AZ Alkmaar hire Moneyball guru Billy Beane
By Samindra Kunti
March 23 – Dutch club AZ Alkmaar have hired Moneyball baseball guru Billy Beane (pictured) in an advisory role to try and close the gap on big-spending clubs in the Eredivisie.
World Football
Marin warns of no quick fix for Brazilian football’s fall from power
By Samindra Kunti
March 20 – Jose Maria Marin, the president of the Brazilian FA, has said that “Brazilian football is going to pass through a very difficult time.”
Amadu quits Nigerian federation over rumours of money row with Pinnick
By Mark Baber
March 20 – The General Secretary of the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF), Musa Amadu (pictured), tendered his resignation on Wednesday after, according to unconfirmed reports in local media, a row with NFF President Amaju Pinnick over money, specifically FIFA grants and a $3.6 million loan from the Federal Government.
Drone pilot flies into trouble for filming PL matches…and spying on the Queen
By Mark Baber
March 20 – Nigel Wilson, 42, from Nottingham has been summoned to appear before Westminster Magistrates Court on April 16 over allegations he flew a drone over several football grounds during matches, breaching an Air Navigation Order, according to Scotland Yard.
Crippling €197m debt forces Parma into bankruptcy and uncertain future
March 20 – Italian crisis club Parma have hit rock bottom after being declared bankrupt by a court in Italy but should be allowed to see out the current season.
UEFA bans: Ibra’s bad tackle is less of a sin than Aurier’s bad mouth
March 20 – UEFA has slapped a mandatory one-match ban on PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic following his sending off in the Champions league victory over Chelsea. But his team mate Serge Aurier was less fortunate, receiving a three-match suspension for his abusive tweets.
CONCACAF refs gather in Florida for training camp
March 20 – CONCACAF is holding referee development symposium for its international referees drawn from across the confederation. The four-day Florida event, presented by Comex/Futline, is hosting 50 officials from the FIFA international list.
Kenyan chaos: KPL back on, but FKF set to go ahead with competing league
By Mark Baber
March 19 – In the wake of Monday’s lifting of the Kenyan Football Federation (FKF) injunction against the Kenyan Premier League (KPL), the KPL has announced new fixtures to make up for the two weekends lost, whilst reports suggest the rival FKF Premier League will be signing a broadcast deal this Friday.
FIFA step in to stop Sierra Leone match-fixing cover-up
By Andrew Warshaw
March 19 – FIFA president Sepp Blatter has personally intervened to stop Sierra Leone authorities trying to sweep allegations of match-fixing under the carpet.
Lahore bombing forces Pakistan 2018 qualifier to be switched to Bahrain
March 19 – Pakistan’s home World Cup qualifier against Yemen has been switched to neutral ground in Bahrain after it was postponed following Sunday’s deadly bombings in Lahore.
Nimes sanctioned with relegation after bosses found guilty of match-fixing
March 19 – French Ligue 2 side Nimes will be relegated at the end of the season after the club’s former president Jean-Marc Conrad was found guilty of attempted match fixing, the French League (LFP) announced.
Russia cuts budgets but not stadium build, Luzhniki ahead of schedule
March 19 – Russia’s cabinet passed a 10% cut in the federal budget but was quick to emphasise that the cuts would not effect the build programme of the 2018 World Cup Stadia.
Egypt: Prosecutor indicts 16 fans as terrorists over Zamalek massacre
By Mark Baber
March 18 – Egypt’s Prosecutor General Hisham Barakat has indicted 16 defendants for the Zamalek massacre in which 20 fans died after a crowd outside the stadium was fired upon by police before the game between Zamalek and Enppi on February 8.
Panathinaikos president warns of Greek Super League break-up
By Matt Scott
March 18 – Greek football is at risk of being broken up unless widespread hooliganism and corruption is tackled by the state authorities, the Panathanaikos president has warned.
China turns its sports focus on building a football revolution
By Andrew Warshaw
March 18 – China is setting out a blueprint for staging the World Cup a generation down the road by raising the standard of the national team as part of a sweeping development project.