City Football Group expands in Far East with Singapore opening
October 28 – The global expansion of the City Football Group (CFG) is not just with team ownership but is also coming with a boosting of local presence of its business operations.
Blatter says World Cup stays in Russia and blasts his suspension as ‘total nonsense’
By Andrew Warshaw
October 28 – Despite being currently suspended, FIFA president Sepp Blatter is still making sure his voice is heard, this time assuring Russia that there is no danger of them being stripped of hosting rights for the 2018 World Cup.
Brazilian clubs plan breakaway competition to rival state championships
By Samindra Kunti
October 28 – A new independent tournament ‘Copa Sul-Minas-Rio’ may redesign the layout of Brazilian domestic football in 2016. The Brazilian FA CBF is watching anxiously from the sidelines.
Celtic moot taking the tartan into the US’s NASL
By Ben Nicholson
October 28 – Rumors are growing that Scottish giant Celtic FC is looking into the possibility of creating a franchise club in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Initial talks allegedly have already been held between the league and club representatives.
USL goes to 30 teams as MLS’s Sporting KC enters a reserve team
By Ben Nicholson
October 28 – Sporting KC (Kansas City) has announced the formation of its new reserve team in the USL, the third tier of professional US soccer, called Swope Park Rangers.
And then there were seven. FIFA announces names of men who would be king
By Andrew Warshaw
October 28 – Seven rather than eight contenders are in the running to succeed Sepp Blatter as FIFA president, football’s world governing body officially announced today, the omission being former Trinidad and Tobago international David Nakhid who confirmed his intention to stand on Monday but appears to have failed to receive the required endorsement from five member associations.
Salman slams critics’ lies and promises a new FIFA
By Andrew Warshaw
October 27 – Within hours of officially putting his name forward as a FIFA presidential candidate, Asian football supremo Sheikh Salman Bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa has given his first public reaction to the wave of accusations over his alleged involvement in human rights abuses in his native Bahrain, calling them “damaging” and “nasty lies”.
UK fraud squad chief probing cash trail to Trinidad for possible money laundering
October 27 – Britain’s anti-fraud organisation is looking into possible money laundering on UK soil related to the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process that is bedevelling FIFA, its director revealed today.
Ukrainians blame black fans for Kiev violence and even suggest segregation
By Mark Baber
October 27 – Whilst UEFA and FARE investigate the incident at the Champions League game between Dynamo Kiev and Chelsea on October 20 which saw some Kiev fans attack four black supporters in their own ranks, the head of Kiev’s Olimpiysky stadium has suggested those attacked brought the trouble upon themselves by sitting too close to members of an Ultra group and agreed with a 2+2 Ukrainian media suggestion that a “black section”
Beckenbauer says €6.7m ‘mistake’ was not cash for 2006 votes
By Andrew Warshaw
October 27 – The 2006 World Cup slush fund saga has taken an intriguing twist with Franz Beckenbauer, who led Germany’s organising committee, accepting responsibility for the German Football Association’s “mistake” in making a payment of €6.7 million to FIFA towards securing a grant for staging costs – but again denied the money was used in any way to buy votes.
Bility claims independence, but CAF set to endorse Sexwale for FIFA post
October 27 – One of the fringe candidates in the eight-strong field going for FIFA president, Liberian Football Association president Musa Bility (pictured), has added a touch of early intrigue to the campaign with reports suggesting his five nominations did not only come from within his own west African region.
Platini has first stage of ethics appeal rejected
October 27 – As anticipated, Michel Platini’s appeal against his 90-day suspension has not got off to the best of starts, with the first of many stages in the process thrown out.
MLS ranks 7th in world leagues after record breaking crowds show 12.7% uplift
By Ben Nicholson
October 27 – The MLS has broken its season long average attendance records, improving on last year’s mark by 12.7%. The league’s growing visibility overseas upon acquisition of ageing legends has had a positive domestic influence, as evidenced by the total 7,335,053 attendance for the year.
Minnesota United picks St Paul site for its new MLS home
By Ben Nicholson
October 27 – Minnesota United FC has announced its intention to make St. Paul its home. After competing with Minneapolis to provide domicile to the MLS expansion franchise, the team owner, Bill McGuire, and St. Paul Mayor, Chris Coleman, announced that its 20,000-capacity soccer-specific stadium is destined for the Snelling-Midway redevelopment site in St. Paul.
Pools man ticks all the right boxes to win top financial job at Man Utd
By David Owen
October 26 – Manchester United, the top English football brand still struggling to re-establish its former dominance of the Premier League under Louis van Gaal, its Dutch coach, has named a new chief financial officer with much experience in the betting industry.