Inside World Football - Page 1670 of 2218 - For the Business of Football

FIFA backs Nigerian election as cash for votes allegations mount

Amaju Pinnick

By Mark Baber
October 3 – FIFA has thrown its weight behind the newly elected Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick (pictured) who has promised to go to Jos to speak to Chris Giwa. But the situation remains on a knife-edge as another rival declares the election was bought and all factions stay away from the fire-damaged NFF Headquarters Glass House which is guarded by plain-clothes security with Jos High Court injunctions stuck to the doors.

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Platini OK with bid report disclosure, if it is within FIFA ethics code

Michel Platini10

By Andrew Warshaw
October 3 – UEFA president Michel Platini has broken his silence over FIFA’s refusal to publish the 430-page report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups by saying he favours disclosure – but with the caveat that FIFA’s code of ethics is not breached.

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Ricksen takes the fight for his life to ALS

Fernando Ricksen

October 3 – In September 2013 the 38-year-old former Dutch international Fernando Ricksen was diagnosed with the terminal nerve disease ALS. A year later, the former football Wildman with a best-selling autobiography under his belt, has become the face of the fight against the killer disease. Interview extracted from FIFA Weekly

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AFC opens probe into suspicion of match-fixing at Asian Games in Incheon

Asian Games football

October 3 – The Asian Football Confederation is looking into reports of possible match-fixing at the Asian Games.

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San Antonio put stadium plans in place in race for MLS

San Antonio Scorpions

By Ben Nicholson
October 3 – San Antonio’s MLS expansion bid campaign has slipped under the media radar in recent weeks. Las Vegas’ clamor for city backing and Sacramento’s joy at their on-field success and off-field visits from MLS reps have kept the formerly favored San Antonio bid relatively underrepresented. Perhaps unjustly as the bid appears to tick the appropriate boxes.

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Lottery firm FDJ opens France 2016 Euro sponsorship roster

October 3 – UEFA have announced FDJ (Française des Jeux), a lottery with 33,000 points of sale in 12,000 towns and villages in France, as their first main national sponsor for the expanded Euro 2016 finals.

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UEFA set to sanction CL clubs as crowd disturbances flare

Flares at Emirates

October 3 – UEFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against a number of Champions League clubs following crowd disturbances during this week’s series of matches. The games at Arsenal, Basle and Anderlecht are all being probed with sanctions to be announced on October16.

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Xavi and Cruyff link up for Cruyff Court in Spain

Cryuff court

October 2 – The 188th Cryuff Court will open next week in Terrassa, Spain, the result of donations from the UEFA Charity Award, Barcelona midfielder Xavi Hernández, and local partner CaixaBank.

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Could Wonga-less Wonga do a runner on Newcastle United?

Wonga protest

By Mark Baber
October 2 – News that payday lender and Newcastle United sponsor Wonga will be writing off £220 million of debt owed by 330,000 customers gives additional credibility to recent speculation the company is reconsidering its 4-year sponsorship of the Premier League club in light of falling profits and increasing regulation in its home market.

Africa

Pinnick accused of vote buying while Giwa maintains he is Nigeria’s president

By Mark Baber
October 2 – Whilst many stakeholders have supported Tuesday’s election of Amaju Pinnick as the new Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) president in the hope he will bring stability to Nigeria’s conflict-riven football administration, one of the losing candidates has claimed the election was bought and Chris Giwa has reiterated his message that it is he who remains the legitimate NFF President.

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Pressure builds on Russians as Hulk calls for end to racial hatred

Hulk

By Andrew Warshaw
October 2 – Brazilian World Cup star Hulk has given more details of the racist taunts he suffered last weekend when playing for Zenit St. Petersburg against Spartak Moscow.

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Women turn threat into action as 2015 World Cup turf war lawsuit is filed

Abby Wambach

By Andrew Warshaw
October 2 – The ongoing spat over the use of artificial turf at next year’s women’s world cup in Canada has reached crisis point with a group of leading players deciding to sue FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association claiming gender discrimination.

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Qataris move ahead with ramp up of 2022 stadium build

Al Rayan stadium

By Paul Nicholson
October 2 – With the world watching out for the safety and welfare of the migrant labour, construction of stadia for the Qatar 2022 World Cup has begun in earnest with the Supreme Committee for delivery and Legacy revealing that it is at different stages of build on five stadiums.

Africa

Gambia cleared to return to international play after 2-year hiatus

gambia national team

October 2 – The Gambia’s two-year suspension for deliberately falsifying players’ ages has been lifted by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) following fresh elections that saw former Gambian sports minister Modou Lamin Kabba Bajo voted in as president of the Gambia Football Federation (GFF).

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Racism and fireworks mar another round of Russian football

Rubin Kazan fans

October 1 – Russian football showcased another weekend of crowd trouble after reports that Brazilian star Hulk was subjected to monkey chants in a Russian Premier League game, and fans at Rubin Kazan’s new stadium set fire to part of the stadium after a makeshift firework display.