Whelan Not On the Run says Lawyer

Ray Whelan, bronchi the British man at the centre of the World Cup ticketing probe, is not on the run, according to his lawyer.

Whelan, a MATCH Hospitality director, left the Copacabana Palace hotel on Thursday before police arrived to re-arrest him as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged illegal ticket sales.

Police investigator Fabio Barucke later described Whelan as “a fugitive”, but a Friday statement from the office of lawyer Fernando Fernandes denied Whelan had deliberately evaded the police and said he was now waiting for a court to decide whether his new arrest warrant stands.

The statement read: “Fernando Fernandes said that Raymond Whelan was unaware of the arrest warrant when he left the Copacabana Palace, he is not running away from Rio de Janeiro, or the national territory, and that the executive has in force an injunction and is awaiting court decisions which will come into submission.”

Whelan and MATCH – a FIFA partner company – deny wrongdoing, and an earlier statement from MATCH said their director was working with his lawyer attempting to have his arrest order revoked.

The MATCH statement read: “Mr Ray Whelan and his attorney Mr Fernando Fernandes left Copacabana Palace Hotel on 10 July prior to the arrival of the police.

“The CCTV images of the internal hotel surveillance system distributed to the media show that Mr Whelan did not rush from the hotel. Police arrived thereafter, and finding Mr Whelan was not there, simply requested that he present himself at the 18th Precinct.

“MATCH must emphasise its understanding that the terms of Ray Whelan’s previous release did not restrict Ray Whelan’s movements, provided he stayed within Brazil. We do not believe that the term “fugitive” is appropriate under the circumstances as he is presently with his lawyer.

“We understand that any accused in Brazil has the fundamental right to resist a coercion that he believes to be arbitrary and illegal.

“Mr Whelan’s lawyers submitted an injunction to revoke the arrest order during the course of last night, which was denied, but we understand that Mr Whelan’s lawyers will today submit their request for reconsideration of that decision.

“Ray Whelan has not yet been granted the due process of a fair trial. MATCH remains absolutely confident that any charges raised against Ray will be rebutted.”

Whelan was one of 12 people arrested last week as part of Operation Jules Rimet into illegal ticketing touting. He was later released without charge.

Soccerex in Full Support of the International Sports Business Congress

Soccerex, remedy the global leader for the business of football, cough has confirmed it will sponsor the networking drinks at the International Sports Business Congress (ISBC) on the 17th of July, viagra coupon 2014.

The ISBC, part of the International Festival of Business, will bring together senior figures from sporting business backgrounds to share ideas and forge new relationships.

“The Congress will take place over two days, in two cities considered by many as the football hubs of the UK. The event will kick off in Liverpool on the 17th before moving to Manchester, the city which will host Soccerex’s flagship event, the Global Convention, on 6-10September at Manchester Central Convention Complex. Soccerex host partners Marketing Manchester will be playing a major role at the ISBC, with Sir Howard Bernstein, CEO, Manchester Council, a long-term Soccerex supporter, speaking at the event.

Day 2 of the ISBC will take place at the Etihad Stadium, recently confirmed as the venue for the Soccerex Football Festival on the 6-7 September. Soccerex’s close relationship with the Premier League champions will see both parties bringing together the local community at BT City Square for two days of footballing activities, including a legends tournament, youth competitions, activations and more.  The Global Convention will also feature a host of networking opportunities, including a social evening on the 9th of September at the Museum of Football, host to the ISBC Networking Drinks Soccerex are proudly sponsoring. 

David Wright, Marketing Director at Soccerex, said: “We are very excited to be part of the International Sports Business Congress and the wider International Festival of Business. The strong synergies between not only our event audiences but also the location in Manchester and our partners made the opportunity to be involved too good to ignore. We look forward to working with the organisers to deliver a fantastic networking evening at the Museum of Football.”

Commenting on the sponsorship agreement, Richard Morris, ISBC Event Director, said: “We’re really pleased to have made an excellent signing in Soccerex. The Congress is set to be a great event celebrating sport business and in two cities that are renowned for their love and success in sport. With Soccerex’s Global Convention coming up in September, it made perfect sense for Soccerex to link up with the International Sport Business Congress to showcase their event to our sports business audience.”

