Putin attempts Tom Tomsk rescue plan
By David Gold
January 20 – The Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, is attempting to save the Russian Premier League outfit Tom Tomsk from bankruptcy.
Europe
Exclusive: FIFA veteran Gagg slams Chagaev as Xamax are on the brink of extinction
By Andrew Warshaw
January 23 – FIFA veteran Walter Gagg (pictured), the man leading a consortium to save two-time Swiss champions Neuchâtel Xamax from extinction, has hit out at the “crazy” behaviour of the club’s Chechen owner Bulat Chagaev and has promised to re-launch Xamax in the lower leagues.
Putin and Blatter join forces to celebrate Russian Football Union centenary
By David Gold
January 20 – Dignitaries from the world of football and politics, including the FIFA President, Sepp Blatter, and Russia’s Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, have gathered in St Petersburg to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Russian Football Union (RFU).
Coleman named as Welsh manager despite Greek club claiming he still belongs to them
By David Gold
January 19 – Chris Coleman has been unveiled as the successor to the late Gary Speed as Wales manager at what he described as “the most difficult press conference I am ever likely to do,” though Greek club Larissa claim he is still under contract to them.
CSKA director Babaev fined one rouble over Welliton threat
By David Gold
January 18 – CSKA Moscow general director Roman Babaev (pictured) has been ordered to pay one rouble in compensation after telling Spartak Moscow forward Welliton to “walk the streets with care” after a game between the sides last year.
Blatter’s club lose licence after financial irregularities
By Andrew Warshaw
January 18 – Swiss football, already tarnished by the FC Sion affair, has been plunged into yet more disarray after Neuchatel Xamax, a club whose honorary President is Sepp Blatter, were thrown out of the league and stripped of their licence less than a year after being taken over by the Chechen businessman Bulat Chagaev.
FIFA and ECA open talks on club versus country issues
By Andrew Warshaw
January 18 – Europe’s top clubs have finally opened talks with FIFA aimed at resolving a long-running dispute over World Cup revenues and other club-versus-country issues.
Rangers tax case back in the dock
By David Gold
January 17 – The ongoing case against Glasgow Rangers for £35 million (€42 million/$54 million) in allegedly unpaid taxes continues at a tribunal hearing in Edinburgh this week.
Man faces charges over Twitter racism aimed at Rangers players Bartley and Edu
By David Gold
January 16 – A man has been arrested and is facing charges as the result of an investigation into racist abuse aimed at Rangers players Kyle Bartley (pictured) and Maurice Edu.
FIFA set to withdraw funding of new Zurich stadium over standing plans
By David Gold
January 15 – FIFA appear set to withdraw funding towards a new stadium being built in Zurich, the home of world football’s governing body.
UEFA to work with Interpol to prevent match-fixing and violence
By Andrew Warshaw
January 12 – UEFA are following FIFA’s lead by linking up with Interpol to clamp down both on match fixing and stadium violence.
Exclusive: I’d still like to see the Olympic Stadium involve football, says BOA chair Moynihan
By Andrew Warshaw
January 13 – British Olympic Association (BOA) chairman Colin Moynihan says it is still preferable that football plays a vital part in the use of the Olympic Stadium after the London 2012 Games to prevent it becoming a white elephant.
Israeli soccer is clean, insists IFA boss Luzon
By Andrew Warshaw
January 11 – The boss of Israeli football Avraham Luzon (pictured) insists the country is not one of those caught up in the scourge of global match fixing.
Russia to make match-fixing a criminal offence
By Duncan Mackay
January 11 – Match-fixing will be a criminal offence under new legislation set to be put before the Russian Parliament, the country’s Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko has revealed.
French football says ‘Allo’ to the pink Puma
By David Owen
January 10 – You cannot help but admire the boldness of some of sports goods company Puma’s football initiatives.