UEFA stadia sanctions hit Olympiakos and Zenit for next round of CL
December 18 – Champions League knockout stage qualifiers Olympiakos and Zenit St Petersburg have both paid the penalty for racist behaviour by their respective fans.
FIFPro challenges transfer system with demand to shake off players’ ‘shackles’
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – Football’s international players’ union, FIFPro, is demanding a complete overhaul of the transfer system in a move that could ultimately have the same impact on the game as the landmark Bosman ruling of 18 years ago. The union is to launch a legal challenge against the current system which, it claims, shackles players and still prevents proper freedom of movement.
New Global Player mag launches with promise of more to come
December 18 – The Global Player, a new magazine, was published this week by the International Football Arena (IFA) and is as eclectic and elegant in its look and feel as the IFA conferences are themselves. Originally planned as a one-off to celebrate 15 years of IFA in Zurich, the magazine will now be published regularly, though the commitment to the publishing schedule is to be announced.
Oldham sack ‘failed’ spotfixer Montano for gross misconduct
By Andrew Warshaw
December 18 – One of the players at the centre of the English spotfixing scandal has been sacked by his club on the grounds of gross misconduct.
Miami MLS franchise edges closer with Becks getting city stadium support
December 18 – David Beckham’s plans to move into club ownership in the US have taken a significant step forward after local Miami officials unanimously approved efforts to find a suitable stadium location in the city.
Matt Scott: What Adidas’s row with Sports Direct tells us about the direction for sport
“In one way the constant battling was very good because what it did was make them very competitive. Horst and his family were all very aggressive and all very successful.” Former Horst Dassler aide Patrick Nally, as quoted by Andrew Jennings and Vyv Simson, The Lords of the Rings.
As the president of Adidas, Horst Dassler was until his death in 1987 arguably the most powerful man in sport.
Spanish clubs face meltdown if EU finds tax grants were illegal
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Seven Spanish clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, could be investigated for allegedly obtaining illegal state aid or loans in breach of European Union regulations.
Gattuso arrested as Italian match-fixing clean-up digs deeper into Serie A
December 17 – Former AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso, one of the most iconic figures in Italian football, is reportedly being investigated for match-fixing.
Fast-build Twitter account scams target World Cup and CL draws
By Tom Parsons
December 17 – Twitter accounts predicting the outcomes of several high-profile football draws, leading some to conclude that those in charge of the draws are corrupt, have turned out to be a scam to build twitter audiences for these newly created and so-called ‘ITK’ (in the know) accounts.
Portuguese, Polish investors eye Lechia Gdansk
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
December 17 – The majority shareholder of Lechia Gdansk, currently playing in the Ekstraklasa, is planning to sell its stake in the Polish football club.
Simunic to miss 2014 finals after FIFA hands out 10-match ban for Nazi chants
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Having increasingly preached zero tolerance when it comes to racism, FIFA have dealt their severest penalty to date by banning Croatia midfielder Josip Simunic for 10 matches, ruling him out of next year’s World Cup.
Messi demands retraction over false summer tour accusations
By Andrew Warshaw
December 17 – Already embroiled in a tax evasion case that has clouded his image, Lionel Messi, through his representatives, has fiercely denied allegations in a Spanish newspaper that his father is suspected of being involved in helping to launder Colombian drug money.
Battle of the big guns: CL draw lines up high flyers and higher spenders
December 16 – Big-spending Manchester City’s reward for reaching the knockout stage of the Champions League for the first time is a mouth-watering clash with four-time winners Barcelona, while holders Bayern Munich face Arsenal for the second year in a row in the other big tie of the last 16 following today’s draw.
FIFA calls in Aggreko for temporary broadcast power in Brazil
By David Owen
December 16 – FIFA has announced the appointment of Glasgow-based Aggreko as a branded licensee for the 2014 World Cup, in a move expected to save about $20 million in running costs for the 12 host-cities that will stage the tournament in Brazil next year.