By Andrew Warshaw
February 25 – Bundesliga boss Christian Seifert has branded Michel Platini as “somewhat arrogant” after the UEFA president criticised Germany for objecting to the expansion of the European Championship finals.
February 25 – South Africa’s premier club knockout cup, The Nedbank Cup, has announced prize money of R7 million ($647,000) for the winner of this year’s competition, an increase of R1 million ($92,000) from last year. Total prize money for the competition is R20 million ($1.85 million).
February 25 – The CONCACAF grassroots programme continues to roll out across the Caribbean Islands. St.Vincent and the Grenadines were the latest to host the programme which concluded on Saturday at the Arnos Vale Stadium in Kingstown.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 24 – STES, the marketing arm of the Czech football association FACR, has signed a new broadcasting rights deal for the country’s Gambrinus Liga with local company Pragosport. The Czech company acquired the broadcasting rights for the top tier of the Czech professional football league for the next four years. The contract will enter into force in the 2014/2015 season.
February 24 – BBC Alba in Scotland delayed its Saturday night broadcast of the Ross County vs St Mirren Scottish Premier League match because of the amount of swearing that could be heard on the broadcast by fans.
February 24 – Public demonstrations in Sao Paulo, Brazil, again turned violent this weekend with police moving in swiftly to disperse rioters. The protest started peacefully with about 1,000 people, but the police stepped in when protestors set barricades alight and started smashing shop windows.
February 24 – Barcelona’s new president Josep Bartomeu (pictured) insists the transfer of Neymar to the Catalan giants was “completely legal” and that the club is totally innocent of tax fraud.
February 24 – UEFA president Michel Platini has countered opposition to those who claim expanding the European Championship finals to 24 teams will water down the competition and reduce the quality and spectacle.
By Andrew Warshaw in Amman
February 25 – Asia’s FIFA vice-president has added his voice to those who believe the issue of workers’ rights in Qatar has become far more crucial than whether the 2022 World Cup is played in winter or summer. But, said Jordan’s Prince Ali bin al Hussein, the Gulf state had to be given a fair chance to prove it can implement the measures it promises will be put in place in order to ease the plight of migrant workers.
By Paul Nicholson
February 23 – The MLS has bought back the Chivas USA franchise from Mexican owners Jorge Vergara and Angelica Fuentes (pictured) with immediate effect. The Los Angeles team will compete this season under the Chivas name, but will have a new president appointed by the MLS who will take over the running of the business. Head coach Wilmer Cabrera, who only joined the club on January 9, will remain in charge of the team.
By Paul Nicholson
February 23 – Europe’s federations took their minds off World Cup 2014 today as the draw for Euro 2016 qualifying competition took place in Nice, France. This is the first finals to be competed under UEFA’s increased format of 24 teams. It is also the first qualifying competition to have matches staggered from Thursday to Tuesday to create UEFA’s so-called Week of Football.
By Andrew Warshaw in Amman
February 22 – Asian football today agreed on a raft of measures for tackling cardiac arrest following the death last November of under-22 Jordanian footballer Qusai Khawaldeh whose tragic loss sent shockwaves throughout the region.
By Paul Nicholson
February 21 – Speaking at an international finance conference in the Cayman Islands, CONCACAF President Jeff Webb emphasised the economic benefits sports can bring to a country and encouraged greater investment in sports as a tool for growth and social change. He made it clear that economic opportunity and social responsibility can, and should, work together comfortably, and that success would be achieved through leadership rather than following.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 21- FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne has fired his first thematic salvo in his unlikely bid to take over from Sepp Blatter by focussing on the need to reform the current transfer system.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 21 – The prospect of Turkish Cypriot footballers playing for a national Cyprus team, ending more than half a century of isolation, has moved a step closer following the latest re-unification talks. Earlier this week, Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials attended a reception held by the French ambassador in Nicosia aimed at strengthening ties between the two communities on the disputed Mediterranean island.