By Andrew Warshaw
January 24 – Barcelona president Sandro Rosell, one of the most influential figures in European football, has sensationally resigned over an investigation into last year’s signing of star Brazilian forward Neymar.
By Paul Nicholson
January 24 – Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) president Victor Montagliani unveiled yesterday a new strategic plan for the sport in the country. Titled Leading a Soccer Nation, the document outlines priorities for 2014-18. But Montagliani is looking further ahead and says that Canada should bid for the 2026 World Cup.
By Paul Nicholson
January 24 – Bloomberg Sports is launching its first weekly TV show this weekend on its own network, Bloomberg TV Africa. Titled Football Dynamics, the show will air three times on Saturdays and repeat twice on Sundays.
“The price good men pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men.” Plato, The Republic
Since the earliest days of democracy, political apathy has carried a price. In the UK, bizarre though it still seems, the price of a low voter turnout and diminished engagement with the political process was a £1,645 claim for a “floating duck island” by a member of the British parliament and knight of the realm.
By Tom Parsons
January 23 – There is an old English saying that “if you are lost, ask a policeman”. But Greater Manchester Police have asked Manchester United supporters not to call 999 about concerns over the clubs recent loss of form.
January 23 – Fresh details of next month’s draw in Nice for the first ever 24-team European Championship finals are expected to be revealed on Friday after UEFA complete its first executive committee meeting of the year at its Swiss headquarters.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – The financial power of Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City has stretched to the other side of the world with the announcement that the high-flying Premier League club have taken over cash-strapped A-League team Melbourne Heart.
January 23 – Three fans of English Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur have become the first to be charged with a criminal offence for chanting the word ‘Yid’ at matches despite almost certainly using the term in a non-derogatory way.
By Paul Nicholson
January 23 – A Chilean fist division club has opened up the Israel/Palestine football debate on a different continent, but with the same entrenched political positions coming to the fore.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – Despite widespread condemnation of his action, former French international Nicolas Anelka has called on English football authorities to drop the charge against him for his now-infamous alleged Nazi-style gesture.
By Tom Parsons
January 23 – Stan Collymore has called for Twitter to make it their responsibility to take action against those who send abusive and racist Tweets. The former Liverpool star turned media pundit has been subjected to offensive tweets over a long period of time and has finally decided enough is enough and quit the social network all together – he returned to the social network later in the day.
January 23 – Franck Ribery is back in the news though this time nothing to do with controversially losing out in FIFA’s world player award.
January 23 – Reports of a Malaysian gambling syndicate approaching I-League club Munbai FC have prompted the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to move towards setting up an anti-corruption unit.
By David Owen
January 23 – Paris Saint-Germain’s meteoric, Qatar-fuelled surge to the top table of European football is highlighted today by publication of the 2012-13 Deloitte Football Money League. The table, a simple ranking of the world’s top 20 clubs by revenue, has PSG at number five, below only the two Spanish giants, European champions Bayern Munich and Manchester United – and above Manchester City, the other club most palpably boosted by Gulf funding,
By Ben Nicholson
January 22 – As hosts South Africa exit the African Nations Championship (Chan) amid recriminations and criticism that have even drawn South African president Jacob Zuma (pictured) into the debate, the local organisers have announced prize money of R34 million (3.1 million) for the tournament.