The Global Convention opens with the Football Festival on 6-7 September, with the Conference starting on Monday 8 September. A packed international exhibition and a programme of networking and social events complete the schedule for what is widely acknowledged as the world’s leading football business event.

For full information about Soccerex and future Soccerex events please visit http://www.soccerex.com // call +44 (0)20 8987 5522 // emailenquiry@soccerex.com

Dominic Anghileri Joins ITF as Executive Director of Finance

The International Tennis Federation (ITF) has appointed Dominic Anghileri as Executive Director, pill Finance and Administration, capsule replacing Gillian Burgess who left the ITF on Friday 17 January.

Anghileri comes to the ITF from the Royal Academy of Arts where he was Finance Director and Head of Operations since 1998. Prior to the Royal Academy, unhealthy he worked for BMW (GB) Ltd. and House of Fraser. He qualified as an accountant while working for SmithKline Beecham plc.

As well as his role as Finance Director, Anghileri will be responsible for areas such as Administration, ICT and Human Resources.

ITF President Francesco Ricci Bitti said: “We are very happy to welcome Dominic to the ITF and believe that his wide range of experience is a very good fit for an international federation like the ITF and we look forward to working with him.”

IOC Wants Fair and Transparent IOA elections

The IOC has urged the Indian Olympic Association (IOA) to hold fair and transparent Presidency elections later this month.

The IOA has an opportunity to clean up its image with controversial current President Suresh Kalmadi deciding not to stand for re-election.

Kalmadi was arrested in April 2011 on charges of inflating tenders worth millions of dollars for equipment used at the 2010 New Delhi Commonwealth Games that he headed.

He was released from prison on bail this January after nine months.

The Commonwealth Games were billed as India’s answer to the 2008 Beijing Olympics but controversy and arguments arose over leaking stadiums, poor accommodation for athletes and corruption scandals.

“Top priority for the IOC is integrity,” International Olympic Committee (IOC) Vice President, Thomas Bach, said. “Therefore a fair and transparent campaign for the presidency of the IOA is essential.”

“Only with the leadership of integrity can the IOA play the deserved important role in world sports and exploit the huge potential of sports in India,” said Bach.

India’s athletes returned from the year’s London Olympics with two silver and four bronze medals, the country’s biggest Olympic haul and equal to the collective tally of India’s previous seven campaigns.

“Six medals was a good harvest. However, a nation of 1.2 billion should do better,” Indian President Pranab Mukherjee said in August.

The favourites for IOA presidency are Indian Amateur Boxing Federation’s (IABF) Abhay Chautala and IOA Secretary General Randhir Singh.{jcomments on}

Goal-Line Technology to be Implemented after FIFA Signs Deals

Goal-line technology is now a visible possibility after FIFA signed licence agreements after sports technology providers, GoalRef and Hawk-Eye.

GoalRef and Hawk-Eye have been authorised to install their systems around the world after deals with world football’s governing body were agreed.

Last October, FIFA began a process of testing the reliability of goal-line technology systems after a series of high-profile controversies about whether or not shots had crossed the line.

The tests showed that both GoalRef and Hawk-Eye could reliably detect whether the whole of a football had crossed a goal-line.

A FIFA statement said: “Between October 2011 and June 2012, both companies passed a series of extensive laboratory and field tests, tests in simulated match situations, as well as tests in live matches.

“This milestone in the goal-line technology process, which began in 2011, means that the two companies now have official authorisation to install their respective goal-line technology systems worldwide.”

The International Football Association Board (IFAB), which makes the game’s rules, gave the go-ahead to the use of technology as calls for its introduction increased around the world.

The debate was intensified by incidents such as the “phantom goal” scored by Frank Lampard for England against Germany in the last World Cup, when the referee failed to award a goal despite the ball clearly crossing the line.

But hurdles remain before the systems are in full use, and FIFA explained: “Once a system has been installed in a stadium, it undergoes a final inspection to check its functionality.

