Olympic Stadium caught in middle of High Court drama again after Tottenham appeal
By Andrew Warshaw
June 29 – The future of the Olympic stadium after London 2012 remains unresolved after Tottenham Hotspur made one last pitch to take over the venue by announcing they will return to the High Court seeking a judicial review.
Former England 2018 bid leader joins online sports retailer in new role
By Duncan Mackay
June 28 – Andy Anson, the leader of England’s disastrous bid to host the 2018 World Cup, has been given a new role as chief executive of Kitbag, which claims to be Europe’s leading sports online retailer.
Cypriot police find no substance in UEFA match fixing claims
By David Gold
June 28 – Police have found no evidence of match fixing in Cyprus last year, despite UEFA claiming that such corruption almost certainly took place during four games.
Top private investigator disputes Sunday Times expose on Temarii
By Andrew Warshaw
June 27 – A French private investigator is claiming that a Sunday Times expose into corruption by a banned FIFA executive committee member was, in part, flawed.
Greek side probed in Europa match fixing scandal
By David Gold
June 27 – It is being claimed in various media outlets that a Europa League match involving Manchester City last season is at the heart of a match fixing scandal, with the Greek side Aris under investigation, though the English Premier League club’s behaviour is not under any suspicion from football authorities.
Riots force River Plate stadium to close ahead of Copa America
By David Gold
June 27 – With less than a week to go until the start of the Copa America, the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, which was set to host the tournament’s final on July 24, has been forced to shut as a result of violence following River Plate’s shock relegation to the Nacional B Division.
Spain, Switzerland and Belarus qualify for London 2012
By David Gold
June 26 – Spain, Switzerland and Belarus have all qualified for the football tournament at the London 2012 Olympic Games, following their performances in the European Under-21 Championships.
Exclusive: ID cards will improve young players in time for 2018 World Cup, claims top official
By David Gold
June 26 – Idenitification cards for young Russian footballers will help create a national side which can compete well at the 2018 World Cup, according to Alexander Zorkov, the deputy general secretary of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
Exclusive: Russian league aims to double revenues within two years, says Cheban
By David Gold
June 26 – Sergei Cheban, the executive director of the Russian Premier League, believes Russia will double its revenue from television and commercial sources within the next two seasons as they look to compete with Europe’s top football leagues.
Exclusive: Bin Hammam will be banned for life when FIFA announce decision on July 18
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 25 – FIFA’s Ethics Committee looks set to announce their eagerly awaited verdict on world football’s most sordid bribery scandal on July 18, according to sources close to the case.
Exclusive: New stadium cannot happen without substantial public sector support, claims Tottenham
By Andrew Warshaw in Moscow
June 25 – Tottenham Hotspur have admitted that building a new stadium close to the site of their existing ground cannot be done without greater commitment from the local authority.
Russian Premier League official compares latest racist to John Lennon’s killer
By David Gold in Moscow
June 25 – Alexander Zorkov, the deputy general secretary of the Russian Football Union (RFU), described the incident this week when a banana was thrown at Anzhi Makhachkala’s legendary Brazilian full back Roberto Carlos as an “awful, terrible incident”.
Only Jesus can rescue Brazil’s World Cup preparations, says Romario
By David Gold
June 25 – Brazilian legend Romario has criticised Brazil’s World Cup preparations and said that costs are spiralling out of control.
Maroni announces plan to counter match fixing
By David Gold
June 24 – Italy’s Interior Minister Roberto Maroni has announced a plan to counter corruption in football amidst a spate of new match fixing allegations in the country.