By David Owen in Istanbul
April 14 – Coaches call it a winning habit. Usually it refers to events on the field of play. But Turkey is starting to develop a winning habit when it comes to bids to host international sports events.
April 13 – Chelsea’s wage bill in the last financial year was £142.6 million ($219.3 million) while the value of the club’s squad, including John Terry, Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack (pictured), dropped by nearly £40 million ($61 million).
The national stadium is supposed to represent the maximum a country can offer, an iconic venue that provides the best possible platform for deciding the outcome of the most important fixtures.
A venue that should give players the freedom to express themselves, managers the ability to change tactics without fear of accident and fans the unique experience of watching football at its most expansive.
April 13 – West Ham United need to make sure they avoid relegation from the Premier League first before they start thinking about plans to move into the Olympic Stadium, Sir Trevor Brooking (pictured) has warned.
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April 13 – A UEFA delegation has completed its two-day inspection of Italy’s bid to host the 2016 European Championships.
April 13 – Stan Kroenke (pictured), the single largest shareholder in Arsenal, has decided to buy the 60 per cent of the NFL team St Louis Rams he does not already own which puts a big question mark over whether he plans to bid for the Premier League club.
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“Why are we so enthusiastic about Barcelona and Lionel Messi?
“[It’s] because he is playing like a kid.
“It’s like he is leaving his house and saying to his mum, ‘I’m going to play football, I’ll be back at 9 o’clock.’”
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This year’s FA Cup should have been a classic, one that should have helped to relaunch the oldest cup competition in the world.
By David Owen in Istanbul
April 12 – Mahmut Özgener (pictured), President of the Turkish Football Federation, today expressed confidence in the integrity of the Euro 2016 bidding process, as the body unveiled a new four-year strategic plan.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 12 – David Beckham’s injury will have a big negative impact on Major League Soccer (MLS) this season but will not prevent it from continuing to pursue its ambition of becoming one of the major competitions in world football, its head promised today.
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April 12 - Togo captain Emmanuel Adebayor (pictured) announced his retirement from international football today, claiming he is “still haunted” by the deadly attack on his team at the African Cup of Nations in January.
April 12 – One of Arsenal’s biggest shareholders decided to sell her stake in the Premier League club today raising the possibility of a takeover bid for the North London side.
By Duncan Mackay
British Sports Internet Writer of the Year
April 12 – Belgium and the Netherlands campaign to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup could be damaged if there is violence at the Dutch Cup Final between Ajax and Feyenoord later this month, the chairman of the joint bid fears.
April 12 – Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett (pictured) are set to announce this week that the club is officially up for sale but with the Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS) extending the deadline on their outstanding loan the need for a rapid “fire” sale has been eased.
April 11 – Chinese football will be cleaned-up within a year, the new head of the sport there has promised FIFA President Sepp Blatter.