Blatter calls on federations to get tough
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 25 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has reiterated his stance that racist abuse should be punished by points deductions – and even relegation.
David Owen: What does the Money League really tell us?
The recently released edition of the Deloitte Football Money League raises a few points that are worth taking a harder look at.
The first is about the slipperiness of statistics.
While in euro terms, year-on-year revenue growth among Europe’s 20 highest-earning football clubs is an impressive 10%, a very different picture – of stagnation, basically – emerges if the reference currency is sterling.
Valencia’s fate in the hands of bankers as city takes control
By Mark Baker
January 24 – La Liga club Valencia CF has lurched into deeper and more dangerous financial waters as control of the club has passed over to the local city government following failure to repay a loan and further failed negotiations on the interest payments required to extend the loan.
Lebanon to bid for 2019 Asian Cup
By Mark Baber
January 24 – The Lebanese Football Federation is to enter the bidding for the 2019 Asian Cup.
Real Madrid hit revenue landmark, but even Euro elite cannot shrug off recession
By David Owen
January 24 – Real Madrid has achieved a new landmark by becoming the first club in any sport to generate more than €500 million of revenue in a single year, according to the latest edition of the Football Money League compiled by Deloitte, the business advisory firm.
Brazil will offer a material and spiritual welcome to world football, says Rebelo
By Andrew Warshaw
January 24 – As the 500-day countdown approaches for the 2014 World Cup, Brazilian sports minister Aldo Rebelo (pictured) has promised the country will deliver a tournament to be proud of despite persistent concerns over security, travel and infrastucture.
Bundesliga packs the fans in to lead European attendances
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 24 – The English Premier League may boast of attracting more fans worldwide than any of its rivals and having the fattest television deals but German officials are flagging up the fact that the Bundesliga still attracts the highest average attendance of any domestic league in terms of supporters through the turnstiles.
Gold Cup 2013 stadiums in the US named
By Andrew Warshaw
January 24 – The Gold Cup, Concacaf’s most prestigious national team tournament, has embarked on a major expansion programme with 13 venues selected – eight of them new – for this year’s event which will take place from July 7-28.
Mihir Bose: Lies, damn lies and alienating statistics
One important reason why football of all ball games is the most popular game in the world is because it is simple. Its rules are easy to understand and have none of the complexity that, for example, rugby has. Football’s celebrated off side rule may be a diverting after dinner conversation with which to bait those who do not care about the game but it is nowhere near as mind blowing as trying to work out why a penalty is given in rugby.
Spurs suffer financial pain of Champions League exclusion
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 23 – The importance of qualifying for the Champions League has been underlined yet again, this time by Tottenham Hotspur announcing a loss of £4.3m for the year ending June, 2012 compared to the profit of £700,000 they recorded the year before which covered the period when they were competing in the competition.
Polish to host 2013 Homeless World Cup in Poznan
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 23 – It may receive scant global publicity compared to the real thing but 64 countries will participate in the 2013 Homeless World Cup in Poznan, Poland, organisers have announced.
Materazzi and Benitez slanging match gets personal
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – Marco Materazzi, the former Italian international who was infamously headbutted by Zinedine Zidane in the 2006 World Cup final, has opened up a war of words with current Chelsea interim boss Rafa Benitez.
Egypt’s Port Said trials create uneasy tension
By Andrew Warshaw, Chief Correspondent
January 23 – Fresh evidence in the trials of those accused of involvement in last year’s Port Said stadium disaster has been handed over by prosecutors according to reports in Egypt.
Exclusive: Olympic footballers could face late, late show
By David Owen
January 23 – Teams qualifying for the knock-out stages of the 2020 Olympic football competitions may face some late nights if Tokyo wins the right to stage the Games.
Uzbek’s fair play award wins presidential praise and human rights reminders
By Mark Baber
January 22 – The award of the FIFA Fair Play Award 2012 to Uzbekisan has been met with delight and a reason for national pride by the Uzbek President Islam Karimov and reminders of the Central Asian country’s lack of fair play in the political arena by media and human rights groups.