Chinese company comes to the rescue of Brazil’s Santos
By Mark Baber
October 30 – Santos have announced the signing of a major sponsorship deal with Chinese technology firm Huawei through to the end of 2014, with the option of an extension.
South America
Politics and football: A Brazilian love affair
By Ricardo Setyon
Ocotber 27 – A pornstar called Stick Kid. The only ever Brazilian astronaut. A series of sexy women that adopted artisitic nicknames of fruits (Pear Maria, little strawberry), all linked to their body formats. A Hollywood-based plastic surgeon, born in Brazil. A blind comedian. Three Big Brother reality TV Show winners. Five or six local country singers. A Volleyball World Champion and a famous boxer. And 12 ex-football players and coaches. They all have two things in common: they are famous and they all failed to get enough votes to be winners in the recent elections in Brazil.
Brazil’s Santos suffer World Cup blues as accounts bleed red
By Ricardo Setyon
October 23 – Santos, one of the world’s most iconic football clubs and the home team of Pele and more recently Neymar, is facing the battle of its life, perhaps even for its life. Expensive player acquisitions, dwindling attendances and 2015 TV money already spent, the club is in a desperate financial position despite currently sitting 7th in the Brasileirão.
Brazilian football violence claims fourth death this year
By Andrew Warshaw
October 21 – Brazilian police have detained six people following the death of a 21-year-old Palmeiras fan that has heaped more shame on the domestic game – the fourth fatality involving rival supporters this year.
FIFPro to press CONMEBOL to ban clubs over unpaid wages
By Mark Baber
October 20 – FIFPro Division America Secretary General David Paniagua has announced that FIFPro will be asking South American confederation Conmebol tomorrow to exclude clubs that are in debt to their players from its competitions, including the Copa Libertadores de América and the Copa Sudamericana.
Politics in football: Peruvian ambassador apologises for racist twitter rant
By Ben Nicholson
October 15 – Harold Forsyth, who is Peru’s ambassador to the United States, has apologized for his racial comments toward Panamanian striker Luis Tejada (pictured) made over the weekend.
Brazilians baulk at rollout cost of goal-line technology
October 1 – Despite Brazil witnessing how well goal-line technology worked at the World Cup the country is still reluctant to implement it domestically despite it being part of the tournament’s legacy.
Brazil’s Corinthians call for fans to end homophobic chants
By Andrew Warshaw
September 16 – Yet another Brazilian club has urged its fans to refrain from racist chanting as the country attempts to impose the legacy of the World Cup by stamping out discrimination.
Zero tolerance in Brazil as Gremio kicked out of Cup after racist chanting
By Andrew Warshaw
September 4 – Despite all the pre-World Cup rhetoric about the tournament helping to reduce racism in Brazilian football, leading club Gremio have just been banned from the country’s main cup competition after some of their fans abused a Santos player.
CONMEBOL reshuffle: Napout takes reins, Figueredo and Bedoya head for FIFA
August 11 – South American confederation CONMEBOL ha appointed Paraguay’s Juan Angel Napout as its new president. He takes over from Uruguay’s Eugenio Figueredo until May 2015 when new elections will be held.
Segura takes over at Argentine FA following death of Grondona
August 7 – Luis Segura has been confirmed as president of the Argentine FA until October next year following the death of Julio Grondona.
Argentine football supremo Julio Grondona dies, aged 82
July 31 – Julio Grondona, FIFA’s senior vice-president and arguably the second most powerful man in world football, has died aged 82 after running Argentine football for the past 35 years.
Dunga given second chance to put Brazil back on top of the world
July 23 – In what many are commenting is a backward step, Brazil have as expected turned to Dunga for a second spell in charge of the national team in succession to Luiz Felipe Scolari two weeks after the 7-1 hammering by Germany in the World Cup semi-finals.
Dunga waits in wings to take over Brazilian national team
By Andrew Warshaw
July 21 – Former World Cup-winning captain Dunga looks set to succeed Luiz Felipe Scolari as Brazil’s national coach following the World Cup host nation’s 7-1 semi-final humiliation against eventual winners Germany.
Marta calls for ‘cultural’ change and for Brazil to invest in women’s game
July 11 – Still reeling from its World Cup humiliation, Brazil now has its most iconic female player demanding greater emphasis on the women’s game in the country.