Manchester United refinances debt to cut interest by £10m a year
By Paul Nicholson
May 24 – Manchester United will cut their interest payments by £10 million a year under a new loan secured with the Bank of America at lower interest rates.
On-the-run Dan Tan and 44 Hungarians indicted on match-fixing charges
By Andrew Warshaw
May 24 – Dan Tan, the elusive and notorious Singaporean who is on almost every list of wanted match-fixers, has been charged over an international conspiracy stretching back four years, along with 44 Hungarians.
UEFA Congress preview: Bridges built, issues grasped, politics in the front seat
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
May 23 – David Gill, who recently stepped down as Manchester United’s chief executive, looks certain to become English football’s most influential voice in Europe when he is elected to the executive committee of UEFA on Friday.
UEFA takes the gloves off in the fight against racism and doping
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
May 23 – UEFA’s unprecedented crackdown on racism – involving 10-match bans and stadium closures – will kick in on June 1, while blood tests are to be routinely conducted across all UEFA competitions from next season.
Mihir Bose: It would be wrong to say there are no German lessons for English football
In the next few days we shall hear much about how the all German Champions League Final on Saturday is a game changer. True, the way Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund destroyed Real Madrid and Barcelona suggested a dramatic shift in power from Spain to Germany. But such conclusions, while both common and tempting immediately after the whistle has blown, rarely stand up to more considered scrutiny.
If a couple of matches can produce such dramatic football changes then why did the Manchester United-Chelsea final in Moscow in 2008 not leave an imprint on the game?
Lee Wellings: It’s up to you – New York New York…
‘New York , New York so good they named it twice’.
I’m pretty sure singer-songwriter Gerard Kenny wasn’t referring to soccer when he delivered this hit record in 1978, but suddenly the game will be all over the city.
New York WILL be named twice in the MLS have when the New York City FC franchise join the Red Bulls in 2015. The Red Bulls actually play in New Jersey but remember also the famous old New York Cosmos are about to re-emerge in the second tier of American football……
Vietnam Football Federation postpones congress over voting scandal
By Mark Baber
May 23 – The Vietnam Football Federation (VFF) has this morning decided to postpone its 7th VFF Congress scheduled for June 5, with a new date to be set at a meeting of the Executive Board on June 11.
Greek Super League halved as eight clubs are refused licences, including Panathinaikos
By Mark Baber
May 23 – The Greek Football Federation has decided not to issue licenses to eight clubs including AEK Athens, Aris Thessaloniki, Panathinaikos, PAS Giannina, OFI, Kerkyra, Panionios and Panthrakikos. The decision was taken yesterday after a two day meeting examining the records of the Greek Super League.
No place for losers in the race for the Premier League’s TV cash
By Paul Nicholson
May 23 – The difference between the ‘haves’ and the ‘have nots’ in English football was emphasised again by the release by the Premier League of their broadcast payments to clubs for the 2012/13 season just finished. Even within the Premier League, the payments to clubs show a huge gap with Manchester United at the top earning 34% more than bottom placed QPR.
Malays promise action on match-fixing after players receive death threats
By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – Malaysian football authorities have pledged to investigate new claims of match-fixing and have urged police to protect players amid death threats from bookies, according to local reports.
Cypriot unification deal is still on the table despite the small print
EXCLUSIVE: By Andrew Warshaw
May 23 – Turkish Cypriot football officials insist that a landmark agreement aimed at unifying football on the politically divided island is not dead in the water and that a further meeting with the Greek side will be held next month.
David Owen: Ja, ja, it’s German week in London – but should we be congratulating the FA for its foresight in rebuilding Wembley?
Yes, OK, this is the German renaissance – and the juxtaposition of Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich in Saturday’s European Cup final certainly indicates that German football is doing something right.
But, in one small detail, the match is a notable coup for the English game: it is being played at Wembley, the second time in just three years that European club football’s flagship occasion has been staged underneath the now famous arch.
Bundesliga chief pours more heat on the Winter World Cup debate
By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
May 22 – German football supremo Christian Seifert today added his voice to the clamour against the 2022 World Cup taking place in Qatar’s scorching summer heat – but warned that switching it to winter could end up in the courts.
Warner strikes back: legal eagles talk of ‘Kangaroo court’ and unfair processes
By Paul Nicholson
May 22 – Former CONCACAF president Jack Warner has hit back at the confederation’s Integrity Committee report that blackened his name even further following the cash for votes scandal that lead to his resignation from the sport in 2011.
UEFA reduce Malaga ban but uphold Rapid Bucharest and Kiev sanctions
By Gareth Messenger
May 22 – European football’s governing body, UEFA, has confirmed that Malaga have had the second year of their European ban lifted but remain prohibited from playing in next season’s Europa League.