“This is carried out by an independent test institute and the results of this so-called ‘final installation test’ must be successful. Only a positive final installation test qualifies a system to be used in official matches.”

Both systems are due to be used in competitive games for the first time at the Club World Cup in Japan in December, with GoalRef installed at one of the tournament’s two venues and Hawk-Eye at the other.

But some leading figures in football, including UEFA president Michel Platini, remain opposed to technology.

Platini is refusing to allow its use in UEFA competitions, instead preferring additional assistant referees, such as those seen at Euro 2012 and in the Europa League.

“You will never convince me on technology and I will not change at the age of 57. Technology assisting referee: I say, no,” he told the Evening Standard last month “My idea is to help referees by putting up more referees [he has introduced a system of extra officials].”

Goal-line technology is set to be introduced in the English Premier League for the start of the 2013-14 season.

New York Mets Hire Turnaround Favourites CRG Partners

The New York Mets have hired CRG Partners Group LLC to aid them in their financial crisis.

The firm assisted fellow MLB side the Texas Rangers in their bankruptcy proceedings in 2010.

The Queens based side would not be drawn on what the partnership means for their own fiscal position, pills and Mets Owner has Fred Wilpon reiterated his belief that the club will not be sold.

A statement read, “Mets Limited Partnership engaged CRG Partners to provide services in connection with financial reporting and budgeting processes

The Mets have debts in exces of $500 million, and owe $25 million to Major League Baseball and $40 million to Bank of America Corp, whilst Wilpon himself is currently being sued by the trustee for Bernard L. Madoff’s defunct firm.

The club lost $70 million last season and have taken the decision to offer minority stakes to raise capital. They may close of first of these sales by the end of the month.

CRG transformed the fortunes of Texas Rangers post bankruptcy under the guidance of one of the firm’s managing partners, William Snyder. He crucially pushed for an auction to increase the price of the sale of the club, and the Rangers have since reached the World Series in the past two years.

UEFA President Pleased with Ukraine’s Progress for Euro 2012 after Tour

UEFA president Michel Platini’s tour of Ukraine has led him to believe that the country is on schedule to co-host Euro 2012 after completing a tour of Donetsk, Kharkiv, Kiev and Lviv and receiving assurances from Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych. 

“There are no serious problems in preparing for Euro 2012, but there are many minor tasks and problems that need to be solved,” he said during the two-day tour.

He noted that Lviv’s stadium roof was not finished and Donetsk airport’s runway required upgrading. Further work was needed on transport improvements in Kharkiv and delivering more and better hotel accommodation in Donetsk, he pointed out.

Platini told a press conference in Kharkiv: “Two years ago we were still facing the issue, whether we can organize Euro 2012 in Ukraine. A year ago, we were deciding whether to leave four or two [host] cities and today we have four cities, and we need to efficiently use the remaining time to prepare for the championship.”


Platini offered praise for Kiev’s Olympic stadium, venue for the Euro 2012 final where construction problems have delayed completion.

The stadium has undergone a renovation costing an estimated $576 million. 

“I went out onto the grass of the stadium and kicked a goal. So I can say for sure that that stadium is ready,” quipped Platini in comment carried by DPA.

Kiev’s stadium is due to be officially opened on Oct. 8. 

The UEFA boss and his inspection team spoke with Yanukovych at the venue. 

Yanukovych insists Euro 2012 will leave Ukraine with huge legacy benefits when UEFA’s Euro 2012 circus leaves town.

“I’m confident that the infrastructure built in Ukraine will serve many generations,” he was quoted as saying by Interfax to reporters after his meeting with Platini. “This is a historic event in the life of our country,” he added.

Accompanying the UEFA delegation on the inspection tour were Deputy Prime Minister Borys Kolesnikov and Hryhory Surkis, head of Ukrainian FA.

Platini scheduled to inspect Poland’s Euro 2012 host cities – Gdansk, Poznan, Warsaw, Wroclaw – from Oct. 11 to 13. 

Along with the Kiev stadium, Poland’s showpiece venue in Warsaw has also been beset by delays. Platini will be hoping to see significant progress when he visits in two weeks time. No date has yet been set for the Warsaw stadium opening.

