By Ben Nicholson
October 1 – The MLS Players Union has released its annual review of salaries for each of the league’s players. The list reveals a league record in the form of Kaka’s impending $7.17 million to play for the new MLS team Orlando City SC, usurping David Beckham’s previous high salary mark by a rough half million.
September 30 – Russia’s Sport Minister Vitaly Mutko, has said that while the plans for infrastructure build in 11 cities the 2018 World Cup are unchanged, costs of construction are mounting.
By Alexander Krassimirov
September 30 – Bulgaria’s Levski Sofia can expect another serious sanction after further crowd disturbances by their supporters. The Ultras of the Bulgarian club again unveiled pro-racism banners during their derby against the champion Ludogorets at Georgi Asparuhov stadium last weekend.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Two months after becoming embroiled in a much-publicised ticketing controversy at the World Cup, FIFA’s long-established marketing affiliate Match has been given a vote of confidence to maintain its relationship with world football’s governing body.
September 30 – FIFA has agreed to a reduction in capacity for two of the stadiums scheduled to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Spare a thought for Shakhtar Donetsk who play their first ‘home’ Champions League game of the season tonight – 600 miles away.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 30 – Russian football authorities, still getting to grips with how to deal with racism, have taken the extraordinary step of banning Dynamo Moscow defender Christopher Samba for the way he retaliated to being verbally abused in a recent top-flight league game.
September 30 – Italy’s Serie A has reacted to prevent recurrence of the match-fixing the league has experienced with the launch of an educational programme that will roll out to all 20 top tier clubs and cover 1,400 players.
By Paul Nicholson
September 29 – After a longer than anticipated wait, the Centennial Cup America has been officially added to the 2016 FIFA events calendar. The dates mean that the oldest international cup competition in the world will overlap with UEFA’s revamped 24-team Euro 2016 championships for 16 days.
By Mark Baber
September 29 – Ahead of tomorrow’s Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) Presidential and Executive committee elections the dispute about their legitimacy rages whilst the outgoing President and other officials are seeking a court injunction against the Nigerian security services (DSS) for harassment.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter is distancing himself from the growing row over 65 designer watches donated to many of the world’s leading football administrators as gifts at the World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Despite being introduced at the World Cup to mark out freekicks and subsequently employed by UEFA, vanishing spray, considered one of the game’s most successful innovations, is facing its first major crisis after being deemed illegal under European law.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – After being besieged by constant condemnation of third-party ownership, FIFA has finally agreed to ban the practise – but only after a transitional period has been phased in.
By Ben Nicholson
September 29 – With new MLS teams cropping up around the US, and existing teams rejuvenating, the creation and expansion of stadiums has been in the forefront of minds and proposals all round country. Here is an update on the current happenings.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – FIFA’s decision to reject Gibraltar’s application for membership has thrown the British overseas territory’s international status into confusion given that it has just started playing official games as the 54th member of UEFA.