World Football Archives - Page 739 of 912 - Inside World Football

Return to Soviet league meets old-style resistence, despite lure of prize money

Nikolai Tolstykh

By Andrew Warshaw
November 25 – One of Russian football’s leading officials has opposed the re-establishment of an old-style Soviet league featuring teams from Russia, Ukraine and other former Soviet states. The idea of a breakaway plan for a multi-national league of up to 16 teams was first floated a year ago but Nikolai Tolstykh (pictured), head of the Russian Football Union, says the money would be better spent domestically, not least on youth football instead.

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Bulgarian businessman close to landing Rouen deal with players and cash

Balkanian Airways

By Alexander Krassimirov
November 25 – A 25 -year-old Bulgarian millionaire, Daniel Dimov, is in talks to buy third division French club FC Rouen. Dimov would take ownership of a club that has twice been champion of France – in 1940 and 1945.

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Simunic claims innocence as celebration triggers fine and FIFA scrutiny

Josip Simunic

By Andrew Warshaw
November 22 – Croatia, who this week qualified for the World Cup finals at the expense of Iceland, face a possible backlash over defender Josip Simunic’s controversial celebrations. FIFA have begun disciplinary proceedings into events that followed the playoff second leg after Simunic was fined 25,000 kuna ($4,400) by Croatian public prosecutors for apparent pro-Nazi chants.

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UEFA names 6 clubs facing FFP scrutiny, but closes book on 25 others

uefa flag

November 22 – Six clubs are to be investigated for possible breaches of UEFA’s financial fair play regulations as European football’s governing body implements its drive to clamp down on over-spending and loss-making clubs.

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AFC hires Sportradar in battle against match-fixing

alex soosay

By Andrew Warshaw
November 21 – The Asian Football Confederation, part of whose territory is home to the illegal betting rings organising the global match-fixing epidemic, has taken on fraud detection experts Sportradar in the fight against the criminal gangs responsible.

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London Olympic Stadium begins refit amid new questions of ‘national interest’

Olympic stadium

By Paul Nicholson
November 21 – The remodelling of London’s 2012 Olympic Stadium in preparation for occupancy by Premier League club West Ham United started in earnest yesterday with the removal of the stadium floodlights in preparation for a cantilevered roof. At the same time a report from the House of Lords suggested that Football League Division 1 club Leyton Orient should be allowed “occasional” use of the stadium.

Africa

Algeria’s nationwide World Cup celebrations end in injuries and tragedy

Algerina fans

November 21 – The volatile nature of African football has once again led to fatal consequences after what should have been a joyous occasion turned into tragedy.

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Aussies get a handle on self promotion and push the Twitter boundaries

Aussie twitter team sheet

By Tom Parsons
November 20 – Football Federation Australia (FFA) has come up with a new way of displaying their players names on official team sheets for their international home games. Instead of the traditional name and number combination that has served clubs and countries well over the years, the FFA introduced their squad by putting their Twitter handles on the team sheet for their 1-0 win over Costa Rica at Sydney’s Allianz Stadium this week.

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Orlando City Soccer trades up to win MLS franchise and schedules 2015 start

Orlando City Soccer

By Paul Nicholson
November 20 – While David Beckham and his people discuss whether to open up shop in the MLS in Miami or not, Orlando has stolen a lead with MLS commissioner Don Garber unveiling Orlando City Soccer as the next expansion franchise yesterday. Garber made the announcement at a community celebration near the site where a new downtown stadium will be constructed.

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Poland’s Ruch Chorzow unveils new €23m stadium design

Ruch Chorzow stadium design

By Jaroslaw Adamowski
November 20 – Poland’s Ruch Chorzow has selected the design of its new stadium. The club said that it expects to obtain planning permission in June 2014, with construction work at the 12,000-seat facility starting two months later.

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Gibraltar makes world debut with a draw against Slovakia

Gibraltar fans

By Andrew Warshaw
November 20 – All eyes may have been on the four nail-biting playoffs but the most historic European encounter Tuesday night took place in the Algarve region of Portugal where tiny Gibraltar staged their first full international since winning their 14-year battle to become UEFA’s 54th and smallest member.

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China tops hosts list as countries buy in to impact of major event sports

Beijing Olympic stadium

By Mark Ledsom
November 20 – China has held on to top spot in an international ranking of major sporting event hosts published by the sports data research company Sportcal.

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Champions League ‘worth every penny’ as BT lines up next assault on old order

BT Sport

By Mark Ledsom
November 20 – The head of BT TV insisted on Tuesday that the company´s audacious £897 million purchase of the UEFA Champions League broadcast rights earlier this month had been “worth every penny”, and also suggested that BT was ready to mount a similarly aggressive bid during the next round of bidding for the English Premier League TV rights.

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City boost their NYCFC presence using player assets and a viral video

Kompany Aguero Silva copy

November 19 – NYCFC, the new New York City MLS franchise scheduled to start play in the 2015 season, is increasing its marketing presence and trading on the group’s assets with a new video featuring Manchester City players in New York.

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Rapid’s changed management aims to build a new Austrian empire

Rapid Vienna

By Paul Nicholson
November 19 – One of Europe’s most iconic clubs is undergoing a revolution, Viennese style. SK Rapid, better known to most European fans as Rapid Vienna, has a new president, plans for a new stadium and is targeting a new era as one of Europe’s top clubs in the world’s best city to live in according to Mercer’s latest Quality of Living ranking.