By Matt Scott
February 26 – Puma, Europe’s second-largest sportswear manufacturer, has suffered a damaging drop in sales amid what its chief executive, Björn Gulden, has described as “a challenging year”.
By Alexander Krassimirov
February 25 – German company Aurubis (formerly Norddeutsche Affinerie AG) is poised to sign a co-operation agreement with Bulgarian champions of Ludogorets Razgrad to provide a boost to the club’s youth academy. In March the company will sponsor trials with those selected joining the club’s academy.
February 25 – Scottish giant Rangers have announced to the stock exchange £1.5 million loan from shareholders to provide short term working capital to the club. The club is listed on the London AIM market.
February 25 – Barcelona have paid €13.5 million to the Spanish authorities after being charged with tax fraud over the much-publicised signing of Neymar which partly led to the resignation of former Barca president Sandro Rosell.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 25 – Bundesliga boss Christian Seifert has branded Michel Platini as “somewhat arrogant” after the UEFA president criticised Germany for objecting to the expansion of the European Championship finals.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 24 – STES, the marketing arm of the Czech football association FACR, has signed a new broadcasting rights deal for the country’s Gambrinus Liga with local company Pragosport. The Czech company acquired the broadcasting rights for the top tier of the Czech professional football league for the next four years. The contract will enter into force in the 2014/2015 season.
February 24 – BBC Alba in Scotland delayed its Saturday night broadcast of the Ross County vs St Mirren Scottish Premier League match because of the amount of swearing that could be heard on the broadcast by fans.
February 24 – Barcelona’s new president Josep Bartomeu (pictured) insists the transfer of Neymar to the Catalan giants was “completely legal” and that the club is totally innocent of tax fraud.
February 24 – UEFA president Michel Platini has countered opposition to those who claim expanding the European Championship finals to 24 teams will water down the competition and reduce the quality and spectacle.
By Paul Nicholson
February 23 – Europe’s federations took their minds off World Cup 2014 today as the draw for Euro 2016 qualifying competition took place in Nice, France. This is the first finals to be competed under UEFA’s increased format of 24 teams. It is also the first qualifying competition to have matches staggered from Thursday to Tuesday to create UEFA’s so-called Week of Football.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 21 – The prospect of Turkish Cypriot footballers playing for a national Cyprus team, ending more than half a century of isolation, has moved a step closer following the latest re-unification talks. Earlier this week, Greek and Turkish Cypriot officials attended a reception held by the French ambassador in Nicosia aimed at strengthening ties between the two communities on the disputed Mediterranean island.
By Paul Nicholson
February 21 – The largest 5-a-side competition the world has ever seen has been launched with 100,000 players from 180 countries already signed up to play against each other worldwide, but all competing in the same ranking.
February 21 – UEFA has opened an investigation into Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini’s comments about the referee following Tuesday’s 2-0 Champions League loss to Barcelona. Pellegrini was uncharacteristically critical of Swedish referee Jonas Eriksson, claiming he was “not impartial to both teams”.
By Jaroslaw Adamowski
February 20 – Ruch Chorzow has signed an innovative sponsorship deal with Germany’s Fuchs Oil. Under the first long-term deal of this kind in Poland, the new sponsor will pay the club a fee each time it scores a goal.
By Andrew Warshaw
February 20 – Two controversial Champions League sendings-off this week have re-focussed attention on the so-called ‘triple punishment’ – penalty, sending off and subsequent suspension – that continues to so cause so must consternation throughout the game.