Europe

The Sochi 2014 organising committee for the Winter Olympics has announced the route for the pre-Games torch relay across the country.

Turkish football club Besiktas has signed a co-operation agreement with IMG Dogus, the joint venture between IMG Worldwide and one of the country’s largest conglomerates.

Bayern Munich chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge believes Serie A in Italy should follow the German Bundesliga’s example of offering affordable tickets.

English Premier League club Liverpool has unveiled a commercial partnership with Turkish betting brand Misli.com as it steps up its efforts to engage the country’s consumers and enhance its global betting strategy.

Borussia Dortmund chief executive Hans-Joachim Watzke has called for UEFA to get tough on clubs that exploit “back-door funding” through inflated sponsorship deals and expel those found guilty of such offences from European competition.

Uefa has confirmed further details about its tie-up with CAA Eleven, which has secured a deal to distribute a new centralised package of European national team rights, and believes the new model will help football’s European governing body to replicate the success of the continent’s top leagues.

Matt Carlton, Head of Insight at Ebiquity, asks what marketing lessons can be learnt from London 2012.

Peter McNeile, Director of Sponsorship at Cheltenham Racecourse, explains the challenges facing effective CRM in sport.

UEFA has announced that the CAA Eleven company will assume responsibility for a new centralised media rights sales process for European qualifiers to Euro 2016 and the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

The Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) has enhanced its status as one of the sport’s most financially secure organisations by announcing record turnover and a record-equalling profit for the year ending June 30, 2012.

FIFA has announced the 11 cities to host the 2018 World Cup in Russia, with Krasnodar proving the surprise omission from the 13 originally shortlisted.

Emirates has agreed a 10-year naming rights deal for one of Glasgow’s key venues for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Leaders has signed partnerships with Channel 4, SIS and Levy Restaurants for its 2012 conference events.

Arsenal chief executive Ivan Gazidis has insisted the club will continue to follow a financially responsible strategy after the sale of star players allowed it to more than double profits for the financial year ending May 31, 2012.

The Mayor of Ponferrada, Carlos Lopez Riesco, has vowed to fight “tooth and nail” to ensure the city retains the 2014 World Road Cycling Championships, stating the event would provide an important source of revenue through tourism and job creation.

Sportswear giant Adidas has confirmed an extension of a partnership with Real Madrid until the end of the 2019-20 season in an agreement that prolongs one of the most lucrative kit deals in world football.