Former Army team CSKA Moscow secures sponsorship with Russian Helicopters
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
May 5 – CSKA Moscow has signed a sponsorship deal with one of Russia’s leading aircraft manufacturers, Russian Helicopters.
World Football
Copa America Centenario raises importance of Caribbean Cup
By Paul Nicholson
May 5 – Initial reaction to the announcement last week that the Copa America Centenario will be played in the US and hosted by CONCACAF in 2016 has been positive.
IOC President’s team faces the drop in Germany
By David Owen
May 4 – The most powerful man in world sport faces a nervous week as one of his favourite football clubs battles to avoid relegation from the German Bundesliga.
Copa America Centenario poses a challenge to the accepted old world order
By Paul Nicholson in Miami
May 2 – The unveiling of the Copa America centennial tournament to be played in the US and hosted by CONCACAF June 3 to June 26, plants a huge new football tournament right in the middle of what is already a packed sporting calendar with UEFA’s 2016 European Championships in France and the 2016 Olympics in Rio.
Champagne backs Qatar’s right to host but criticises football’s financial Iron Curtain
By Andrew Warshaw
May 2 -FIFA presidential candidate Jerome Champagne says 2022 World Cup hosts Qatar should be recognised as “innocent unless proved guilty” by the ongoing investigation into the 2018 and 2022 voting process being led by FIFA’s chief investigator Michael Garcia.
Ladbrokes bet on a World Cup but winners take shine off profitsonanza, but too m
By Mark Baber
May 2 – Whilst UK bookmaker Ladbrokes have been laying the foundations for the World Cup the company says that despite a 34% year-on-year increase in football staking, their first quarter profits have been hit by a winning streak by favorites in football matches, leading to big pay outs on accumulator bets.
Battling Chelsea assistant handed six-match ban for misconduct
May 2 – In one of the most severe punishments ever handed out to backup coaching staff in top-flight English football, Rui Faria, assistant to Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho, has been has been slapped with a six-match stadium ban for an altercation with officials during a recent Premier League game with Sunderland.
Asean Super League plan hit with delays and now looking at 2016 kick off
May 2 – In a blow to the development of Asian football, the launch of the Association of South East Asian Nations (Asean) Super League could be delayed until 2016 because of administrative issues.
History made as CONCACAF joins with CONMEBOL to host Copa America centennial
By Paul Nicholson in Miami
May 2 – The invitation promised history and the event delivered it. North American and Caribbean confederation CONCACAF and South American confederation CONMEBOL announced that the centennial edition of the world’s oldest international football tournament, the Copa America, will be played in the US in 2016.
CONCACAF signs 8-year sponsorship rep deal with Traffic Sports
May 1 – Traffic has renewed its CONCACAF representation deal through to 2021, acquiring sponsorship rights to all the confederation’s properties.
King Abdullah’s 60,000-seat ‘the jewel in the desert’ stadium opens
By Mark Baber
May 1 – King Abdullah Football Stadium, the new national stadium of Saudi Arabia which will be home to Jeddah’s two Premier League clubs, Al-Ittihad FC and Al-Ahli SC officially opens today with an inauguration ceremony and the hosting of the final of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup.
Sky Sports beefs up web stats with WhoScored.com data
By Tom Parsons
May 1 – Football statistics website whoscored.com has signed an exclusive deal with SkySports to share their unique ‘player characteristics’ on the SkySports website.
Champions League final boils down to a one-city football fiesta
May 1 – The Champions League Final in Lisbon later this month will be the first featuring two clubs from the same city after Atletico Madrid joined Real Madrid in the showpiece climax to the European club season.
St. Petersburg bids to continue Russia 2018 legacy in 2020
By Richard van Poortvliet
May 1 – Russia’s Minister for Sport, Vitaly Mutko, in his promotion of the bid for hosting Euro 2020 matches, said that “EURO 2020 will be a continuation of the 2018 World Cup.”
Portuguese investor sets sights Poland’s Flota Swinoujscie as a feeder club
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 30 – With several foreign-based investors reportedly eyeing acquisitions of a number of Polish football clubs, a new story has broken on the planned take over of Flota Swinoujscie by a Portuguese investment group.