A monthly compilation of interesting business news related to soccer. April 2012.

FIFA announces $36 million profit in 2011 accounts – April 1st

Boosted by the World Cup’s enduring appeal, FIFA reported a profit of $36 million on Friday from its billion-dollar income in 2011 and increased its reserves to $1.293 billion.

FIFA accounts showed it had $1.07 billion revenue and spent $1.034 billion last year, allowing football’s world governing body to save an additional $13 million in its reserve fund.

Full Article >> Al Arabiya News

 

Italian ‘match-fixing’ footballer arrested – April 3rd

The Italian footballer Andrea Masiello has been arrested after reportedly admitting to match-fixing.

The Italian football federation said the former Bari defender confessed to scoring an own goal in a game against Lecce last season on purpose.

Full Article >> BBC

 

Rangers £134m debt revealed as adminstrators assess three potential suitors for struggling Scottish club – April 5th

The headline figures for Rangers’ debt are eye-watering – maybe as much as £134 million – but, as is common in such affairs, some of the small amounts owed must have prompted tears among those who assumed such a venerable club would never default.

 The dense and detailed 65-page summary of Rangers’ financial position, as calculated by the team of administrators headed by Paul Clark and David Whitehouse, was posted on the club’s website on Thursday and makes compelling reading.

Full Article >> The Telegraph

 

EURO 2012 and 2016 rights awarded in France – April 10th

UEFA has announced it has reached agreements with TF1, M6 and beIN SPORT for the French media rights both for UEFA EURO 2012 and for UEFA EURO 2016 in France.

The free-to-air coverage of 19 live matches for UEFA EURO 2012 and 22 live games for UEFA EURO 2016 will be shared by TF1 and M6. These will include the opening fixture, all France national team games, knockout stage matches and the final of both tournaments.

Full Article >> UEFA 

 

Sky Deutschland wins Bundesliga rights -April 17th

Sky Deutschland, the German pay-TV channel controlled by News Corp, has tightened its grip on live coverage of Bundesliga football, although it will now pay almost twice as much for that privilege than it does at present.

In a crucial decision for the channel, the German Football League said Sky Deutschland had won the rights to show matches online, as well as extending those for cable and satellite broadcasts, for four seasons from August 2013.

Full Article >> Financial Times

 

UEFA hails landmark player contract agreement – April 20th

UEFA has concluded a “historic” agreement with professional football’s key stakeholders that is set to ensure minimum standards for player contracts in the European Union (EU) and the rest of the UEFA territory.

The agreement, the first of its kind in team-sport at European level, was signed on Thursday by UEFA, the European Professional Football Leagues (EPFL), the European Club Association (ECA) and FIFPro Division Europe, the union for players. The agreement sets out minimum requirements for players’ contracts in order to protect both players and clubs, safeguarding player welfare and enhancing governance in European football.

Full Article >> Soccerex

 

SFL cracks down on financial management of Swiss clubs – April 23rd

The Swiss Football League (SFL) has refused to issue a playing licence to four leading Super League teams as it seeks to clamp down on the financial affairs of clubs following an embarrassing year for Swiss football.

BSC Young Boys, FC Zurich, FC Sion and Servette have all been refused licences, along with seven second tier teams. The clubs have five days in which to lodge an appeal. “For reasons of infrastructure and finance, the Swiss Football League’s licensing department has not granted the request for four Super League clubs,” the SFL said in a statement. “The commission has applied strict criteria, due to the experience of the past seasons. The budgets for the 2012-13 season have been examined from every angle.”

Full Article >> Soccerex

 

Spain agrees road map for clubs to settle tax debts – April 25th

The Spanish government and the football league (LFP) have agreed rules designed to pave the way for clubs to pay off hundreds of millions of euros in tax debts in a case that has attracted the attention of European Union antitrust officials.

Clubs in Spain’s top two divisions, many of which are in dire financial straits, owe some 750 million euros ($990.23 million) to the tax authorities plus another 600 million to the social security system.

Full Article >> Euronews.com

 

Football League clubs choose Financial Fair Play – April 25th

The Football League is to implement Financial Fair Play regulations in all three of its divisions, after Championship clubs voted in favour of a breakeven approach based on UEFA’s Financial Fair Play regulations.

From the beginning of next season, the Championship will join League 1 and League 2 clubs in applying rules that exert greater control over club expenditure with each division having the flexibility to determine their own specific approach.

Full Article >> The Football League

 

Rangers takeover suffers setback as Ticketus pull out of Blue Knights consortium bidding to buy club – April 27th

The investment firm had been in talks with Paul Murray, who is spearheading the Blue Knights’ bid, over helping to finance a takeover deal.

However, they no longer feel they can justify their involvement to their investors, with this week’s Scottish Football Association sanctions adding another obstacle to the process.

In a statement, the London-based firm said: “Following extensive discussions with the Blue Knights, led by Paul Murray, Ticketus today confirms that it has withdrawn from the Blue Knights Consortium after it was unable to finalise satisfactory terms of agreement for its investors with the Blue Knights around restructuring its ticket purchase agreement.

Article >> The Telegraph

 

Ukraine attacks soccer boycott as Cold War tactic – April 30th

Ukraine described threats by European powers to shun the Euro soccer championship it will host in June as a return to Cold War tactics on Monday, after several leaders called off their visits over the treatment of a leading opposition politician.

Relations between Ukraine and the European Union have been strained by the conviction of Yulia Tymoshenko – the main political rival of President Viktor Yanukovich – last October, a case her supporters say was politically driven.

Full Article >> Reuters