Spanish tax police close in on Barca over Neymar tax scam
March 16 – Barcelona may be holding on to their lead in La Liga but off the field the club have become ever more deeply embroiled in the Neymar tax fraud case.
Europe
Parma punished on and off the pitch with a 5-point losing weekend
March 16 – Italian crisis club Parma, thumped again 4-1 at the weekend, have had two more points deducted by the Italian Football Federation (FIGC) for failing to pay their players’ salaries.
UEFA complain lawmaker’s ‘triple’ bypass takes heart out the game
March 13 – UEFA have re-ignited their attack on football’s lawmakers for making what they say is entirely the wrong call over how to solve the triple punishment rule.
Belarusian crisis pushes Dinamo Brest players to plead for government help
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 13 – Desperate players at Belarus’ FC Dinamo Brest have taken the unusual step of writing to state authorities pleading for them to pay their unpaid wages. Belarus’ top clubs are struggling to stay afloat financially and for the Dinamo Brest player, the crisis has reached breaking point.
Germans at war: Niersbach victory as he is cleared of Zwanziger complaint
March 13 – Theo Zwanziger’s imminent departure from the high echelons of FIFA is getting messier still. The former head of German football, who is stepping down from FIFA’s executive committee in May, has been using every opportunity to denounce the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar as well as having a go at Wolfgang Niersbach, his successor at the German FA and soon at FIFA too.
Belgian plan to cut pro club numbers sparks fury from lower leagues
March 13 – The Belgian Pro League, the country’s second tier, has approved a structural reform of its domestic club football. In the future there must be a strict division between professional and amateur football, according to the Pro League, with the number of professional teams being cut.
Barcelona partners with IMG to break down the great walls of China
By Mark Baber
March 12 – FC Barcelona is making a push in the Chinese market via a new strategic partnership with IMG. The club will be represented in China in the areas of marketing and branding strategy, sponsorships, friendly matches and travel.
Government puts a further €1m into Ludogorets Arena refurb
By Alexander Krassimirov
March 12 – Bulgaria’s Ludogorets Razgrad is to receive another BGN 2 million (€1 million) from government to modernization the Ludogorets Arena stadium in Razgrad.
Swiss FC Sion toasts new sponsorship deal with Alloboissons
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
March 12 – Swiss club FC Sion has inked a sponsorship deal with local drinks maker and distributor Alloboissons. The company will serve as the main sponsor of the side for three-and-a-half years.
Belgian league ponders own TV channel launch
By Samindra Kunti
March 12 – The Belgian Jupiler Pro League may team up with MP & Silva and Screen Capital International to create its own private TV channel.
Greek drama: Athens derby abandoned after AEK fans invade pitch
March 12 – Greek football has been plunged into yet more disgrace after a cup quarterfinal between league leaders Olympiakos and second division AEK was abandoned after a last-minute Olympiakos goal sparked crowd violence.
Hillsborough police chief apologises for lying 26 years after 96 die
March 12 – The police commander in charge during the 1989 Hillsborough stadium disaster at which 96 Liverpool fans died says he will regret lying about the tragedy until his dying day.
Whistleblower says Cypriot match-fixing orders come from top of FA
By Andrew Warshaw
March 11 – The full scale of corruption in Cypriot football has been exposed by a referee whistleblower who claims officials are regularly deciding the outcome of games on orders from above.
Man City owners give Cityzens charity a global £400,000 boost
March 10 – City Football Group – owner of Manchester City, New York City FC and Melbourne City FC – has announced a £400,000 football charity initiative through its Cityzens Giving programme.
Eto’o awarded European Medal of Tolerance for anti-racism stand
March 10 – Former Cameroon star Samuel Eto’o was honoured on Monday for his “inspiring” stand against racism as he became the third recipient of the European Medal of Tolerance awarded by a leading anti-discrimination group.