By Mark Baber
September 26 – Spanish football is developing ties with the Gulf State of Dubai and has announced plans for La Liga to open an office in the Dubai Airport Freezone (DAFZA). Dubai’s bid to host the World Expo 2020 is also being heavily promoted in Spanish stadiums.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 25 – A group of more than 70 players from Brazil’s top two soccer leagues say their health could be at risk because of fixture congestion to accommodate the 2014 World Cup.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 25 – The Malaysian alleged to have been the middle man in Australia’s match-fixing scandal has been denied bail in a Melbourne court for being a possible flight risk, according to local reports.
By Mark Baber
September 25 – Electronic Arts’ (EA) FIFA 14 became available in America on Tuesday. The new version of the game features improved and more realistic physics as well as new team and multi-player modes. Initial market reaction was positive with EA shares up 1.37% on the day to $26.55.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 25 – The recent crackdown on match-fixing by authorities in Singapore has been hailed by Interpol as the biggest breakthrough to date in the global effort to catch the ringleaders. Singapore is one of the Asian nerve centres of the illegal practice from where games around the globe are manipulated.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 24 – In what is being flagged up as a case potentially as far-reaching as the Bosman ruling that changed the face of football, a journeyman English player is considering taking legal action against FIFA over what he claims are unfair restraints on player movement outside the transfer window.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 24 – A rapprochement between Israeli and Palestinian football officials has moved a vital step closer – but only as a result of FIFA’s involvement as mediators. Delegations from both countries met FIFA officials in Zurich on Monday and agreed to each appoint a liaison officer to facilitate the movement of players in and out of the Palestinian territories.
By Mark Baber
September 24 – Arsenal’s accounts for the year ending May 31 reveal a fall in profits, rise in turnover and a significant cash reserve, a chunk of which has since been spent on the signing of Mesut Ozil as the North London club seeks to reap the rewards of years of financial prudence.
By Mark Baber
September 24 – The Confederation of African Football (CAF) has confirmed the host countries for its upcoming competitions and the Moroccan host cities for the Africa Cup of Nations 2015.
By Alexander Krassimirov
September 24 – Bulgaria’s CSKA Sofia will work together with Scottish giants Celtic, according to Laurence Davis, the English chairman of the club’s Supervisory Board.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 24 – The English FA have conceded that Turkey are emerging as favourites to host the latter stages of Euro 2020. Although England and Germany are among a group of nations with aspirations to stage the semi-finals and final of the one-off pan-European tournament, UEFA president Michel Platini’s preference for Turkey looks set to give the country a leading advantage.
By David Owen
September 24 – The cost of sporting justice has started to escalate. Figures contained in the recently-published International Olympic Committee (IOC) final report covering the 2009-12 quadrennium reveal that the IOC’s allocation to the International Council of Arbitration for Sport (ICAS) surged to more than $8 million in 2012.
September 24 – Next month’s eagerly awaited FIFA executive committee meeting will not only discuss the timing of the 2022 World Cup but a variety of other key issues.
By Andrew Warshaw
September 24 – The head of the international players’ union FIFPro has threatened to get tough with FIFA unless it is consulted over a variety of concerns, not least the scheduling at next year’s World Cup in Brazil which, he says, could potentially endanger players’ health.
By Panos Bletsos
September 24 – The Super League (SL) board of directors, the governing body of Greece’s top flight, is meeting today (September 24) to confirm the return of the 16-club format by the 2015-16 season. It has also been reported that another major change may be on the cards with the SL ruling on whether to bring in a relegation play-off for the ongoing campaign.