Austria hit by match-fixing scandal as police arrest three

Grodig fans

By Andrew Warshaw
November 14 – Austria is the latest European country to be hit by the global match-fixing scourge with a former international reportedly detained after apparently attempting to blackmail SV Grodig defender Dominique Taboga into manipulating one of the country’s top-flight games.

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CSKA fan group launches text campaign to raise funds for academy facilities

dms cska

By Alexander Krassimirov
November 13 – Non-profit organisation CSKA Forever is raising funds via premium short text messages to be used in several ways. The bulk of the money raised will go towards the construction of several small football grounds which will be used by the club’s Academy. Currently young CSKA players train and play matches at different stadiums in Sofia and the surrounding area.

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Italian derby abandoned after fan threats turn fixture into farce

Fans suround bus

By Andrew Warshaw
November 11 – Even by Italian standards, it was surely one of the most bizarre episodes ever to occur in a professional football match. A third division derby was called off on Sunday after visiting side Nocerina, having allegedly received death threats from their own fans, deliberately reduced themselves to six players forcing the game to be abandoned.

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Suspended and threatened, Bulgarian ref turns to police for help

stanislav todorov

By Alexander Krassimirov
November 11 – Police in the Bulgarian town of Shumen have launched an investigation after a series of threats were made against the Bulgarian international football referee Stanislav Todorov (pictured). The referee lodged a complaint at the police station following the threats. Todorov was interviewed for an hour, and also informed the newspaper ’24 hours’ Daily. The police in Shumen have confirmed Todorov’s report of the incident but declined to give further details.

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FIFPro Expert Group focuses on unpaid players and demands rule changes

Philippe Piat

By Paul Nicholson
November 8 – FIFPro’s Expert Group on Transfer Matters has completed its latest round of meetings and has instructed its legal department to draft a series of ammendments to be proposed to FIFA to change Article 17 of its regulations. Article 17 of the FIFA Rules and Regulations on the Status and Transfer of Players (RSTP) deals partly with the aim of guaranteeing the Respect of Contract. FIFPro’s recommendations are designed to harden this clause for players’

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Exclusive: Cyprus’s landmark pact opens pathway towards a unified league

Hasan Sertoglu

By Andrew Warshaw, chief correspondent
November 7 – A joint football league could be resurrected in Cyprus within two years as a result of this week’s historic deal between Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials and FIFA. That’s the view of Hasan Sertoglu (pictured), head of the unofficial Cyprus Turkish Football Association (CTFA) following the provisional arrangement signed by both sides to organise the sport on the divided Mediterreanan island.

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