Sion lose CAS battle to return to Europa League
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – One of the most significant rulings since the Bosman affair went the way of UEFA today when FC Sion lost their fight to be allowed back into the Europa League.
Croatian players and referees convicted in match fixing probe
By Andrew Warshaw
December 15 – Dinamo Zagreb’s stunning 7-1 defeat in the final round of Champions League group games has been brought back into sharp focus after a court in the Croatian capital found 15 players and referees guilty of match fixing and sentenced them to jail terms of up to 10 months.
Brazil to exchange free World Cup tickets in return for illegal guns
By Declan Warrington
December 15 – The Brazilian Government has launched an initiative to reduce the number of illegal guns in circulation within the country and plans to exchange them with free tickets to the 2014 World Cup.
UEFA and Adidas agree new Champions League and Europa League deal
By Declan Warrington
December 15 – UEFA and Adidas have agreed a six-year extension to their partnership for the UEFA Champions League and Europa League, as well as an agreement for the UEFA Super Cup.
Staging Women’s World Cup would help Japan recover from disaster claims Blatter
By Duncan Mackay in Tokyo
December 15 – FIFA President Sepp Blatter has encouraged Japan to bid for the 2019 Women’s World Cup to help aid the country’s recovery from the devastating earthquake and tsuanmi which devastated it earlier this year.
FIFA Club World Cup rocked by earthquake
By David Gold
December 14 – The Club World Cup in Japan has literally been rocked following an earthquake near Nagoya and the Toyota Stadium where Copa Libertadores champions Santos face local champions Kashiwa Reysol later today.
Rummenigge slams Blatter as slippery “eel” heading up a “dictatorship”
By Andrew Warshaw
December 14 – Not for the first time, European Club Association (ECA) boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge (pictured) has had a dig at FIFA President Sepp Blatter, this time describing him as being like a slippery “eel” at the head of a “dictatorship”.
Russian billionaire set to gamble on Monaco
By David Gold
December 14 – Fallen French giants AS Monaco are set to be bought by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev (pictured), the club’s current President Etienne Franzi has said.
Team GB begins recruiting footballers for London 2012
By Andrew Warshaw
December 14 – Hundreds of professional footballers from across Britain are being invited to state in writing whether or not they would be prepared to take part in Team GB at the London Olympics next year.
Cricket Australia executive chosen to lead preparations for 2015 Asian Cup
By Duncan Mackay
December 14 – Football Federation Australia (FFA) has recruited Michael Brown from cricket to be the new chief executive of the 2015 Asian Cup, which they are hosting, they announced today.
Manchester City delay Toure departures for Africa Cup of Nations
By Declan Warrington
December 13 – Manchester City have agreed a deal to delay Yaya and Kolo Toure’s release for international duty with Ivory Coast in the Africa Cup of Nations in order for him to participate in fixtures against Manchester United and Liverpool.
Security stepped up at Club World Cup after pitch invasion
By David Gold
December 13 – Following the pitch invasion that marred the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinal between Tunisian outfit Esperance and Al Sadd of Qatar in Toyota earlier this week, there will now be an increase in security at the event.
Beckenbauer stands ground against goal-line technology
By Andrew Warshaw
December 13 – German football icon Franz Beckenbauer (pictured) has reiterated his opposition to goal-line technology.
Russia 2018 denies FBI computer hacking investigation
By Declan Warrington
December 13 – Russia 2018 has dismissed reports that its successful World Cup campaign is involved in an FBI investigation regarding computer hacking.
We were encouraged to bid for Olympic Stadium, insists Tottenham chair
By Andrew Warshaw at White Hart Lane
December 13 – The war of words over the future of the Olympic stadium was rekindled today when Tottenham Hotspur implied they were duped into bidding to take over the Stratford site after next year’s London Games even though they never really had a chance.