By Andrew Warshaw
October 30 – Aston Villa have become the first English Premier League club to publicly back a supporters’ campaign to bring back safe standing areas on a limited and experimental basis – but look certain to encounter strong opposition.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – The English Premier League, already the richest in the world, has now signed a massive three-year deal with NBC to televise games in the United States starting next season.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – In the first sponsorship arrangement of its kind, Barcelona have joined forces with Nokia India, a landmark breakthrough for a country traditionally more associated with cricket than football.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – English football’s domestic racism problems, which appeared to be gradually subsiding, have been plunged into fresh controversy with Premier League leaders and European champions Chelsea lodging a formal complaint of “inappropriate language” by referee Mark Clattenburg during yesterday’s highly charged 3-2 home defeat by Manchester United.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – The global clamour for the 2022 World Cup to be switched to the winter to avoid Qatar’s stifling desert heat could be scuppered – by FIFA’s own regulations.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – The conviction and jail sentence of former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for tax fraud has heaped further pressure on AC Milan, which the 76-year-old media mogul has owned for 26 years.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – Polish Sports Minister Joanna Mucha is keeping her job despite offering her resignation over the embarrassing postponement of the recent FIFA World Cup qualifier with England.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 29 – Serie A club Napoli have been charged by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) in the latest dramatic development in the country’s long-running match-fixing saga.
Throughout this week, UEFA has been trying to spread the message that racism – indeed any form of discrimination – has no place in European football.
Champions League and Europa League games were dedicated to transmitting the message that the fight against racism will be given utmost priority.
The campaign could not have been more timely, with racism at the forefront of the game following not only the John Terry affair but,
By Andrew Warshaw
October 26 – An embarrassing difference of opinion has broken out between two of FIFA’s six Confederations after the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) announced it was staging a special centenary edition of its Copa América in the United States.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 26 – Serbian footballing authorities have taken pre-emptive action by suspending two of their own players as a result of the ugly scenes that followed the recent under-21 defeat by England.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 26 – Spanish authorities are stepping up their opposition to UEFA’s controversial decision to allow Gibraltar provisional membership status.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 26 – Canadian skipper Christine Sinclair has been nominated for FIFA’s Women’s World player of the Year despite being banned by world football’s governing body.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 25 – England women’s national football coach Hope Powell says a way must be found to allow a unified Team GB squad to participate in future Olympic Games to help develop the sport.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 25 – Guatemala is the latest country to become embroiled in match-fixing, with three players banned for life by FIFA.