February 27 – CONCACAF is building on the success of its interactive Gold Cup last year and has launched the CONCACAF Interactive 2014 (#CI14), calling for fan and gamers across the region to compete for the title of CONCACAF Interactive Champion, as well as an all-expenses-paid trip for two to be guests at the FIFA Interactive World Cup (FIWC) Grand Final 2014 this summer in Rio de Janeiro.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 27 – Phoney football agents are defrauding young players by demanding huge sums of money for fake trials and contracts at a raft of top clubs, including several in the English Premier League, according to an investigation undertaken by the Qatar-based International Centre for Sport Security.
By Paul Nicholson
February 27 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter looks increasingly certain to run for another term as president of FIFA. Speaking to Swiss Walliser Bote – a daily that appears in Blatter’s home canton of Valais – he confirmed that he will run for President again in 2015 “if the FIFA Congress so decides”.
I had been warned in advance. It will be the most humbling experience of your career, said a colleague. It will move you to tears and put football into stark perspective.
It was all those things – and more.
In a week when most of the footballing banter was about the 2016 European qualifying draw or who would progress from the cash-rich Champions League, far removed from the Real Madrids and Chelseas of this world,
February 27 – FIFA has defended the traditional World Cup fan fests due to take place in the 12 host cities in Brazil after one venue said it was ditching the idea because of expense. “FIFA has worked in close cooperation with the host cities to guarantee that costs will be kept to a minimum,” said Jerome Valcke, FIFA’s secretary general.
It is a bit rough to be writing about such enormously important things like football when the world around us appears to be going completely bonkers. Wars in every corner of the square-headed globe, some idiot developing and launching ever “better” drones (they kill faster and with laser gun precision), robots that will replace humans by 2029, and are smarter – well, hardly a difficult task considering the stupidity that reigns everywhere where humans congregate.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 26 – Gornik Zabrze has signed a sponsorship contract with Browar Lomza, owner of the Lomza beer brand. The company is the new main sponsor of the Polish football club, Gornik said in a statement.
February 26 – The takeover of Leeds United by controversial Italian agricultural entrepreneur Massimo Cellino has still not been approved by the relevant authorities, it has emerged. The Football League has said it “remains in discussions” with the club even though the 57-year-old Italian businessman exchanged contracts with current owners GFH to buy a 75% stake in the Championship club earlier this month.
February 26 – Borussia Dortmund, last season’s beaten Champions League finalists, have banned a supporter from their stadium until 2020 for shouting “Sieg Heil” during a minute’s silence before last weekend’s game at Hamburg SV.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – The hearing into former French international striker Nicolas Anelka’s infamous ‘quenelle’ gesture is reported to have begun at an undisclosed location. Anelka has been charged by the English Football Association for use the reverse Nazi salute, brought to prominence by controversial French comedian Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, as a goal celebration. The much-travelled striker, who faces a minimum five-match ban if found guilty, has denied the charge of making a gesture that was “abusive and/or indecent and/or insulting and/or improper”.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 26 – The political crisis in Ukraine has forced the country’s March 5 friendly against the United States, scheduled to take place in Kharkiv, to be moved to Cyprus due to the unstable and often violent situation.
By Paul Nicholson
February 26 – Adidas has fallen foul of the Brazilian government and, following a formal complaint, has pulled a range of World Cup products that were using sex appeal to promote Brazil-themed T-shirts.
By David Owen
February 25 – Newcastle United has announced an after-tax profit of £9.9 million for the year to June 2013, after booking a £10.6 million profit on player trading. If the business continues to progress in the same way this year Newcastle look set for a serious profit in 2013-14. Maybe as much as £30 million.
By Matt Scott
February 26 – Spain’s three leading clubs are exploring major naming-rights partnerships to support their new-stadium construction projects, according to the sponsorship agency Euromericas Sport Marketing.
