Football
Lease deal strengthens San Antonio’s MLS franchise drive
San Antonio’s bid to attract a Major League Soccer (MLS) team has received a boost after Spurs Sports & Entertainment (SS&E), which operates the San Antonio Spurs NBA basketball franchise, struck a long-term lease at Toyota Field.
Indian firm signs Ronaldo to aid Middle East expansion
Portuguese football star Cristiano Ronaldo has entered into a partnership with Smaaash Entertainment, a sports entertainment company co-owned by Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar.
Fifa unveils reforms as Concacaf sues travel company
Fifa has unveiled the reforms that football’s global governing body will ask its members to adopt at a special congress in February 2016.
Dutch FA orders independent audit and ethics investigation into World Cup bid
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) has today (Tuesday) said it will submit itself to an investigation by Fifa’s Ethics Committee and ordered an independent forensic audit into its unsuccessful joint bid with neighbours Belgium for the 2018 World Cup.
Blatter and Platini fire back at Fifa bans
Sepp Blatter and Michel Platini today (Monday) came out fighting against their eight-year bans handed out by Fifa’s Ethics Committee, with the Fifa president describing himself as a “punching ball” and the Uefa leader, previously regarded as Blatter’s heir apparent, labelling proceedings “a true mockery.”
Fifa issues eight-year bans to Blatter, Platini
The adjudicatory chamber of Fifa’s Ethics Committee has today (Monday) issued eight-year bans to president Sepp Blatter and Uefa president Michel Platini, but has determined that the case concerned failed to constitute a corrupt payment.
Crystal Palace confirms investment deal with American businessmen
Crystal Palace has confirmed that American businessmen David Blitzer and Josh Harris have acquired a stake in the English Premier League football club.
Blatter awaits fate after Fifa hearings
Suspended Fifa president Sepp Blatter is awaiting the verdict of the Ethics Committee he helped create after appearing before the body in a case that could see himself, and suspended Uefa president Michel Platini, banned from football for years.
Tottenham receives approval for revised stadium plan
English Premier League team Tottenham Hotspur has had revised plans to develop what will be London’s biggest club football stadium approved by its local Haringey Council.
City officials reject Real Madrid’s redevelopment plan for Bernabeu
Spanish LaLiga football club Real Madrid has suffered a fresh blow in its efforts to redevelop the Santiago Bernabeu stadium after the city council rejected the plans, stating they were not in the public interest.
AEG hands over Houston Dynamo ownership to set first for MLS
Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) has reduced its Major League Soccer (MLS) ownership interest to a single franchise after a group led by Mexican-American businessman Gabriel Brener acquired its interests in Houston Dynamo.
Eredivisie club hit with European ban over Doyen Sports deal
Dutch Eredivisie football club FC Twente has been banned from European competition for three seasons after the Dutch Football Association (KNVB) ruled it “deliberately misled” the governing body over its relationship with Doyen Sports Investments, a subsidiary of private investment fund Doyen Group.
Communiqué | Up close and personal with Microsoft’s Madrid project
Real Madrid explained its new data-driven fan engagement project with Microsoft to an international group of journalists and analysts in Madrid in November. SportBusiness Group analyst Lukas Zajancauskas was there.
Qatar 2022 chief hits back at critics
Hassan Al-Thawadi, secretary general of the organising committee for the 2022 Fifa World Cup, has said Qatar has been unfairly “singled out” for criticism surrounding its preparations for the national team football event, stressing that no labourer has died on tournament construction sites.
CAS rejects Nakhid appeal over Fifa presidential bid
The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has dismissed David Nakhid’s appeal against his exclusion from the race to become the next president of football’s global governing body Fifa.
Conmebol set for January elections after Napout exit
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) will hold elections on January 26 to form a new Executive Committee designed to instigate major reform at the governing body, following the latest developments in the Fifa corruption scandal.
Uefa moves towards goal-line technology, prize money raised for Euro 2016
Uefa has confirmed it is considering introducing goal-line technology (GLT) for Euro 2016 ahead of its possible use in the Champions League and Europa League next season, while prize money has been substantially raised for next summer’s edition of the leading national team event of European football’s governing body.
The Numbers Game: Big Data and the Business of Sport | Data segmentation – Case Study 11: Social completes the Champions League picture
The 2015 UEFA Champions League semi-finals presented an opportunity to enhance customer datasets by adding social media activity generated around the matches.