Dyke urges Platini to lead World Cup boycott May 31, 2015 FOOTBALL Association chairman Greg Dyke has called on European chief Michel Platini to coordinate a major boycott of the 2018 World Cup in protest at embattled world governing body Fifa. Dyke believes Holland and Germany would be prepared to join England in refusing to play the tournament but insists it would take Uefa president Platini [...]
Nick Clegg and seven other British officials named on Russian black list May 31, 2015 Eight British officials have been named on a Russian list of European politicians and military leaders who have been banned from the country. The list was compiled by the Russian foreign ministry and handed to an EU delegation in Moscow this week. A document, leaked in Germany, lists of 89 Europeans who are banned from the country, [...]
Five things Sepp Blatter just said about Fifa’s crisis after winning presidential election May 30, 2015 Newly re-elected Fifa president Sepp Blatter has given a press conference in Zurich where he answered the many burning questions posed by journalists following the corruption scandal which exploded this week. Here's what he had to say. 1. "I have no $10m" Did Blatter know who it is that is alleged to have given money [...]
Fifa crisis: Massive broadcasting revenues ignored by fans targeting sponsors for reform May 29, 2015 After a number of top Fifa officials were arrested on accusations of bribery and racketeering this week, the already considerable pressure on Fifa's multinational sponsors was cranked up a notch by fans eager for reform. Companies such as Visa, Coca-Cola and McDonald's, who have their names visibly attached to Fifa's competitions, have all felt compelled to [...]
Prince Ali Bin Al-Hussein: Who is the man taking on Sepp Blatter for the Fifa presidency? May 29, 2015 Sepp Blatter, the controversial 78-year-old Fifa president, is hoping to win a fifth term in today's election, but must first beat off the competition from a contender 39 years his junior. With Blatter’s reign mired in corruption scandals, contentious World Cup hosting choices and most recently a sensational series of arrests of senior officials, the Jordanian [...]
Sberbank keeps head above water despite Russia’s woes May 28, 2015 RUSSIA’S largest lender Sberbank kept in the black in the first quarter, managing to report a profit despite the country’s economic troubles. The economy is threatened with a deep and prolonged recession, thanks to low oil prices and Western sanctions imposed over the state’s war with Ukraine. But Sberbank still managed to report a profit [...]
Blatter remains defiant despite engulfing crisis May 28, 2015 DEFIANT president Sepp Blatter refused to quit his position at the top of the scandal-ridden world governing body yesterday as the shockwaves from the Fifa corruption scandal continued to reverberate throughout football. Uefa counterpart Michel Platini demanded that Blatter resign, while failing to rule out further challenges to the 79-year-old’s authority should he win today’s [...]
Fifa president Sepp Blatter resists calls to resign May 28, 2015 Fifa President Sepp Blatter has rejected calls to resign amid the worst crisis in the global governing body's 111-year history. Michel Platini, head of Europe's football governing body Uefa, said he had told Blatter to go "with tears in my eyes", but he had refused. "I said, 'I'm asking you to leave, Fifa's image is [...]
Which country benefits most from economic growth? UK ranks below Ukraine and Russia May 28, 2015 Economic growth is generally considered a positive thing for the people living in that country – it brings jobs, opportunities and usually a higher standard of living. But how much that growth translates into what we can actually experience as improved level of well-being varies from country to country, and it turns out the UK [...]
Fifa arrests: Vladimir Putin backs Sepp Blatter and slams US “meddling” May 28, 2015 Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused the United States of meddling in affairs beyond its jurisdiction by arresting a number of Fifa officials on charges of bribery and racketeering. In a televised statement, Putin described the arrests as "yet another blatant attempt [by the US] to extend its jurisdiction to other states" and a "clear [...]