Inside World Football - Page 1812 of 2132 - For the Business of Football

Osasu Obayiuwana: Hayatou wins before a ball is even kicked

Until Tuesday, Issa Hayatou, in his 25th year as president of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was, at least in theory, at risk of being at the end of an unfavourable decision, from the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) in Lausanne, which could have stood in the way of getting another four-year term in office, that would take the Cameroonian’s tenure to a near 30-year stretch.

No longer. With CAS ruling that the case brought by Ivorian Jacques Anouma,

Mihir Bose

Mihir Bose: How race can trip us all up

The resignation of Paul Elliott from the FA and other bodies because he used the “n” word in a private text sent to another black player and a business colleague, is both sad and revealing. It is sad because Elliott had, probably still has, the capacity to go from having played the game at the highest level into becoming an excellent football administrator. It is revealing because it shows how attitudes to race, and particularly use of certain racial words,

Archive

Farina: We must protect this beautiful sport

simone farina

By Tom Parsons
March 6 – FIFA ambassador for fair play Simone Farina has admitted he has “no regrets” in refusing to take a bribe during a Coppa Italia match in 2011 and says “we must protect this beautiful sport with all means necessary”.

Archive

Sudan’s lost appeal hits their World Cup hopes

SUDAN FOOTBALL

By Mark Baber
March 6 – Sudan’s qualification campaign for FIFA World Cup 2014 took a body blow when it had its win over Zambia turned into a loss after the country was found to have fielded an ineligible player.

Archive

Maracana delays cause FIFA concern over Brazil’s readiness

maracana build

By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – Brazil’s World Cup preparations – or lack of them – have once again been called into question by FIFA, with Rio’s iconic Maracana stadium the biggest worry.

Archive

Pompey fans given new court date for takeover decision

fratton park

By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – The future of Portsmouth, the stricken English club locked in administration for over a year with debts of about £60m, could finally be resolved next month – to the relief of the fans’ consortium hoping to take over.

Archive

Pakistan plans new IPL-style football league

pakistan football

By Mark Baber
March 6 – Pakistan is planning to launch a new football competition, modelled on the successful Indian Premier League for cricket, in a bid to overcome Pakistan football’s problems.

Archive

Qatar Airways board Barça shirt in $45m per season deal

barca flag

By Andrew Warshaw
March 6 – After more than a century without a commercial sponsor, Barcelona will break new ground next season by sporting the logo of Qatar Airways on its shirts – the starkest illustration yet of the club needing to embrace commercial reality as Qatar continues its drive to make inroads into European football.

Archive

Fox Soccer set to wind down as News Corp backs new Fox Sports 1

fox soccer channel

By Paul Nicholson
March 6 – Fox Soccer channel looks set for closure as News Corp announced it will launch a new cable sports network in August taking ESPN head on in the national sports broadcast marketplace. Fox Sports 1 be available to more than 90 million pay- TV homes.

Africa

CAS kicks out Anouma appeal leaving Hayatou to run unopposed

anouma

By Andrew Warshaw
March 5 – African football’s contentious presidential election was thrown even more sharply into focus today when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) threw out Jacques Anouma’s (pictured) last-ditch appeal against being barred from taking on the veteran incumbent Issa Hayatou.

Archive

IFAB stands its ground as FIFA pushes through reform

alex horne

By Andrew Warshaw
March 5 – The International FA Board, football’s law-making body that has stood the test of time for over a century, looks set to repel any attempt to change its role or expand its personnel as the eternal guardians of the sport.

Africa

Egyptian players refuse to train over unpaid wages at Ittihad

ittihad

March 5 – Egypt has started its league after a year’s suspension following the Port Said disaster where 74 fans were killed, but now the financial burden of sustaining clubs and playing squads looks to be hitting as players at one club are refusing to train.

Archive

3 out of 5 Premier League players go bankrupt

bankruptcy

By Mark Baber
March 5 – Xpro, the charity for ex-professional players, has revealed the shocking fact that three out of five Premier League players go bankrupt within five years of retirement.

Archive

Rangers renew call for admission to English leagues

rangers

By Andrew Warshaw
March 5 – The idea of the two Glasgow giants abandoning Scottish football and being integrated into the English league has once again been raised – this time by Rangers chief executive Charles Green.

John Yan

John Yan:龙哥听不到集结号 The Dragon will not hear the bugle call

English version

张吉龙，人称”龙哥”。但这”龙哥”只是一个花名，连江湖绰号都算不上。他曾经是亚足联第一副主席，也曾经因缘际会，由于国际足联高层的权力斗争，而升级为亚足联代理主席、国际足联执委，但他从来都不是”龙哥”，和龙头大哥的威势、前呼后拥的行头，相去十万八千里。行走在国际足球政治的江湖上，张吉龙谨小慎微、如履薄冰，在夹缝里为中国足球争取些利益，可他始终都是一个人在战斗。

张吉龙被”牺牲”、被”放弃竞选亚足联主席”，新闻并不是从国内媒体产生的。消息最早由法新社披露，然后其他亚洲媒体跟进，最后才流转到中国国内。当网络舆情一片汹涌，对于这样的”牺牲”和”放弃”，表达的不仅是不解，更是愤怒时，张吉龙已经在吉隆坡的亚足联总部收拾工作、收拾心情，虚席以待亚足联真正的主席主人了。他将回归到亚足联副主席的席位上，大概干到2015年任期期满。

体制内还有人羡慕乃至嫉妒张吉龙者——”他已经60岁了，本该退休，要不是他在亚足联有个职务，否则凭什么是他啊……”就退休年龄论，张吉龙比较其他体制内司局级干部，或许是幸运的，他能多干两年，只是这样的际遇，这样的含辛茹苦，这样的孤立无援，我不相信张吉龙会恋栈不去。