Pellegrini bemoans pot luck as Bayern and Man City kick off Champions League
By Andrew Warshaw
September 15 – The Champions League proper kicks off this week but before a ball has even been kicked the debate over seedings has intensified.
English FA hosts Asian coaches for grass-roots education programme
September 15 – For the third consecutive year, several of Asia’s most promising coaches are attending a two-week course at the English FA’s state-of-the-art national football centre, St. George’s Park, until the end of this month as part of its international bursary scheme.
Valcke cautious of video replay proposals
September 15 – Just because he is Sepp Blatter’s number two, FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke doesn’t always have to agree with his president, the debate over video replays during matches being the latest case in point.
UEFA offers cash for national federation diversity programmes
September 15 – With so few black coaches in European football, UEFA have launched a pioneering programme to bring more minorities into the game and develop equal opportunities.
Right places, wrong timepieces
By Andrew Warshaw
September 15 – As the world awaits the findings of FIFA ethics judge Joachim Eckert into possible corruption surrounding the bidding for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups, the organisation has become embroiled in an untimely episode – this time concerning gifts offered to senior officials in Brazil.
Stakeholders will have time to make 2022 case, says Shaikh Salman
September 15 -Asian football chief Shaikh Salman bin Ebrahim Al Khalifa says there will be no rush to agree on an exact date for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Central America’s finest gladiators rock The Coliseum
By Paul Nicholson in Los Angeles
September 15 – A piece of Central America came to Downtown Los Angeles on Saturday night with the finals of the Central American Cup played out in front of a passionate and vocal Latino crowd approaching 50,000.
Diacre’s Clermont register first league win
By David Owen
September 14 – Another small slice of football history was made on Friday night, as Corinne Diacre’s Clermont Foot beat Le Havre in the second division of the French championship.
David Owen: Twilight of the agents?
Given the number of times I read that football agent Jorge Mendes won the summer transfer window, it is ironic that his profession stands technically to be legislated out of existence before the end of the 2014-15 season. If world governing body FIFA gets its way, a new regulatory system dealing not with licensed agents, but with “intermediaries” will take effect on 1 April 2015. Some, including agents I have spoken to who predict that the new rules will produce chaos,
FIFA to double women’s development funding
By David Owen
September 12 – In a further positive step for women’s football, FIFA has announced that it is to double its development funding for this fast-growing arm of the sport over its next four-year cycle, culminating with the World Cup in Russia in 2018. The governing body has earmarked $21 million for this purpose in 2015-18, up from just under $10.3 million in 2011-14.
Garber signs up for five more years as MLS continues expansion
By Ben Nicholson
September 12 – Don Garber has signed a contract to continue on as MLS Commissioner for another five years. The deal will keep him as the head of US’s premier professional league until 2018, which would mark his twentieth year in the job.
John Yan: Mr Perrin, there are only 42 kids in the younger age group… 四十二个孩子
Alan Perrin started his career as the head coach of China national team formally, and played two friendly matches during the FIFA international match week. China didn’t lose these two, which were a victory against Kuwait and a draw against Jordan, both played at home. The Frenchman’s first mission will be taking Team China to next year’s Asian Cup held in Australia.
China to dominate the Asian Games – but not the football
By Mark Baber
September 12 – China has finished top of the Asian Games medal table every year since 1990, and in the last edition in Guangzhou picked up 199 gold medals – three times as many as runners up South Korea, but Asia’s most populous country remains a rank outsider in the football.
TPO ‘is a monster’, says Sporting chief as Rojo case heads for court
By Andrew Warshaw
September 12 – The president of one of Portugal’s leading clubs has lashed out at Third Party Ownership despite the country being one of those where the practise is commonplace.
Welsh charged over Andorra pitch invasion
September 12 – UEFA has charged the Football Association of Wales (FAW) for a pitch invasion following their late winner in this week’s 2-1 win in Andorra.