Pellegrini bemoans pot luck as Bayern and Man City kick off Champions League
By Andrew Warshaw
September 15 – The Champions League proper kicks off this week but before a ball has even been kicked the debate over seedings has intensified.
World Football
English FA hosts Asian coaches for grass-roots education programme
September 15 – For the third consecutive year, several of Asia’s most promising coaches are attending a two-week course at the English FA’s state-of-the-art national football centre, St. George’s Park, until the end of this month as part of its international bursary scheme.
UEFA offers cash for national federation diversity programmes
September 15 – With so few black coaches in European football, UEFA have launched a pioneering programme to bring more minorities into the game and develop equal opportunities.
Central America’s finest gladiators rock The Coliseum
By Paul Nicholson in Los Angeles
September 15 – A piece of Central America came to Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night with the finals of the Central American Cup played out in front of a passionate and vocal Latino crowd approaching 50,000.
Diacre’s Clermont register first league win
By David Owen
September 14 – Another small slice of football history was made on Friday night, as Corinne Diacre’s Clermont Foot beat Le Havre in the second division of the French championship.
Garber signs up for five more years as MLS continues expansion
By Ben Nicholson
September 12 – Don Garber has signed a contract to continue on as MLS Commissioner for another five years. The deal will keep him as the head of US’s premier professional league until 2018, which would mark his twentieth year in the job.
China to dominate the Asian Games – but not the football
By Mark Baber
September 12 – China has finished top of the Asian Games medal table every year since 1990, and in the last edition in Guangzhou picked up 199 gold medals – three times as many as runners up South Korea, but Asia’s most populous country remains a rank outsider in the football.
TPO ‘is a monster’, says Sporting chief as Rojo case heads for court
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – The president of one of Portugal’s leading clubs has lashed out at Third Party Ownership despite the country being one of those where the practise is commonplace.
Welsh charged over Andorra pitch invasion
September 12 – UEFA has charged the Football Association of Wales (FAW) for a pitch invasion following their late winner in this week’s 2-1 win in Andorra.
Nike swoops to oust Umbro with new Norway deal
By Mark Baber
September 12 – Nike and the Norwegian Football Association have announced a new partnership that sees Nike become the federation’s official apparel sponsor, taking over from Umbro.
Moscow World Football Forum adds Smertin to FFP panel line-up
September 12 – The World Football Forum 2014, to be held at the Ritz-Carlton in Moscow, November 13, has added former Russian footballing legend Aleksei Smertin to the panel discussion on the implications of UEFA Financial Fair Play Regulations (FFP). Smertin will be on the panel led by the Chief Executive of Chelsea Football Club, Ron Gourlay. Chelsea were one of the clubs Smertin played for.
Nigeria: CAS rejects Giwa faction’s attempt to restrain FIFA
By Mark Baber
September 11 – An attempt by the Chris Giwa-faction in Nigeria’s Football Federation (NFF) to hang on to power by appealing to the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) for a restraint order against FIFA fell at the first hurdle this week.
Prince Ali declares to run again in Asia for seat at FIFA’s top table
By Andrew Warshaw in Manchester
September 11 – Three months after discovering that he will lose his position as Asia’s FIFA vice-president, Prince Ali bin Hussein of Jordan has come out fighting by announcing that he will stand for election as a member of FIFA’s executive committee next year.
Swedish ‘Syrians’ under suspicion for match-fixing
By Mark Baber
September 11 – The Swedish Football Association (SvFF) announced has reported a case of “suspected bribery” to the police in relation to Jonkopings Sodra’s match against Syrianska on August 25 which Jonkoping won 4-0.
Platini says UEFA has leading record on racism but harder rules needed
September 11 – UEFA president Michel Platini has taken a veiled swipe at FIFA’s zero tolerance approach towards racism at the World Cup.