Grondona to step down as head of AFA in 2015 but continue at FIFA
January 30 – Julio Grondona, president of the Argentinean Football Federation (AFA) has said he will step down from the AFA presidency in 2015, at the end of his current term.
Platini dismisses Qatar vote allegation as fabrication
January 30 – UEFA President and FIFA Executive Committee member Michel Platini has moved quickly to defend his decision to vote for Qatar as 2022 World Cup host and refute any implication of outside influence on his vote.
AC Milan swoop for €22m Balotelli as transfer deadline nears
By Mark Baber
January 30 – The long-running soap opera that has become Mario Balotelli in England looks to be drawing to a close with AC Milan’s announcement that he has agreed a four-and-a-half year contract.
Indonesia gets focus of Premier League’s big guns
By Mark Baber
January 30 – Arsenal will visit Indonesia as part of their pre-season tour for 2013 playing the Indonesian national side in Jakarta’s Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on July 14.
BeNe women’s league creates new model for cross-border competition
By Mark Baber
January 29 – The new joint Belgium-Dutch BeNe league could become a cross border model for the establishment of more competitive and better marketed women’s football leagues in the future.
FA faces government intervention in absence of radical shake-up
By Mark Baber
January 29 – The 150 year old English Football Association has been blasted in a follow-up report by a government Select Committee into the governance of the game in England, with the recommendation that if no progress is made within the next 12 months then Government will be left with no choice but to step in with legislation as soon as practically possible.
Red Devils are worth an eye-watering $3 billion
January 29 – Already trumpeted as the most valuable sports club in the world by US business magazine Forbes, Manchester United has now become the first sports team in the world with a $3 billion valuation.
SPL clubs back plans for new Scottish league format
January 29 – Scottish football took a big step closer to reconstruction of its professional leagues when the Scottish Premier League (SPL) clubs yesterday backed the reconstruction proposals at a General Meeting, agreeing unanimously to move to the next stage of the process.
Didier Drogba swaps China for Turkey after wages dispute
By Mark Baber
January 28 – Didier Drogba is already back in Europe after leaving Champions League winners Chelsea for Chinese Super League club Shanghai Shenhua in the summer for a reported £190,000 weekly salary.
Fans protest as Beitar Jerusalem buys two Muslim players
By Mark Baber
January 28 – Beitar Jerusalem owner Arcadi Gaydamak has insisted that his team will sign two Chechen muslim players from Terek Grozny, despite protests by fans.
Egyptian death toll rises as two players are shot
January 28 – The death toll in the Egyptian rioting following the sentencing to death of 21 people on Saturday, has now risen two more than 40 with a further 250 people injured, including two players.
FIFA 13 game continues to break all records
By Mark Baber
January 28 – FIFA has become the first gaming brand to top £1 billion in UK retail sales according to the latest figures from GFK Chart-Track.
FIFA change 500-day visit agenda in wake of Santa Maria disaster
By Mark Baber
January 28 – In the wake of the nightclub fire in southern Brazil, FIFA have announced that they will no longer be holding a celebration, due on Monday in Brasilia, to mark 500 days until the start of the 2014 World Cup.
Venues confirmed for Euro2016 in France
January 27 – The 10 venues for the Euros 2016 in France have been confirmed by the UEFA Executive Committee.
David Owen:How a Cup revival has made a US bank’s surprising sponsorship choice look inspired
For a decade or two now, the leading national cup competitions in Western Europe have been losing their grip on the public imagination.
You might think this would leave the second-string competitions – the league cups – in a seriously bad place.
But for one at least, 2012-13 has brought something of a revival – to the great good fortune of its new sponsor.