Zwanziger returns to Qatar theme and calls for World Cup 2022 to be moved
March 11 – Germany’s outgoing FIFA executive committee member Theo Zwanziger has taken yet another opportunity to call for Qatar to be stripped of the 2022 World Cup.
Whistleblower says Cypriot match-fixing orders come from top of FA
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – The full scale of corruption in Cypriot football has been exposed by a referee whistleblower who claims officials are regularly deciding the outcome of games on orders from above.
Man Utd’s mis-firing Falcao fails to last U21 outing
March 11 – Football is full of cases of misfit superstars failing to adapt to new surroundings. But few in recent years feature such a stark fall from grace as that of Manchester United’s on-loan Colombian striker Radamel Falcao.
Prince Ali enlists Bahraini royal help in bid to beat Blatter
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – Prince Ali bin al-Hussein’s bid to dethrone Sepp Blatter as president of FIFA has taken an unexpected twist after he appeared to pick up support in arguably the least likely part of Asia.
Man City owners give Cityzens charity a global £400,000 boost
March 10 – City Football Group – owner of Manchester City, New York City FC and Melbourne City FC – has announced a £400,000 football charity initiative through its Cityzens Giving programme.
Exclusive interview: Zico, the ‘White Pele’on the Indian Super League
Brazilian superstar Zico, often referred to as the ‘White Pelé’, was not only a fantastic player, but he has become a respected and a successful professional coach. Having coached in Iran, Japan and Brazil, more recently he has become an idol in India’s Goa.
Mayne-Nicholls suggests Winter 2022 timetable
By Andrew Warshaw
March 10 – Just over a week before Fifa is expected to announce the dates for the 2022 winter World Cup in Qatar, the official who analyzed the credentials of all nine canddiates for 2018 and 2022 has presented what he believes is a workable timetable – but only if significant tweaks are made.
Eto’o awarded European Medal of Tolerance for anti-racism stand
March 10 – Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o was honoured on Monday for his “inspiring” stand against racism as he became the third recipient of the European Medal of Tolerance awarded by a leading anti-discrimination group.
Will Etihad stump up £80m a year for Man City sponsorship?
By Mark Baber
March 10 – Manchester City are poised to sign a massive £80-million-a-year sponsorship deal with Etihad, according to rumours in the British press. The new deal would mean a renegotiation of the current £400 million deal.
South Africans call for FIFA to speed up match-fixing probe
March 10 – The South African government has accused FIFA of not acting decisively enough over match-fixing investigations, notably regarding a series of warm-up games that preceded the 2010 World Cup.
Spurs go back to school with Lord Sugar and opening of TUTC
March 10 – Premier League Tottenham Hotspur activated the next stage of its participation in the regeneration of the local area around its stadium with the opening of the University Technical College of Tottenham by the club’s former Chairman and star of the TV series The Apprentice, Alan Sugar (now Lord Sugar).
French Ligue 2 games were manipulated, finds report
March 10 – A report into a swathe of alleged rigged Ligue 2 games in France last season has concluded that one match was subject to “an understanding” between the two clubs concerned.
AFC to take 2019 Asian Cup to UAE
March 10 – The Gulf region has struck yet another blow for staging major tournaments with the news that The United Arab Emirates has been awarded hosting rights to the 2019 Asian Cup.
Saints lead academy sales, Real and Barca in top 10, Bayern and Man Utd trail
March 10 – New data from the CIES, the Swiss-based Centre for Sports Studies, finds that €1.072 billion has been generated from sales of academy players by clubs in Europe’s Big 5 leagues. Topping the chart is Premier League club Southampton earning €90.2 million from sales since July 2012.
Lee Wellings: Champions League – In it to win it?
The Champions League. The pinnacle of European and indeed world football. Oh the glory. That music. Popular in all parts of the globe. And it’s all about winning isn’t it? Isn’t it?