Football
LFP kicks Elche out of Spanish Liga over tax debts
The Spanish Football League (LFP) has today (Friday) demoted Elche from La Liga due to “very serious infractions” of the top division’s Law of Sport and company statutes.
Fifa payment to FAI revealed
Football’s global governing body Fifa paid the Football Association of Ireland (FAI) $5m (€4.65m) to avoid legal action over a controversial play-off defeat against France that denied the Republic of Ireland a place at the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
Premier League clubs vote to drop title sponsor category
English Premier League clubs have voted to remove the League's title sponsor category once Barclays existing deal expires at the end of the 2016/17 season.
Swiss lawmakers push forward with ‘Lex Fifa’ bill targeting sports federations
Swiss lawmakers have pushed ahead with a law making it easier to investigate corruption allegations concerning sporting bodies based in the country amid claims that the proposed legislation is in danger of being watered down.
Blazer admits bribes as Warner pledges to speak out
Chuck Blazer, a former top official at Fifa, admitted that he and other members of the Executive Committee (ExCo) at football’s global governing body, took bribes in connection with the award of the 2010 World Cup to South Africa, it emerged yesterday (Wednesday) evening.
Premier League remains streets ahead of rivals in annual finance study
Europe’s five biggest European leagues in England, Germany, Spain, Italy and France generated a 15-per-cent increase in combined revenues to €11.3bn ($12.2bn) in the 2013-14 season, according to financial services company Deloitte’s annual review of football finances.
Saudi Arabia scales back stadium development drive – report
Saudi Arabia’s bold plans to embark on a stadium development drive have “been shelved” due to the impact of falling oil prices, according to the Reuters news agency.
South Africa fires back at World Cup payment allegations
South African government officials today (Wednesday) confirmed that a $10m (€9.2m) payment had been given directly to Jack Warner, a former vice-president of football’s global governing body Fifa, but strenuously denied the money was transferred in order to secure votes to land hosting rights to the 2010 World Cup.
Interpol issues ‘Red Notices’ as report links Blatter with US probe
International police organisation Interpol issued wanted persons alerts for two former officials at Fifa and four corporate executives this (Wednesday) morning just hours after reports emerged that Sepp Blatter, the outgoing president of football’s global governing body, has become a target of an investigation by US law enforcement officials.
Premier League revamps parachute payments system
The English Premier League has revamped its solidarity payments system for clubs competing in the Football League as it prepares to reap the benefits of its bumper new media rights deal.
Fifa president Blatter to resign
Sepp Blatter announced this (Tuesday) afternoon that he will resign as president of Fifa, football’s global governing body.
Fifa denies Valcke reports
Fifa has denied reports that its general secretary, Jérôme Valcke, authorised a $10m (€9.2m) payment from the South African government to Jack Warner, a former vice-president of football’s global governing body, in order to secure votes for South Africa to host the 2010 World Cup.
Blatter comes out fighting after election victory
Sepp Blatter hit out at his critics and the US investigators leading a corruption investigation into Fifa after securing another term as president of football’s global governing body on Friday.
Russian Football Union president axed amid financial crisis
Nikolai Tolstykh has been fired as president of the cash-strapped Russian Football Union (RFU), with officials maintaining the decision will have no effect on the country’s preparations to host the 2018 Fifa World Cup.
Blatter re-elected for fifth term as Fifa president
Fifa president Sepp Blatter tonight (Friday) secured a fifth term in office for the four-year period spanning 2015 to 2019 as rival candidate Prince Ali bin Al-Hussein of Jordan withdrew after the first round of voting.
President Blatter makes final plea to Fifa voters
Fifa president Sepp Blatter insisted he is the right man to lead football’s global governing body through the biggest scandal in its history as he made a final plea to voters ahead of this (Friday) afternoon’s election.
PokerStars follows Neymar signing by dealing up Ronaldo contract
Canada-based gaming company Amaya Gaming has secured its second major endorsement deal this month for its PokerStars brand, with Portuguese football superstar Cristiano Ronaldo joining Neymar as a partner.
Europe to throw support behind Prince Ali as Platini regrets Blatter’s stance
Uefa president Michel Platini has said that most of the member associations of football’s European governing body will vote for Jordan's Prince Ali bin Al Hussein to succeed Sepp Blatter as the next Fifa president, as the sport’s stakeholders continued to wrestle with the latest scandal to hit world football today (Thursday).