Football

Uefa president Michel Platini and Liberian Football Association (LFA) president Musa Bility have today (Thursday) been excluded from the list of candidates to become the next leader of Fifa, world football’s governing body.

Spanish LaLiga football club Rayo Vallecano has formed a new affiliate team, which will compete in the North American Soccer League (NASL).

German Football Association (DFB) president Wolfgang Niersbach has resigned, but maintained his innocence amid mounting pressure relating to a scandal concerning a payment connected to the country’s successful bid for the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

US-based private equity firm Peak6 Investments has acquired a 25 per cent stake in English Premier League football club AFC Bournemouth.

Daily fantasy sports gaming operator DraftKings has entered into a partnership with sports data provider Opta as it seeks to press forward with expansion plans outside its established North American home market.

Former Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) president Jose Maria Marin, who led the organising committee for his country’s staging of the 2014 Fifa World Cup, yesterday (Tuesday) pleaded not guilty to bribery charges in a US court as part of the corruption case that has hit world football’s governing body.

The German Football Association (DFB) has stressed that it is not under investigation but will cooperate with authorities after police raided its Frankfurt headquarters today (Tuesday) and searched the homes of officials in the case surrounding a multi-million euro payment connected to Germany’s successful bid for the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

Tata Motors has agreed a multi-year partnership with Barcelona and Argentina football superstar Lionel Messi in a deal that represents the Indian automotive company’s first brand ambassador contract.

Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah, a leading member of the reform committee at football’s global governing body Fifa, has suggested that up to 40 per cent of the reform proposals tabled by ethics and compliance chief Domenico Scala could be rejected.

Chinese manufacturing business Rastar Group has announced the acquisition of a majority stake in LaLiga football club Espanyol in a move that is set to further increase Chinese investment in the Spanish top-tier competition.

Suspended Fifa president Sepp Blatter has claimed that Uefa president Michel Platini backed out of a “gentleman’s agreement” to support the US bid to host the 2022 World Cup after coming under pressure from former France President Nicolas Sarkozy to back Qatar.

According to the TASS news agency, the Russian Sports Ministry has been forced to make cuts to the national team ice hockey tournament due to an economic slump that is placing pressure on the government’s budget.

Owen Evans spoke to Hicham El-Amrani, general secretary of the Confederation of African Football about building bridges with his home country and his billion dollar vision for African football.

Amid the chaos of Italian football, there is opportunity for those organisations that follow the rules.

David Nakhid has hit out after his bid to enter the running for the presidency of Fifa, football’s global governing body, was scuppered by a spoiled vote from US Virgin Islands Football Association president Hillaren Frederick.

Two British expats are on a mission to make America care about soccer, and they hope BlazerCon will make it happen. Owen Evans reports.