October 7 – Aspire Academy and sports conference organiser Leaders have joined to launch a new business of sports awards event aimed at recognising sports excellence under the age of 40.
By Paul Nicholson, Paris
October 6 – The two-day Aspire Global Summit opened this morning in Paris, pulling more than 130 invited officials from 50 leading clubs and 28 national federations. The summit schedule is a mix of seminars and workshops, with an exclusive exhibition format enabling delegates to meet with Qatar’s stakeholders from the Qatar Stars league to the Qatar National Bank.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 6 – Arguably the most powerful official in Asian sport says he will not allow opponents in the media to railroad Qatar’s right to stage the 2022 World Cup.
October 6 – The Romanian league is the latest to experience racist abuse after Concordia Chiajna’s Brazilian striker Wellington complained about persistent insults from visiting Rapid Bucharest supporters.
October 6 – Austria’s notorious match-fixing case has been concluded with a series of jail sentences handed down to those at the centre of a nine-year manipulation scandal.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 6 – Two weeks after pleading with misbehaving fans not to push the club “over the edge”, CSKA Moscow have paid a heavy price for continuing racism and violence by being ordered by Uefa to play their next three Champions League home games behind closed doors.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 6 – Months after learning that he would not be charged with tax evasion and could concentrate on his playing career, Lionel Messi looks set after all to stand trial.
By Mark Baber
October 6 – Hearings on Wednesday in Jos will determine the future of many of Nigeria’s football administrators, ironically just at the point when it looks like the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) is finally putting its house in order, with some help from FIFA.
October 5 – MLS franchises continue to create heat and rumour with Red Bulls saying that any offer of $300 million for the franchise would be agreed and completed within 48 hours, while news of Chivas USA’s sale expected in the next couple of weeks has thrown up controversial Cardiff City owner, Vincent Tan,, as a potential buyer.
I have been privileged to receive, in advance of this week’s Sportel sports content media convention in Monaco, a briefing on 2014 World Cup viewing trends from a leading specialist in the field. The briefing – from Kevin Alavy, managing director – mediabrands at Futures Sport+Entertainment, a US-based sports research consultancy – was unofficial in nature. But it gives an idea of what to expect when the official television audience report for the tournament is published by FIFA.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
October 3 – A group of investors led by Czech businessman Karl Pražák is targeting a takeover of Slavia Prague. The group says it will also bring in over the municipal authorities of the Czech capital’s Prague 10 district as a new shareholder, reported local daily Mlada fronta DNES.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 3 – FIFA and the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) have been given until next Thursday to respond to the legal action being taken by a group of leading players who are suing both organisations claiming gender discrimination over the planned use of artificial pitches at next year’s Women’s World Cup.
By David Owen
October 3 – Compensation terms payable under FIFA’s Club Protection Programme (CPP) are to remain unchanged over the next four years.
By Mark Baber
October 3 – FIFA has thrown its weight behind the newly elected Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) President Amaju Pinnick (pictured) who has promised to go to Jos to speak to Chris Giwa. But the situation remains on a knife-edge as another rival declares the election was bought and all factions stay away from the fire-damaged NFF Headquarters Glass House which is guarded by plain-clothes security with Jos High Court injunctions stuck to the doors.
By Andrew Warshaw
October 3 – UEFA president Michel Platini has broken his silence over FIFA’s refusal to publish the 430-page report into the bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 World Cups by saying he favours disclosure – but with the caveat that FIFA’s code of ethics is not breached.