By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – The financial power of Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City has stretched to the other side of the world with the announcement that the high-flying Premier League club have taken over cash-strapped A-League team Melbourne Heart.
January 23 – Reports of a Malaysian gambling syndicate approaching I-League club Munbai FC have prompted the All India Football Federation (AIFF) to move towards setting up an anti-corruption unit.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 22 – As the Chinese celebrate their New Year, the year of the horse, so the football federation welcomes a new president who faces a “colossal” task and a race against time to repair the sport’s corruption-tainted image off the pitch and a lack of progress on it.
January 22 – Despite the bitter political tensions between the two neighbours, North Korea has agreed to send men’s and women’s football teams to South Korea for this year’s Asian Games in Incheon.
January 9 – Malaysian second tier club Kedah have denied that they have been forced to change their colours from green and yellow to red as a result of fresh investment by controversial Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan.
By Andrew Warshaw
January 8 – Football’s crackdown on match-fixing has now spread to Hong Kong where authorities also plan to introduce tougher measures to check the financial background of club directors ahead of the new domestic Premier League in September.
January 7 – Premier League club Liverpool have taken another step to expand their links with India, with the signing of a regional sponsorship with smart mobile device brand XOLO. This follows an agreement at the end of last year which sees Liverpool open its first academy in partnership with local team DSK Shivajians FC in Pune.
January 3 – Violence between fans of Australia’s Melbourne Victory and Western Sydney Wanderers has triggered the Football Federation Australia (FFA) into action, with both clubs being charged with bringing the game into disrepute.
By Paul Nicholson
January 3 – Europe’s giant clubs aren’t heading for the alpine ski slopes for their winter break but to the warmer climate of the Middle East for preparation for the second half of their seasons. French champions and league leaders Paris St Germain are already in Doha, Qatar, and last night played a friendly against Spain’s Real Madrid (Madrid won 1-0) in front of a 45,000 capacity crowd at Aspire’s Khalfa Stadium. Bayern leave for Qatar at the weekend.
By Paul Nicholson
January 3 – The UAE Pro League Committee has renewed its sponsorship with the Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank. ADIB will be its exclusive and official bank of the league and UAW Pro League’s other competitions.
December 23 – Malaysian authorities have imposed lifetime bans on five players and three officials for match-fixing in their domestic league.
By Paul Nicholson
December 11 – Chinese brewer Tsingtao has become the first Chinese brand to sign a deal with the Asian Football Confederation. In a three-year tie-up, starting 2014, the Tsingtao brewery will sponsor the AFC’s club competitions.
By Andrew Warshaw
December 9 – A German second division club has terminated its advertising contract with Saudi Arabia’s state-owned airline following reports that it refuses to fly Israeli citizens.
By David Owen
December 6 – Qatar has extended its imprint into one of the backwaters of world football, with the announcement that Ooredoo, the renamed Qatar Telecom, is becoming the official partner of the Myanmar Football Federation (MFF).
By Andrew Warshaw and Paul Nicholson
December 3 – China’s status as the world’s most potent growth market has led to a new accord between the Premier League and the game’s authorities in the vast Asian country – brokered by a delegation led by British Prime Minister David Cameron.