Age is just a number, but Lazio’s Minala is 17, judge rules
May 30 – Disagreements concerning over-age players is nothing new but to suggest a player is 25 years older than he actually is is surely unprecedented.
World Football
ESPN examines web model for MLS broadcast distribution
May 30 – ESPN may start offering coverage of Major League Soccer (MLS) games online, without a required subscription to ESPN.
Swiss propose tighter laws against money laundering for sports officials
By Mark Baber
May 29 – The Legal Affairs Commission of the lower house of the Swiss parliament has proposed a draft law which, if passed by the legislature, will impose stricter rules against money laundering.
Blatter backs Israel but finding Middle East accord is finely balanced
By Andrew Warshaw
May 29 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has given the clearest indication yet that he will not support Palestinian calls for sanctions against Israel at next month’s FIFA Congress in Brazil. Blatter has made finding a compromise between two political foes one of his main priorities and has just completed his latest mediation visit to the region.
Italians revamp player co-ownership and scrap 50% rule
By Andrew Warshaw
May 29 – In what is being flagged up as the end of an era, Italy is set to outlaw co-ownership of players from next season, falling into line with the rest of Europe. Italy is the last main footballing nation in Europe under which two teams can effectively share half a particular player’s contract and economic rights.
US pro women’s league NWSL secures ESPN broadcast deal
May 29 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) in the USA has struck a deal with ESPN to televise nine matches televised this year. Six regular season games are scheduled to be televised on either ESPN 2 or ESPN 3, whilst both playoff semifinals and the championship game will be shown on ESPN 2.
Joma signs first national team deal, replacing Kappa in Bulgaria
By Alexander Krassimirov
May 29 – The Bulgarian Football Union has signed a new multi-year contract with the Spanish sports appareil firm Joma. The company will kit out all of Bulgaria’s national teams and replaces Italian sportswear brand Kappa, whose contract was terminated terminated by mutual consent.
CAS cuts Sammut match-fixing ban from life to 10 years
By Andrew Warshaw
May 29 – Almost two years after the original sanction, former Malta midfielder Kevin Sammut has had his life ban reduced to 10 years by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) but his career is still effectively over.
Good Practice Guide takes step towards attacking match-fixing from the inside
By Ben Nicholson
May 29 – International footballers’ association FIFPro and UEFA and Birkbeck, University of London, have combined to produce a ‘Good Practice Guide’ which will be presented at the closing conference of Don’t Fix it in Slovenia next week.
UEFA fined in Croatian court for false match-fixing allegation
May 28 – UEFA’s relentless crackdown on match manipulation has seemingly gone one step too far after the organisation itself was sanctioned for wrongly accusing a Croatian referee. But whether Europe’s governing body rules the punishment binding and pays up is a different matter.
Adidas puts its stripes on the line with World Cup social media blast
By Tom Parsons
May 28 – Adidas has launched its World Cup marketing and social media campaign, and in a breakaway from the traditional approach by brands to social media, the sportswear giant is allowing people to make the decision to be “all in” or “nothing” with Adidas during the world’s biggest football tournament.
Central American Cup to finish with a triple-header in LA
May 28 – The Central American Football Union (UNCAF) which is playing its Central American Cup 2014 in the USA later this year, has announced that the final will be played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on September 13. This is the first time the regional championship has been played outside the Central American region and the 13th time the Cup has been played, as UNCAF prepares to celebrate its 25th anniversary.
IWF wins award and ranked in top 10 for best football coverage
May 28 – INSIDEworldfootball (IWF) has won the Editor’s Choice Award in the Best On-line Coverage category of the World Soccer Talk Awards.
UEFA and Europol team up for joint offensive on match-fixers
By Andrew Warshaw
May 28 – The match-fixing epidemic that has swept through world football has been underlined by UEFA teaming up with Europol to combat organised crime. The European Union’s police agency says it is involved in nine separate investigations linked to match-fixing and will share information with UEFA on suspected rigging and illegal betting within Europe’s 54 national federations.
Real strike in boardroom as well as Jimenez moves up at ECA
May 27 – Real Madrid’s Champions League triumph over Atletico Madrid wasn’t their only success of the past few days against Spanish rivals. Off the field, the European Club Association have appointed Real vice-president Pedro Lopez Jimenez as its 2nd vice chairman.