By Mark Baber
May 23 – Notwithstanding a recent Greenpeace report which found toxic chemicals in 33 sportswear products produced by Adidas, Nike and Puma, Adidas has briefed journalists in Munich that the World Cup will play a “an important role” in adding “€1-1.2 billion (£829 -948 million) to operational revenue.”
By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – In a move that seems bound to be strongly opposed by the game’s authorities, the Dutch football federation (KNVB) wants to introduce video technology from next season. For the past year the Dutch have been experimenting with an unofficial pilot scheme but will need the permission of the game’s lawmakers, the International FA Board, to make it permanent.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – Three weeks before the start of the World Cup in Brazil, FIFA has warned that fans could be barred from stadiums if they are found to have bought tickets from unauthorised sources. FIFA said it would cancel any tickets “discovered as illegally sold or re-sold with the bearers risking not being permitted entry.”
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
May 23 – Seven consortia of construction companies have submitted bids to build a new stadium for Poland’s Widzew Lodz. The facility will have a capacity of between 15,000 and 18,000.
May 23 – Mexico’s World Cup squad have decided to avoid eating beef during their preparations for fear of testing positive for the banned drug clenbuterol.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – The head of US Soccer says has reiterated his country will only target the 2026 World Cup if FIFA’s bidding rules are significantly tightened up – including votes being made public. Sunil Gulati and other senior executives within his CONCACAF confederation have long been uncomfortable with the way the joint ballots for the 2018 and 2022 tournaments were conducted.
By Ben Nicholson
May 23 – David Beckham, in his bid to build a Major League Soccer stadium in downtown Miami, is envisioning a new location for his home turf. Having met with opposition for a waterfront park, largely from disgruntled businessmen from the port area, he has switched his attention to filling a water basin with a 20,000-seat stadium.
Che noia la Serie A: Meglio Metteral a dieta
Evviva, il campionato di Serie A è finito! La Juventus ha vinto con 102 punti, macinando record su record e lasciando la seconda in classifica, la Roma, a 17 lunghezze di distanza. Non basta. Anche la stessa Roma ha fatto registrare diversi primati storici, senza contare che – grazie ai suoi 85 punti – in due stagioni su tre avrebbe vinto lo scudetto.
May 22- The International Centre for Sports Security, which earlier this month published the most comprehensive report to date into the scale of illegal betting, is expanding its global operations by opening a European head office and appointing former European Professional Football Leagues chief Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros as the new Chief Executive of ICSS Europe from early June.
May 22- Paris St Germain have been called before Uefa’s disciplinary commission over allegations of racism by their fans at last month’s Champions League clash against Chelsea in Paris.
By Mark Baber
May 22- The All India Football Federation’s Club Licensing Committee First Instance Body announced Wednesday that only 9 out of 14 applicants met the required administrative, sporting, infrastructure and financial criteria to play in the I-League, though newly promoted Royal Wahingdoh have been given a one-time exemption.
May 22- All professional footballers in England will be banned from betting on football matches from next season following a string of damaging incidents that have rocked the domestic game.
By Andrew Warshaw
May 22 – A vital final test event at the troubled stadium that is hosting the opening game of the World Cup has been postponed for three days, raising fresh concerns that the Sao Paulo venue will be far from ready for the June 12 kickoff.
May 22 – Fans looking to find the authentic Brazilian football experience in Rio or Sao Paulo at the World Cup this summer should download a couple of digital guides written by Brazilian journalist Qiana Martin and writer of the of www. http://eatsoccer.wordpress.com/ blog.
Jeffrey Webb knows it should be harder to find examples of racism in football
While in London to speak at an event marking 20 years of the trailblazing anti-discrimination group Kick It Out, yet another example of racism in football reared its ugly, pointless head.
The morning of our meeting in a London hotel, Mario Balotelli had been abused by a group of Italy fans at the team’s training base in Florence.