Could Italian match-fixing scandal count Conte out at Chelsea?
March 11 – Italy national coach Antonio Conte is edging closer to taking over at Chelsea’s but hanging over him is a match-fixing debacle from his time at Siena.
Kuwait miss second World Cup qualifier as FIFA ban holds
March 11 – FIFA’s suspension of Kuwait, which caused the Gulf state to be banned from voting at the recent presidential election, has again hit the Asian World Cup qualifying campaign with the upcoming fixture against South Korea called off.
Inside editorial: Did soccer just have its WMD moment?
Reflecting on the way FIFA history is being rewritten with its new reform championing president, one wonders if two weeks ago football (we’ll soon be calling it soccer) had its WMD moment.
Paulista calls in Sportradar to run match-fixing detection system in Brazil
March 20 – For the first time on the continent, a South America football rightsholder has enlisted the services of a match-fixing detection service.
Aston Villa thumped again – this time off the pitch to the tune of £28m
By David Owen
March 10 – Aston Villa, the Birmingham club marooned at the foot of the Premier League table, have reported a £27.8 million loss for the year to 31 May 2015. The deficit, which compares with a loss of just under £4 million the previous year, is the biggest among Premier League clubs yet to have reported, just ahead of Chelsea.
Barça unveil Japanese architect’s plans for the new Camp Nou
By Mark Baber
March 10 – A few hours after the news had leaked out prematurely, FC Barcelona announced officially that the winner of the international design competition for the refashioning of the Camp Nou is the Nikken Sekkei and Pascual i Ausió Arquitectes team.
MP & Silva and Simplestream combine to boost video sales options
By Paul Nicholson
March 10 – A sign that the broadcast sales of sports rights is shifting away from traditional platform sales to embrace the digital distribution options more fully can be seen from the partnership just announced by MP & Silva with Simplestream.
FIFA reform: Carrard backs Infantino to get the job done
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – Francois Carrard, the former Olympic supremo who led the team that drafted FIFA’s much-trumpeted governance proposals, has given his backing to Gianni Infantino in ensuring the reform measures are implemented properly and not just left to fester.
Coke fizzes in with new stadium deal at Olympique Lyonnais
By Samindra Kunti
March 10 – Coca-Cola and Olympique Lyonnais have signed a three-year supply deal pertaining to the French club’s new stadium Stade de Lyon.
Zimbabwe suspend board member over attempt to fix upcoming AFCON qualifier
March 10 – Zimbabwe has become embroiled in another match-fixing scandal after its national football association (ZIFA) provisionally suspended one of its own board members pending further investigation.
Blatter blows out candles on French police raid, Platini unfazed
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini have reacted strongly to the police raid on the headquarters of the French Football Federation as part of the Swiss criminal investigation into the infamous “disloyal payment” that led to both men being banned by FIFA’s ethics committee.
Leicester’s high-flying Foxes post meteoric rise in profit
By David Owen
March 10 – High-flying Leicester City, the shock Premier League leaders, are not just a transformed proposition on the pitch. Their financial prospects suddenly look as bright as Riyad Mahrez’s revelatory forward play or manager Claudio Ranieri’s post-match demeanour.
CONCACAF’s new referees chief to build competence after Gold Cup fiasco
By Paul Nicholson
March 10 – CONCACAF have appointed a new director of refereeing following a review of its Refereeing Department earlier in the year.
Premier League caps away tickets at £30 for three seasons
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – The long running battle between clubs and fans over the price of tickets for away matches has found a league-wide solution with Premier League clubs having unanimously agreed to cap away tickets at no more than £30 each. The agreement will last for three seasons.
Salman and AFC pledge support for Infantino’s new FIFA
By Paul Nicholson
March 9 – The call from interim FIFA president Issa Hayatou last week following the election of Gianni Infantino as the new president was for the whole of FIFA to unite behind him in impletenting the reforms and a bold and positive new future.