Gunners fire themselves into Indonesian record books
January 27 – Two teams, 770 players, 9 hours, 97 goals and a world record. Arsenal FC broke new boundaries in Indonesia last weekend with the country’s longest non-stop football match ever.
Holland’s van Praag takes up the Blatter challenge for FIFA’s top job
By Andrew Warshaw
January 26 – Michael van Praag, the Dutch football chief who led a much-publicised European rebellion against Sepp Blatter’s leadership of FIFA last summer, emerged today as a surprise late contender to unseat the Swiss veteran at the presidential election in four months’ time.
Caribbean pro league talks look at countries and stadia, funding is next
January 26 – The steps towards a professional league in the Caribbean took another pace forward with the second meeting of the Caribbean Premier League Task Force which reviewed regional stadium infrastructure study with a view to identifying which countries could host league matches.
Dutch get tough on football violence with new law proposals
By Samindra Kunti
January 26 – The Dutch FA, the KNVB, and the Dutch parliament want to tighten the application of the ‘football law’ (Law MBVEO). The proposed amendments are aimed at further reducing violence and incidents at Dutch football grounds.
Ginola’s FIFA punt looks like an odds-on loss for bookie
By Andrew Warshaw
January 26 – David Ginola faces disqualification from his unlikely bid to run for FIFA president for allegedly breaking strict rules over being associated with the betting industry.
Iran fury after Asian Cup quarter-final defeat leaves a bitter taste
By Mark Baber
January 26 – The sense that the deck might be stacked against Iran in international football received a boost over the weekend as they were knocked out of the Asian Cup by Iraq, after a quarter-final match in which one of their players was sent off in a bizarre decision by the Australian referee, and which featured an Iraqi player who had produced a sample which proved positive for the banned stimulant methylhexaneamine whilst playing for an Iranian club last year.
Crimean compromise: UEFA proposes new national league
January 26 – A compromise between UEFA and Russian football authorities over the future status of clubs in annexed Crimea could be about to take shape.
Sheikh Salman warms to Winter World Cup, the ‘matter is resolved’
By Andrew Warshaw
January 26 – Any doubts about the 2022 World Cup in Qatar being staged in winter look to have been swept away, with November-December now the clear favourite in a move that will break with decades of tradition.
Zwanziger butts heads with Bayern blogger over Saudi and ethics
January 26 – A row has broken out between former German FA president Theo Zwanziger and Bayern Munich, after a Bayern blog on its official website accused Zwanziger of double standards over his criticism of the club for its friendly against Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal.
Blatter blasts cowardly UEFA and says that reform is still the agenda
By Paul Nicholson
January 26 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has launched his first serious rocket in the race for the leadership of the governing body and his fired it in the direction of Nyon and its grandees at UEFA, and what he sees as their behind the scenes manoeuvring.
World Cup legacy failure as Cuiaba stadium is shut for repair
January 25 – Just seven months after hosting four World Cup matches, Cuiaba’s Arena Pantanal stadium, is being closed for “emergency repairs”.
Cellino accepts his fate and steps down at Leeds, until April
January 25 – Leeds United owner Massimo Cellino has officially stepped down from his club duties, being replaced by Andrew Umbers until at least April 10 when Cellino’s ban will have been served.
Castrol, Continental and Johnson & Johnson end World Cup sponsor cycles
January 23 – FIFA second-tier sponsors Castrol, Continental and Johnson & Johnson have declined to renew sponsorship contracts for the 2018 World Cup, each was on a one World Cup cycle deal.
Poland’s Stomil Olsztyn lines up new investor to save club
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
January 23 – Poland’s Stomil Olsztyn is close to bringing on board a new investor with the aim of putting club’s finances into order and prevent the club going bankrupt.
Hamburg SV announce new money and return of the Volksparkstadion
By Mark Baber
January 23 – Billionaire fan of Hambrg SV, Klaus-Michael Kühne, has become an official investor in the Bundesliga club, converting his latest loan of €18.75 million ($21.8million) into a 7.5% stake and buying the naming rights for the club’s stadium which will revert to its old name of the ‘Volksparkstadion’ (People’s Park Stadium) in July 2015.