World Cup referee jailed for match-fixing
By David Gold
February 16 – Former World Cup referee Lu Jun has been sentenced to a five-and-a-half year jail term for involvement in match-fixing in China.
Gold Cup 2025
Panama-Honduras in Glendale and Canada-Guatemala in Minnesota complete Gold Cup quarter final line-up
June 25 – The Gold Cup quarter-final line-up was completed yesterday with Panama vs Honduras being scheduled for the State Farm Stadium, Glendale, Saturday June 28.
Fresh doubts over Warsaw Euro 2012 Stadium
By Andrew Warshaw
February 16 – Poland’s new $641 million (£409 million/€493 million) National Stadium, the jewel in the country’s Euro 2012 preparations, may not be ready to stage its showpiece inaugural fixture, a friendly against Portugal on February 29.
Rangers making “very good progress” claim administrators
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – Administrators in charge of Scottish giants Glasgow Rangers are confident the club will not go out of business, citing “very good progress” within the first 24 hours of taking over the running the 54-times league champions.
FIFA’s 2014 World Cup Law delayed by Brazilian Congress Commission
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – FIFA’s hopes of finally striking a deal with Brazil over the crucial law governing the 2014 World Cup have suffered yet another setback after a Brazilian Congressional Commission delayed a vote.
FIFA warns Argentina over plans to rename league after General Belgrano
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – FIFA has warned Argentina that provocatively renaming its domestic championship after the General Belgrano battleship sunk by Britain during the 1982 Falklands War could breach its statutes.
David Owen: Why English football may need Alan Turing even more than Harry Redknapp
Here we go again.
England needs a new football manager, setting off a new cycle of speculation, unrealistically burgeoning expectations and disillusionment, as surely as, well 55,000 Twitter-users follow the Anfield cat.
Actually, the speculation bit looks like being much diminished this time, since everyone thinks they know the new man’s identity: step forward Harry Redknapp, cheekie-chappie manager of Tottenham Hotspur, surprise package of the 2011-12 English Premier League season.
Olympiakos Volos lose Europa League CAS appeal
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – UEFA have won another battle in the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) with the news that Greek club Olympiakos Volos have failed to overturn being kicked out of this season’s Europa League.
Egypt’s Africa Cup of Nations qualifier postponed following Port Said tragedy
By Andrew Warshaw
February 15 – Egypt’s first Africa Cup of Nations qualifier, against the Central African Republic, has been postponed as a result of the Port Said disaster which left 74 people dead and hundreds more injured following clashes between fans of Al-Ahly and Al-Masry.
Rangers enter administration and suffer 10 point penalty
By Andrew Warshaw
February 14 – Twenty-four hours after filing the relevant papers, Glasgow Rangers became one of the world’s most high-profile clubs ever to enter administration today, a stunning humiliation for a team supported by millions of fans worldwide and a severe wakeup call for clubs who fail to properly manage their financial affairs.
Turkish match fixing trial gets underway in Istanbul
By Andrew Warshaw
February 14 – Nine months after the start of one of the world’s biggest ever match fixing probes, almost 100 Turkish officials, including a raft of past and present club Presidents, managers and players, went on trial in Istanbul today.
Spanish football league ends negotiations with AFE over players’ wages
By David Gold
February 14 – The Spanish football league (LFP) has ended negotiations with the country’s players union (AFE) on a deal over wages in a move which threatens to cause another player’s strike.
Exclusive: Russia 2018 move closer to accepting beer advertising in stadiums
By David Gold in Sochi
February 14 – Russia 2018 have reaffirmed their commitment to ensure that beer companies can advertise in stadiums during the World Cup.
Glasgow Rangers file for administration
By Andrew Warshaw
February 13 – Glasgow Rangers, one of the world’s most iconic clubs, filed for administration today in arguably the starkest example yet of football’s fragile finances.
MasterCard renews Champions League sponsorship
By David Owen
February 13 – MasterCard has extended its sponsorship of the UEFA Champions League, the premier competition for European football clubs, until 2015.
Man behind success of USA 1994 given new role
By Sara Evans
February 13 – Grand Prix Entertainment, a Los Angeles-based sports and entertainment company, have announced the appointment of Alan Rothenberg (pictured), the man credited with the currrent growth of soccer in the United States, as chairman of the Board of directors of their newly sports division.