Hungary’s MTK to build new €21m stadium
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 28 – Hungary’s MTK is planning to spend 6.5 billion forint (€21 million) on building a new stadium, according to Tamas Deutsch, the club’s chief executive.
Gold Cup 2025
USA clinch last four slot with penalty win over Costa Rica
USA 2 Costa Rica 2 (USA win 4-3 on pens)
June 29 – You’d hate to use the word ‘sterile’ to describe a Concacaf Gold Cup quarter-final, but following the drama and passion of Guatemala versus Canada, it all felt a little flat as the United States Men’s National Team (USMNT) and Costa Rica kicked off for the right to face Guatemala in St. Louis. After 90 minutes and the drama of penalty kicks,
FIFA presidential race: Webb declares for Blatter, Platini canvases, Champagne bubbles
By Paul Nicholson
April 28 – Speaking in Toluca, Mexico, CONCACAF president Jeffrey Webb said that he would support the re-election of current FIFA president Sepp Blatter for a fifth term if he decided to stand.
Liberté Fraternité Inégalité: PSG generate 20 times more revenue than Corsican rival
By David Owen
April 28 – The revenues of Paris Saint-Germain, the French club whose prospects have been transformed since Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) took control three years ago, exceeded those of its smallest Ligue 1 rival by a factor of 20 in the 2012-13 season.
David Owen: Would a European Super-League really be such a bad thing?
Easter Monday brought one of those chance juxtapositions: FIFA Presidential candidate Jérôme Champagne’s third campaign letter bounced into my inbox just as those rumours of David Moyes’s impending departure from Manchester United started seriously swirling.
One of the many things that Moyes’s fate demonstrates is that transition seasons are no longer acceptable among football’s super-elite.
His ousting in this way helps to illustrate the validity of Champagne’s point that a “financial iron curtain”
Turkish pull-out leaves England and Germany in run off for 2020 Euro finale
By Andrew Warshaw
April 26 – Traditional powerhouse rivals Germany and England will go head to head off the pitch for the right to stage the semifinals and final of Euro 2020 after Turkish officials unexpectedly withdrew favourites Istanbul from the running in order to concentrate solely on 2024.
Malaysian match-fixer sentenced to 3 years jail Down Under
April 25 – The Malaysian ringleader of Australia’s notorious match-fixing scandal has been jailed for three years – with two of them suspended – and the club involved deducted eight points.
Blatter issues ‘calm’ warning over Brazil 2014 security
April 25 – Sepp Blatter is downplaying security concerns at the World Cup despite more street protests in Rio de Janeiro and, earlier this month, a surge in violent crime in Salvador.
A Twitter month in the life of David Moyes
By Tom Parsons
April 25 – A year ago today, David Moyes was celebrating his 50th birthday at Goodison Park with a birthday cake presented to him by his Evertonian staff. This year things might be a bit different in the Moyes household and the celebrations a bit more subdued.
Politics, business or posturing? Schalke’s Russian invite draws fire in Germany
April 25 – An unusual spat has broken out in Germany after leading club Schalke 04, sponsored by Russian energy giant Gazprom, was criticised for considering visiting Russia amid increasing tensions with the west over the crisis in Ukraine.
German investment group eyes up acquisition of Korona Kielce
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 25 – German investment group HFK is considering buying trouble Polish club Korona Kielce. The club is owned by the city of Kielce whose authorities are currently negotiating the potential sale.
Bidders declare as midnight deadline closes in for Euro 2020 host city pitches
By Andrew Warshaw
April 25 – Prospective Euro 2020 host cities were putting the finishing touches to their bid dossiers today as UEFA prepared to unveil the names of candidates in the frame to stage the pan-European tournament.
Platini pulls back from harsh sanctions of FFP rule-breaking clubs
By Andrew Warshaw
April 25 – Europe’s loss-making clubs will be breathing a sigh of relief after UEFA president Michel Platini confirmed that none of them will face the ultimate sanction of competition bans for breaching financial fair play regulations.
Osasu Obayiuwana: The big questions need an honest answer
When Liberia’s George Weah became the first African to win the FIFA World Player of the Year title, in 1995, many thought that it was going to be the first of many for the continent’s players.
With their ascendance and growing impact in European club football – which, fairly or unfairly, remains the yardstick for picking the best on the planet – it was taken as a given at the time.
But nearly 20 years have passed since the former AC Milan forward earned the game’s top individual award and it does not appear that another African will be following in Weah’s footsteps anytime soon.
Japanese FA chief clears the air and offers full support to Qatar for 2022
By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – The head of Japanese football has been forced into an embarrassing apology to the Qataris for suggesting his country could step in as replacement host for the 2002 World Cup.
Pieth’s parting shots call for Garcia to keep investigating
By Andrew Warshaw
April 24 – Mark Pieth, the Swiss governance expert appointed by FIFA to propose recommendations for change following the worst corruption-tainted period in its history, says the organisation must allow an ongoing investigation into the 2018 and 2022 World Cup ballots to take its course if it wants to retain any sense of credibility.