IOC Member Under Investigation Assigned Head of Olympic Football Tournament

African football power-broker, Issa Hayatou has been awarded the responsibility of running the football tournament at next year’s London Olympics by FIFA even though he is under investigation by the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) Ethics Commission for corruption allegations.

In what will be viewed as a highly contentious choice in some circles, Hayatou has been appointed head of FIFA’s Organising Committee for Olympic football tournaments starting with London 2012. 

The 65-year-old from Cameroon, a member of the IOC since 2001, has also been appointed to take over FIFA’s GOAL project that supports development programmes in poorer nations.

Although Hayatou, President of the Confederation of African Football (CAF), was boss of the Organising Committee at last year’s World Cup, he is still under investigation by the IOC following claims by a BBC television programme that he received a payment of 100,000 French francs in 1995 from the now defunct marketing company ISL.

Hayatou claimed his conscience was clear and that the money was given to the CAF to celebrate their 40th anniversary. 

But IOC President Jacques Rogge referred the allegations to the IOC Ethics Commission which still have to report their findings but could expel the 65-year-old as an IOC member if they find him guilty.

Six months after the Panorama programme, Hayatou again became embroiled in controversy when a British parliamentary inquiry into England’s failed 2018 World Cup was told that he  was allegedly  paid $1.5m each to vote for Qatar’s 2022 World Cup bid.

Qatar beat the United States by a landslide in the final round of voting for the right to host the 2022 tournament, the biggest ever upset in bidding history.

Hayatou described the corruption claim as “pure invention” while Qatar’s Football Association denounced the accusations as “serious and baseless” and said they would “remain unproven because they are false.”

An inquiry into the allegations, which first came to light in newspaper reports and were disclosed under Parliamentary privilege, later found there was no evidence whatsoever  to support them while serious allegations made by a whistle-blower regarding Qatar’s World Cup bid were subsequently withdrawn.

British volleyball teams lose public funding

Public funding for Britain’s women’s indoor volleyball and men’s beach volleyball teams has been withdrawn.

The cut was announced earlier, but officially took effect on 1 October. The withdrawal of funds casts serious doubt over the teams’ participation at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Volleyball was one of eight sports to have its funding cut at the beginning of 2009 because of UK Sport’s £50 million (US$79.2 million) budget shortfall.

GB volleyball coach Audrey Cooper said: “This will have a massive impact on our preparations – without finance we can’t enter or put on events.

“In essence, after Friday [1 October] I shall have no full-time job. We are still working on a deal to try to ensure that I stay on in a part-time role, which will involve me trying to find new backers for the team.”

In August the women’s indoor team organised a 272-mile bike ride from Sheffield to London with the aim of raising £250,000 (US$396,000) to keep their Olympic dreams alive.

Cooper added: “We had some great publicity and made around £12,000, but the main disappointment was that no major backer came out of it and we are still looking for sponsorship.”

Hong Kong Bledisloe Cup to go ahead despite ticket sales

Next month’s Bledisloe Cup rugby Test between Australia and New Zealand in Hong Kong will go ahead despite reports the match may be moved because of poor ticket sales.

New Zealand television reports have said the match, which is due to take place on 30 October at Hong Kong Stadium, could be moved to England because fewer than 10,000 tickets have so far been sold for the 40,000-seat venue.

However, the Hong Kong Rugby Football Union has released a statement saying: “The match has definitely not been cancelled and will go ahead, as planned, at Hong Kong Stadium on 30 October, 2010.”

Australia Rugby Union boss, John O’Neill, added: “There are no plans to cancel the match, we’ve got to find ways and means of getting ticket sales back to what they should be.

“The arrangements around this match are a bit different to the ones two years ago in that we’ve left a lot of the organisation to the Hong Kong Rugby Union, for which they’re getting paid a fee, and I think it’s fair to say we need to be more hands on and work very hard to make sure that it is a success.”

Hong Kong hosted the first Bledisloe Cup game on a neutral ground in 2008, while the fourth match of the 2009 series took place at Tokyo’s Olympic Stadium.