Lee Wellings: Immigration vote a game changer for Switzerland
This is how the Swiss national football team lines up, proudly ranked as one of the eight top ranked teams for the World Cup in Brazil…
ABFA in hot water again as FIFA sanctions raise more ethics questions
By Paul Nicholson
March 6 – Less than a year after FIFA ordered the Antigua and Barbuda FA (ABFA) to re-run its elections, the Caribbean federation has again landed itself in trouble and been sanctioned for financial impropriety. This is not the first time the federation or its officials have found themselves in trouble over money.
UEFA ready for assault on third-party player ownership, but clubs urge caution
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Third Party Ownership, the dubious process by which companies or individuals own the economic rights of players and take a portion of international transfer fees, may have its roots in South America but is also spreading its tentacles into a “growing” number of European countries according to the European Club Association which represents the interests of more than 200 clubs across the Continent.
CSKA Sofia shares go on sale with first round target of €4.5m
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 6 – Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia has released further details of the club’s capital raising share offer and has formally launched an advertising awareness campaign for the release of the club stock and its entry on to the Bulgarian stock exchange.
Popescu jailed as Romanian judge hammers football fraudsters
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – In his day he was one of the world’s best-known footballers during a stellar career that included spells with Barcelona, Tottenham Hotspur and PSV Eindhoven. He was even tipped to become president of his national federation.
Kosova* make history with world debut match against Haiti
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Amidst the flurry of high-profile international friendlies played across the globe on Wednesday night, the most symbolic fixture took place in front of 17,000 fans in the divided Balkan city of Mitrovica.
FIFA meets FIFPro as it gathers human rights info for Exco report
By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – The human rights issue in Qatar is back in the spotlight following the latest summit hosted by FIFA president Sepp Blatter and Theo Zwanziger, the executive committee member mandated with maintaining the pressure on the 2022 World Cup hosts to reform their employment system and comply with international labour standards.
Adidas wary of exchange rates but ready for World Cup boost
March 6 – Announcing quarterly results, Adidas said its income for the quarter was €42 million. This is higher than the average €37.1 million analyst estimated – for the same quarter last year Adidas made a loss of €7 million. But end year figures look likely to be below analyst expectations.
Massimo Cecchini: When Italian clubs buy foreign clubs
Il paradosso della globalizzazione selvaggia, in fondo, si nasconde anche nelle pieghe di un calcio specchio dei tempi. Archiviata l’età dell’oro – quella che appiccicava alla Serie A l’etichetta di “campionato più bello del mondo” – proprio in questo periodo di crisi i club italiani stanno scoprendo il gusto dell’espansione estera. Cioè, dalle vere acquisizioni alla semplici partnership – diverse società hanno deciso che per consolidare le proprie posizioni è opportuno scavalcare le Alpi o attraversare il mare.
Ludogorets to donate 20% of Europa League gate receipts to charity
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 5 – Bulgarian champions Ludogorets will donate 20% of its ticket revenue to charity from the upcoming home quarter final match in the Europa League against Valencia in Sofia next week. The club has established a foundation ‘Ludogorets for Bulgaria’, which will carry our charity work in all spheres of Bulgarian society.
Romanian league eyes €100 million from new broadcasting rights deal
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 5 – Romania’s league association LPF is currently negotiating a new broadcasting rights deal for the Liga 1 which is expected to total €100 million for the next three years. The negotiations are expected to be completed this March, with several major media players set to bid for the contract, reported local daily Jurnalul National.
Blatter positive that 100 days is enough to finish the preparation
March 5 – Despite the myriad of problems facing the Brazil World Cup, FIFA President Sepp Blatter used this week’s 100-day countdown for the start of the tournament to try and accentuate the positive.
Quenelle-gate2; Belgian Futsal international hit with 10-match ban
March 5 – Another ‘quenelle’ controversy has hit European football with UEFA suspending Belgian player Omar Rahou for performing the so-called inverted Nazi salute during the European futsal championships in Antwerp.
MLS poised to red card its pro refs and draft in subs for season openers
March 5 – The MLS looks set to draft in replacement referees for the opening matches of its season this weekend as a wages dispute between the league and the referees union over payment looks increasingly unlikely to be resolved before kick off and the referees committed to carrying out their threat of strike action.
European clubs cheat the player market by failing to pay ‘solidarity’ dues
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent, in Barcelona
March 5 – Hundreds of clubs responsible for developing players before they hit the big time in Europe are being unwittingly cheated out of their rightful compensation. New international transfer figures show that Europe’s clubs are all but ignoring their responsibilities to Continents like Africa and South America by paying out little more than one-fifth of required “solidarity” payments to clubs who train players during their formative years –