By Mark Baber
August 28 – The inaugural edition of Australia’s FFA Cup has run into controversy as Football Federation Australia insist that no live streaming of games is allowed, even though only two games in the Round of 16 will be broadcast live on Fox Sports.
Voila…
So Michel Platini will be staying at UEFA.
And it might be just as well there’s nothing to divert his attention from an important revamp, in which his General Secretary Gianni Infantino has been instrumental.
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 28 – The owner of Ludogorets Razgrad, Kiril Domuschiev, has said he will do everything in his power to get permission to hold Ludogorets’ Champions League home games at the National Stadium Vasil Levski in Sofia. The Bulgarians dramatically qualified for the group stages after a penalty shoot out last night with Steaua Bucharest.
August 28 – The National Women’s Soccer League (NWSL) has announced its new schedule format for the 2015 season. The fixtures will begin in April and finish in September, adding in a two-week break for the group stages of the Women’s World Cup.
By Ben Nicholson
August 28 – Las Vegas’ MLS expansion bid has taken a step forward by having the city and developers sign a term sheet outlining the project. $200 million has been assigned to develop a 24,000-seater stadium, $100 million for expansion fees, and a further $100 million for interest on the bonds issued by the city.
August 28 – Vladimir Romanov, a shareholder in failed Lithuanian bank Ukio Bankas and former owner of Scottish club Hearts, has been granted safe haven in Russia.
This publication has a solid track record of fiercely attacking racism in football and beyond and, once again, racism has reared its ugly head in England. And, most disappointingly, at the highest level of the game in terms of ‘mass’ influence. What would be wrong though, is to look at the Mackay case as a one-off, as a singular event that cries out for (meaningless) punishment in case the allegations are proven. Punishment that would be in line with the toothless fines FIFA and UEFA keep issuing in similar cases.
By Mark Baber
August 27 – Just days after the burning down of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) headquarters in Abuja in suspicious circumstances, August 26 will be remembered as the day when Nigerian football definitively failed to put aside its infighting for the common cause of Nigerian football.
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
August 27 – Will he or won’t he? After months of speculation amid an intriguing and inconclusive game of cat and mouse, UEFA boss Michel Platini is expected to reveal on Thursday whether he has decided to risk taking on Sepp Blatter next year for the top job in world football.
August 27 – Cricket-crazy India may be one of the great untapped football markets but the vast country could be at risk of losing government funding before they head to next month’s Asian Games following the recent demoralising defeat to arch-rivals Pakistan.
By Alexander Krassimirov
August 27 – Bulgarian champions Ludogorets could be forced to play its matches in the group phase of the Champions League outside Bulgaria if they beat Romania’s Steaua in the playoffs. The second match against the Romanians is tonight in Sofia, with Steaua leading by a goal.
August 27 – Another African Cup of Nations qualifier is in doubt because of the deadly Ebola virus after Ivory Coast’s football federation said it had been instructed by its government to cancel or move next month’s home game against Sierra Leone.
By Andrew Warshaw
August 27 – FIFA appears to have cleared the head of the Ghanaian Football Association of match-fixing allegations following reports in the British newspaper The Daily Telegraph and the Channel Four television station. The ruling is a huge boost for GFA president Kwesi Nyantakyi (pictured) who is reported to be considering legal action as a result of the claims that emerged during the World Cup and sparked an inquiry by the investigatory chamber of FIFA’s Ethics Committee.
By Paul Nicholson
August 27 – Spartak Moscow’s new stadium will be opened today with Russia’s president Vladimir Putin and prime minister Dmitry Medvedev attending the opening ceremony. Putin will tour the stadium and discuss preparations for the 2018 World Cup.
By Mark Baber
August 26 – On Friday, UEFA’s Emergency Panel issued a statement saying that “any football matches played by Crimean clubs organised under the auspices of the Russian Football Union will not be recognised by UEFA.” The decision has been welcomed as a wise one by Russian football authorities.