Champions League draw throws up mixed fortunes for Manchester clubs
August 28 – If there wasn’t quite a group of death, Manchester City arguably again drew the short straw in the draw for the group stages of the Champions League.
Schalke 04 strikes €1.4m deal with Turkish Airlines
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 28 – FC Schalke 04 has inked a new sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines. The deal, which is estimated to be worth a total of €1.4 million, will see the airlinesupport the Gelsenkirchen-based side for two years.
Leoz to appeal after Paraguayan judge rules in favour of US extradition
By Andrew Warshaw
August 28 – Nicolas Leoz, one of the most prominent powerbrokers caught up in the FIFA corruption scandal, has suffered a significant setback in his fight to avoid extradition to the United States.
Messi scores UEFA player award over Ronaldo and Suárez
August 28 – Lionel Messi’s role in Barcelona’s treble-winning 2014/15 campaign has resulted in him being been named UEFA’s European player of the year for the second time in the accolade’s five-year history.
Waiting game: Sexwale undecided on run at FIFA presidency
By Andrew Warshaw
August 28 – Former South African political prisoner turned human rights icon Tokyo Sexwale says he is still unsure whether to take on UEFA president Michel Platini and South Korea’s former FIFA vice-president Chung Mong-joon in the race to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president next February, but will make a decision “in due course”.
Comment: Mourinho’s medical mess-up opens old wounds
By Adonis Pratsides
August 28 – The lack of precision and the negligence, with which those who have attempted to defame Dr. Eva Carneiro have operated, would have stunned even the most listless surgeon, as the steady progress of Women in football suddenly flat lined.
Gatorade locks up Champions League sports drink category
By Ben Nicholson
August 28 – Gatorade, a PepsiCo brand, has taken the Official Sports Drink sponsorship category for the UEFA Champions League, as part of the three-year deal signed by parent company PepsiCo last month.
Brazil rejigs calendar to make space for 2018 qualifiers but not Rio Olympics
By Samindra Kunti
August 28 – The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) have released the calendar for the 2016 Brazilian domestic season: the top-flight Brasileirão will come to a halt for the national team’s World Cup qualifiers, but not for the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.
Ronaldo tops world sport’s social media ranking. Barca and Real beat Man Utd
By Tom Parsons
August 27 – A Barcelona-based study has found that Real Madrid and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo has the strongest social media presence of all athletes in the world.
Sexwale takes reins for renewed talks on solution to Palestine/Israel stand-off
By Andrew Warshaw
August 27 – FIFA have kickstarted their latest attempt finally forge a workable compromise in the Middle East that satisfies both Palestinians and Israelis.
Euro2016 will kick start a French revolution but will it sustain a bigger business?
By Paul Nicholson
August 27 – Euro2016 in France will be the first time the European Championships have been played in the expanded 24 team format. More matches mean more venues and the competition will be played in 10 venues across the country. Will this be the catalyst event that, like the 2006 World Cup in Germany, kick starts French football into a new era of glory?
Ascoli Picchio plans €12 million stadium overhaul and push for Serie A
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
August 27 – Following the club’s return to Italy’s Serie B, Italy’s second tier, Ascoli Picchio FC has unveiled detail of a planned €12 million stadium redevelopment.
Levski battle racist fans with visual lesson in the unacceptable
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 27 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia have started an educational campaign in a bid to combat the extreme racism of their fans. The club is one of the most frequently fined by the Bulgarian Football Union (BFU). Recently the fines for Bulgarian teams for racist incident, of which there are sadly many, have been increasing.
Platini to keep his FIFA manifesto under wraps as big questions mount
By Andrew Warshaw
August 27 – FIFA presidential candidate Michael Platini will publish his manifesto in the next six to eight weeks and not, as had been anticipated, at his first session with the international media at the conclusion of Champions and Europa League business in Monaco tomorrow.
Batman’s peace doves ire Turkish federation. Perhaps robins next time?
By Mark Baber
August 27 – The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has referred the Batman Petrolspor team to the Professional Football Disciplinary Committee after the club released white doves representing peace prior to their first game of the season.