Gambian refugee scores 4 in bid to secure his Bundesliga home
July 31 – An 18-year-old asylum seeker from Gambia is the talk of German football after scoring four times in his first match as a second-half substitute for Werder Bremen.
Platini gathers Euro support but Africa and Americas not convinced
By Andrew Warshaw
July 31 – Claims that Michel Platini is already odds-on favourite to win the FIFA presidency on February 26 is being tested by some choice remarks from CONCACAF, purportedly one of four confederations behind him, and by Africa.
Hawit to lead CONCACAF refereeing review
By Paul Nicholson
July 31 – CONCACAF has moved swiftly to set up a review of its refereeing department following the bitter and very public complaints of Panama and Costa Rica about the standard of officiating at the just completed Gold Cup.
Martin Volkmar: Platini and the domino effect
The candidacy of Michel Platini for FIFA president could have far-reaching consequences – especially for German football.
Down but not out. CSKA sign kit deal with Lotto
By Alexander Krassimirov
July 31 – They may have been dropped to the amateur leagues and non-professional status, but Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia is still pulling in commercial interest and has signed a contract with Italian sportswear company Lotto. The appareil brand will replace another Italian company, Legea.
Garber muses on video replays, All-Star revamp and the long awaited Becks franchise
By Ben Nicholson
July 31 – MLS Commissioner Don Garber took the opportunity at the recent MLS All-Star game to show that, on the league’s 20th anniversary season, the MLS is a forward thinking enterprise. His half time comments indicated the league is seeking to evolve with technological growth and its own popularity growth.
Spurs sign with Mondogoal for new season fantasy game
July 30 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur are to launch a club branded Fantasy Football game with fantasy sports platform developer Mondogoal for the start of the new season.
Ludogorets follow up stadium build with training camp revamp
By Alexander Krassimirov
July 30 – Bulgarian champions Ludogorets are building for the future and have launched a new stage in the modernisation of their training facilities, just a few months after the club from Razgrad opened a new grandstand at its stadium.
AFC Bournemouth expands Vitality deal at renamed Dean Court
By Mark Baber
July 30 – Premier League newcomers AFC Bournemouth have agreed a stadium naming rights deal with health care provider Vitality, part of South Africa-based Discovery Limited. The 11,700-capacity Dean Court, the smallest ground ever in the Premier League, will be called the Vitality Stadium.
Serbian MPs propose ways to combat match-fixing, including club privatisation
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
July 30 – Serbian Members of Parliament (MPs) have been discussing measures to combat match-fixing which has plagued the top tier of the country’s league. Some of the proposals put forward by local politicians include the much-awaited privatisation of state-owned clubs, introducing stricter regulations, as well as suspending the league.
Chung to take on Platini, as Prince Ali sours on former Euro ally
By Andrew Warshaw
July 30 – Twenty-four hours after declaring he was running for FIFA president, UEFA chief Michel Platini has learned the identity of his first rival for the job, with former FIFA vice president Chung Mong-joon saying he too intends to throw his hat into the ring to take over from Sepp Blatter on February 26.
CONMEBOL passes reform measures to clean-up South American deal-making
By Andrew Warshaw
July 30 – As FIFA prepares to put in place a raft of reforms designed to clean up the organisation in the post-Sepp Blatter era, the South American Confederation (CONMEBOL) has struck first by introducing almost identical measures.
Matt Scott: Jose is talking piffle. But can he do without the presents of the past?
“If you add up the amounts clubs have spent in the last three or four years I think maybe you will find a surprise.” Jose Mourinho
Jose Mourinho sat in the press conference with his arms folded. His bottom lip was pouting. This was the face of a child whose daddy had told him he was not allowed a lollipop. For the world’s top managers, and the habitually successful Portuguese is certainly one of them,
MLS old Stars beat Spurs, but where now for the maturing US league?
By Ben Nicholson
July 30 – The MLS All-Star game is a peculiarity of the US soccer calendar that is unique in world football. This years opponents for the MLS side were Premier League Tottenham Hotspur who lost 2-1 to goals by two of the older player on the pitch – Kaká and David Villa.
Ronaldo spearheads Real push into China with Tmall Global deal
July 28 – As Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid continue to woo Chinese fans on their pre-season tour, off the field the club has signed a deal with AliBaba’s Tmall Global to use the platform to sell Ronaldo (and Real Madrid) merchandise direct to the Chinese public.