court sends Real Madrid plans for Bernabeu back to the drawing board
By Mark Baber
Februaty 12 – The £260 million redevelopment of the Santiago Bernabéu has been brought to a halt by the High Court of Madrid. The plans had included new hotel facilities, a shopping centre and a redesign of the exterior which had met a mixed response when architects images were revealed at the end of January.
Spanish clubs threaten to halt play unless TV cash is shared
February 12 – While English top-flight football basks in the affluence of its new record-breaking television deal, in Spain, another of the so-called ‘big five’ European leagues, the situation could not be more different with clubs desperate to adopt a similar collective bargaining deal – and prepared to stop playing to make it happen.
1. FC Köln and Deutsche Post team up in €1.5m deal
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 11 – 1. FC Köln and Germany’s postal operator Deutsche Post have signed a new sponsorship contract that will run through to 2017, with plans to collaborate on jointly introducing a suite of innovative new communications technology products.