In Scotland, another woman coach graduates into men’s football
By David Owen
August 20 – The University of Stirling claims to have made history by appointing the first woman manager in British men’s senior football.
World Football
UEFA investigate new Italian chief Tavecchio over racist comments
August 20 – Carlo Tavecchio (pictured) may have thought he had escaped censure after becoming the new head of the Italian FA despite his much-publicised racist comments about African footballers but UEFA have taken the unusual step of setting up an inquiry.
Indians agree dates for 2015 Federation Cup as Super League reveals draft names
By Mark Baber
August 20 – The All India Football Federation (AIFF) have announced that Jammu and Kashmir will host the Federation Cup in August 2015, whilst the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) announced the names of the international players who will be playing in the new league.
Suarez puts biting days behind him as he prepares to feast at Barca
By Andrew Warshaw
August 20 – Luis Suarez insists he is a reformed character and won’t be biting opposition players ever again. The Uruguayan striker was officially presented to Barcelona’s fans on Tuesday five weeks after his transfer from Liverpool as a result of the terms of his four-month suspension from competitive action being modified by the Court of Arbitration for Sport which ruled, on appeal, that he could at least train and not be suspended from all football-related activities.
Tigo dials in for Central American Cup title sponsorship
By Paul Nicholson
August 20 – With just two weeks to go before the start of the Central American Cup 2014, telecoms group Tigo have stepped up as title sponsors for the championship which is being played in the US for the first time.
Maigari is back on top of Nigerian federation after FIFA intervenes
By Mark Baber
August 19 – Alhaji Aminu Maigari (pictured) was restored to his position as head of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) on Monday, after having been impeached, resigning and then having FIFA intervene on his behalf.
Wi-fi fails to connect with protesting PSV Eindhoven fans
By Mark Baber
August 19 – A new free Wi-Fi service, introduced for the benefit of fans, sparked fierce protests during PSV Eindhoven’s comprehensive 6-1 win over NAC in the Philips Stadium on Saturday, leading to widespread media coverage as the PSV Rood-Witten ultras unfurled a banner saying ‘F**ck WiFi, support the team’.
Romanian club calls for ban on CEOs sitting on the subs bench
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 19 – While Romanian football continues to be rocked by corruption-related scandals, the latest proposal put forward by one of the clubs to introduce more transparency into the Romanian league has sparked controversy. Cornel Sfaiter (pictured), chief executive of Romania’s FC Botosani, has suggested that the chief executives of the clubs competing in the country’s top tier, Liga I, should no longer be allowed to watch matches played by their sides from the subs benches.
Malawi FA bans ‘home’ journalist for offering inside info-for-cash to Benin
August 19 – Revealing instances of match-fixing has become an almost daily occurrence in the media but in Malawi a journalist has been sanctioned for allegedly getting involved in manipulation.
Legia lose CAS appeal but hold out for financial compensation
By Andrew Warshaw
August 19 – Legia Warsaw’s last-ditch attempt to seek what they perceive as sporting justice has failed after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rejected their bid to be provisionally reinstated in the Champions League, clearing the way for Scottish champions Celtic to take on Maribor on Wednesday in the final playoff round.
St Petersburg hosts UEFA scrutineers in bid to add 2020 to hosting plans
August 19 – St Petersburg is looking beyond FIFA World Cup 2018 and this past weekend hosted a UEFA delegation inspecting candidate cities to be one of the 13 host venues for the Euro 2020 tournament.
India defeats Pakistan 1-0 but real winner could be Pakistan’s economy
By Mark Baber
August 18 – India defeated Pakistan 1-0 on Sunday in the first match between the two Asian neighbours for nine years. All sporting ties between India and Pakistan were suspended following the 2008 terrorist attack in Mumbai, with little contact since then other than a one-day cricket series in 2012.
Transparency International signs on with clubs for match-fixing battle
August 18 – European leagues have joined forces with the anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International to promote an awareness campaign on how to avoid match-fixing amid concerns that the internet has given the fraudsters more ammunition than ever.
Infront secures four more years to their package of German sales rights
August 18 – Infront Sports & Media has signed a four-year deal for the international media distribution rights to World Champions Germany for home friendly matches, as well as the rights to the DFB Cup.
Two names, one player, leave Rwanda sanctioned over identity crisis
August 18 – Rwanda have been thrown out of the Africa Cup of Nations over a bizarre case of player eligibility. The Confederation of African Football (CAF) took the decision following a protest by Congo who have been re-instated in the qualifying competition for next year’s finals in Morocco.