Adidas says brand has not been damaged by FIFA crisis
November 6 – Leading FIFA sponsors Adidas have broken their silence over the ongoing corruption scandal by insisting the crisis has not adversely affected its brand.
World Cup
Safety report rules out Palestine’s hard fought home World Cup qualifiers
By Andrew Warshaw
November 4 – Having been kicked from pillar to post by FIFA, metaphorically speaking, Palestine football authorities have now been told once and for all that they will not be able to play a forthcoming World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on home soil.
Saints stride on along path of financial virtue
By David Owen
November 3 – Southampton, the south-coast club that has re-emerged in recent times as an established, stylish and widely-admired Premier League outfit, has posted another highly satisfactory set of financial results.
Russia 2018: Luzhniki ahead of schedule, Kazan to open, Nizhny dig deep
By Paul Nicholson
November 2 – Russia’s 2018 preparations are ramping up with reports that the redevelopment of the Luzhniki stadium which will host the opening match and the final is ahead of schedule while elsewhere infrastructure projects are gathering pace with the Nizhny Novgorod regional government announcing it has allocated Ruble 1.9 billion for a subway link to its stadium.
Russia 2018: October Island stadium gets OK but World Cup budgets kept tight
By Paul Nicholson
October 23 – Russia’s Ministry of Sports has agreed on the cost of construction for the Kalinigrad stadium, one of the last to start building. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kaliningrad region, Russia’s Ministry of Sports has agreed on the cost of construction for the Kalinigrad stadium, one of the last to start building. According to the Deputy Prime Minister of Kaliningrad region, Alexander Rolbinov, the cost should not exceed Ruble18.5 billion ($296 million).,
Russian Central Bank looks to get minted for 2018 World Cup
October 21 – It may not end Russian economic problems when it comes to the ruble to dollar exchange rate, but the Central Bank of Russia is determined to take advantage of the 2018 World Cup in the country and issue commemorative currency.
Russia builds World Cup bases and makes plans for stadium beer sales
October 15 – Spartak Moscow, already playing in a new stadium (the Otkritie Arena) that has been built for 2018 Russia World Cup, is to also get a new training base in Tushine at a cost of RUB1 billion ($16 million), according to the club’s owner Leonid Fedun.
Russia fights 2018 World Cup fires, and puts its stadiums on the map
October 12 – Russia has officially named the 12 stadia in the 11 cities that will host the 2018 World Cup and the FIFA Confederations Cup 2017 – and eight of them are named after the cities in which they will be held.
Qatar sets 2020 completion date for stadia, as Lusail build merges into Doha
By Samindra Kunti
October 6 – Qatar’s infrastructure work for the 2022 FIFA World Cup is progressing with the Al Khalifa stadium expected to be delivered by 2017, while work on the Lusail stadium has commenced.
Palestine fury as FIFA takes away right to home World Cup qualifier vs Saudi
By Andrew Warshaw
September 29 – Palestinian football authorities are crying foul after being ordered by FIFA to play a crucial World Cup qualifier against Saudi Arabia on neutral ground.
Qatar 2022: Schenk encouraged as build and reform show signs of gathering pace
By Paul Nicholson
September 24 – Sylvia Schenk, the former German athlete and lawyer who leads the Sport working group of the Sport and Rights Alliance has said that Qataris have a “right to catapult themselves into modernity and I find it a very exciting development”, Referring to the programme of labour reform that Qatar has begun, she said that the “World Cup can be an accelerator for change beyond the infrastructure”.
1000 days to go: Smertyn denies Russian racism, players say otherwise
By Andrew Warshaw
September 21 – Despite a string of examples of racism in Russian football and resultant sanctions by the game’s authorities, former national team captain Alexei Smertin (pictured) insists it is not an issue in his country.
Qatar starts site work for its 2022 showpiece Lusail Stadium
By Paul Nicholson
September 17 – Qatar has started site work on its sixth stadium, the 80,000-seat Lusail Stadium which will host the opening match and final of the 2022 World Cup and which will be the centrepiece of the event.
Man Utd partner with HCL to drive new digital frontier to club’s fans
By David Owen
September 2 – As television and the globalised market for players fuel the increasing internationalisation of the fan bases of leading football clubs, digital technology is of growing importance for clubs seeking to communicate with, and generate revenue from, these supporters.
Chelsea unveil plans to turn Stamford Bridge into £500m cathedral
September 3 – Premier League club Chelsea have unveiled plans to redevelop their Stamford Bridge stadium to increase capacity from 41,798 to 61,000. The drawings are on display to fans this week at the stadium.