October 13 – The march towards the 2018 World Cup is relentless, despite the calls (generally hysterical) off-stage from various US senators for the event to be moved. FIFA and the local Russian organisers have announced the venue and date for the Preliminary Draw for the 2018 FIFA World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 13 – A second Greek Cypriot player is reported to have transferred to the Turkish-controlled north of the divided island in another success for supporters of re-unification.
By David Owen
October 12 – Mia Hamm has added her voice to calls for FIFA to take steps to enable next year’s women’s World Cup in Canada to be played on a natural surface.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 13 – The head of the European Club Association, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (pictured), representing some 200 clubs across the continent has added his voice to the growing concern over Third Party Ownership but says phasing it out of the transfer market will take years and may ultimately prove nigh-on impossible.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 13 – Asian football has chosen the first week of May next year for its eagerly anticipated presidential election, ending months of uncertainty about a firm date.
I have just returned from Monaco and an absorbing few days at the Sportel convention cum media rights bazaar. Boiling it down, I can recollect three moments worth recording for future reference.
By Paul Nicholson
October 10 – Turning connections into cash is the holy grail for most companies in social media. But big numbers of likes and followers are often just that, big numbers. Digital is more than just social media and clubs are increasingly looking for a financial return from their digital investment.
October 10 – CONCACAF has announced it will host a two-day women’s football seminar October 25-26, in Philadelphia, coinciding with the semi-finals and final of the 2014 CONCACAF Women’s Championship.
October 10 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has questioned the away goals rule, saying that it was conceived at a time when away games were often an adventure and playing conditions could vary significantly in favour of the home team.
Publish Michael Garcia’s report or be damned. The clarion call to FIFA from a collective raft of influential football powerbrokers, anti-corruption watchdogs and vast swathes of the media intensifies on an almost daily basis.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
October 10 – SC Freiburg has unveiled plans to invest €70 million in the construction of a new stadium, which will be co-financed by the city of Freiburg. The Bundesliga club is aiming to launch the project in 2015, it said in a statement.
By Ben Nicholson
October 10 – The New York Red Bulls have been granted a hearing with the Supreme Court of New Jersey to settle its tax dispute with the Town of Harrison. The club is seeking reimbursement for tax paid on its Red Bull Arena, claiming exemption is statutorily permitted.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – FIFA’s medical supremo Michel D’Hooghe wants time-outs for cases of concussion to become law so they are applied at domestic level throughout world football.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 10 – UEFA general secretary Gianni Infantino insists that expanding the European Championship finals to 24 teams will not devalue the competition – and has also defended the pan-European concept for Euro 2020.
October 10 – UEFA have agreed that their decision to change the seedings format for the Champions League to avoid domestic champions being ranked lower than other clubs from the same country will start next season.